In recent years, some believe that children should develop a competitive attitude toward their peers. However, others say they should be educated to cooperate instead. I personally find the latter view more sensible.
Admittedly, the first argument in question is also based on certain reasons. One of the main benefits is that, by competing against others, the younger generation can develop strong and tolerant characters. This is because, to compare themselves with their peers, they must endure many difficulties, especially since some of their competitors may have more expertise. One common challenge they face is exhaustion after exerting considerable efforts to surpass others. Take Cristiano Ronaldo as an example, who is the most famous athlete in the world. He experienced such problems in his youth because most contemporary sportsmen were highly talented at their craft, making them extremely difficult to defeat. Yet the football player managed to do so by working hard while consistently comparing himself to them. For this reason, the former argument in question may seem valid at first glance.
However, the second view that we should teach children to work together with others still makes more sense. The first explanation is that, if they do their work or studies with the people who can understand their field, finding solutions can be significantly easier for them. As the saying goes “two heads are better than one”, teamwork is more productive and beneficial for children compared to individual, solitary pursuits.
In addition, cooperation can make the younger segment of society more open and sociable. This is primarily because, unlike competing against their peers, they interact frequently during the process to tackle specific existing issues. In turn, their humanitarian actions, like being willing to help people in need, markedly increase.
In conclusion, regardless of the apparent upsides of the first opinion, such as developing greater mental resilience, cooperating with others can help children to become better human beings and create more opportunities to address their problems. Thus, I still firmly believe that the second view is a better approach.