Staircase to Limitless Potential: A Surreal Illustration of Personal Growth

Unlock Your Potential: Why Self-Competition Beats Comparing Yourself to Others

Beau Callahan in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how focusing on your own progress, rather than competing with others, can lead to greater success and personal satisfaction. Is Gender a Factor in Personal Growth?"

In today's hyper-connected world, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. Social media feeds are filled with curated highlights, making it seem like everyone else is living a more successful, fulfilling life. This constant comparison can lead to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and even depression. But what if there was a better way? What if the key to unlocking your true potential lay not in competing with others, but in competing with yourself?

The concept of self-competition involves focusing on your own progress and striving to improve your past performance. It's about setting personal goals, tracking your achievements, and celebrating your growth. Unlike traditional competition, where someone else's success might feel like your failure, self-competition is a win-win situation. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory.

Recent research sheds light on the fascinating dynamics of competition and gender, challenging conventional wisdom. A study featured in DIW Berlin's Discussion Papers reveals that when it comes to competing against oneself, gender differences in willingness to compete largely disappear. This suggests that the drive for personal improvement is a powerful motivator that transcends gender stereotypes.

The Research: Self vs. Other Competition

Staircase to Limitless Potential: A Surreal Illustration of Personal Growth

A recent study conducted by researchers Coren L. Apicella, Elif E. Demiral, and Johanna Mollerstrom investigated gender differences in willingness to compete, both against oneself and against others. The study, which involved over 1,200 participants in both laboratory and online market experiments, yielded some surprising results.

The researchers found that when it came to competing against others (other-competition), the well-documented gender gap persisted. Women were less likely than men to enter competitive situations where they were pitted against their peers. However, when the competition shifted to competing against one's own past performance (self-competition), this gender gap vanished. Women were just as willing as men to challenge themselves and strive for personal improvement.

Here's what the study revealed:

Gender gap disappears in self-competition.
Women and men are equally motivated by self-improvement.
Risk and confidence play different roles in self-competition.

This suggests that the factors that typically deter women from entering competitive environments, such as risk aversion and lack of confidence, are less relevant when the competition is internal. Self-competition taps into a different kind of motivation – a desire for personal growth and mastery – that is equally strong in both men and women. The study highlights that self-competition can boost performance just as effectively as competing against others, without exacerbating gender disparities.

Embrace the Power of Self-Competition

So, what does this mean for you? It's time to ditch the comparison game and embrace the power of self-competition. Focus on setting your own goals, tracking your progress, and celebrating your achievements. Whether you're striving for a promotion at work, trying to improve your fitness, or simply seeking to learn a new skill, remember that the most important competition is the one you have with yourself. By focusing on your own growth and striving to become the best version of yourself, you can unlock your true potential and achieve lasting success, regardless of gender or any other external factor. And that's a victory worth celebrating!

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.2139/ssrn.2914220, Alternate LINK

Title: No Gender Difference In Willingness To Compete When Competing Against Self

Journal: SSRN Electronic Journal

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Coren Apicella, Elif Demiral, Johanna Mollerstrom

Published: 2017-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly does it mean to engage in 'self-competition,' and how does it differ from traditional competition against others?

Self-competition is about focusing on personal progress and setting individual goals, tracking achievements, and celebrating growth. Unlike competing against others, where someone else's success might feel like a personal failure, self-competition ensures every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory. It's about personal improvement and striving to surpass your past performance.

Does gender influence the willingness to engage in self-competition, and what does the research reveal about this?

Research indicates that in self-competition, gender differences in willingness to compete largely disappear. A study by Coren L. Apicella, Elif E. Demiral, and Johanna Mollerstrom found that women are just as willing as men to challenge themselves and strive for personal improvement when competing against their past performance. This is in contrast to 'other-competition,' where a gender gap persists.

What specific motivational factors drive individuals in self-competition, and how do these differ between men and women?

The study by Coren L. Apicella, Elif E. Demiral, and Johanna Mollerstrom revealed that women and men are equally motivated by self-improvement. The factors that typically deter women from entering competitive environments, such as risk aversion and lack of confidence, are less relevant when the competition is internal. Self-competition taps into a different kind of motivation – a desire for personal growth and mastery – that is equally strong in both men and women.

What are the practical benefits of prioritizing self-competition in everyday life, and how does it contribute to personal growth and success?

By embracing self-competition, you focus on setting your own goals, tracking your progress, and celebrating your achievements. Whether striving for a promotion, improving fitness, or learning a new skill, remember that the most important competition is with yourself. This approach unlocks your true potential and achieves lasting success, regardless of gender or external factors. This leads to a more sustainable and personally rewarding path to success, fostering continuous improvement and resilience.

How can organizations apply the principles of self-competition to create a more inclusive and equitable work environment, and what are the potential benefits of doing so?

The study's findings suggest that self-competition can be a powerful tool for organizations aiming to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment. By encouraging employees to focus on their own growth and development rather than directly competing with each other, organizations can create a culture that values personal improvement and reduces gender disparities. This can lead to increased employee engagement, productivity, and overall job satisfaction. The focus shifts from zero-sum games to a collaborative environment where everyone can thrive by improving themselves.