A Mechanism That Necessarily Exists in Humans: The Competition Instinct — After Adaptation Is Complete, What Still Pushes a Person Upward

This paper argues one thing: a person keeps growing after adaptation is complete, and the demand for "better still" can only be issued by an innate inner mechanism, which this paper calls the competition instinct. On the side of existence: abilities contain no demand; when adaptation is complete the environment stops pressing; neither urging nor coercion issues it, and remove it and the day abilities suffice is the day growth stops. Operation is one chain: a standard is taken, the standard-gap between standards is taken, and the gap generates intention; intention calls up a second round of learning, the same shape as the first but starting from the level he has already reached; in between lie attempts beyond number, far harder than first learning because that starting point is too high; intervention after failure evaluates failure and competition itself and blocks, and may coerce. Response therefore decides not only which behaviours survive but how large intention is: the intention to rise and the intention not to be hurt again offset each other, and offset to the end is judging showing up itself dangerous. One gate holds the range: this is not competition as society knows it, nor contention over material basis and living space; it is not even struggling but a person's inner driver of his own growth. Its judgement is relative to the environment, not a verdict on the person, so the paper argues for changing arenas and rules, not eliminating people. No timetable, no normative value.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-11-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24047206
Primary Topic
Human Behavior and Motivation
Type
preprint
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preprint

A Mechanism That Necessarily Exists in Humans: The Competition Instinct — After Adaptation Is Complete, What Still Pushes a Person Upward

Yang Wu
1 links
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Human Behavior and Motivation
preprint

A Mechanism That Necessarily Exists in Humans: The Competition Instinct — After Adaptation Is Complete, What Still Pushes a Person Upward

Yang Wu
preprint en

Abstract

This paper argues one thing: a person keeps growing after adaptation is complete, and the demand for "better still" can only be issued by an innate inner mechanism, which this paper calls the competition instinct. On the side of existence: abilities contain no demand; when adaptation is complete the environment stops pressing; neither urging nor coercion issues it, and remove it and the day abilities suffice is the day growth stops. Operation is one chain: a standard is taken, the standard-gap between standards is taken, and the gap generates intention; intention calls up a second round of learning, the same shape as the first but starting from the level he has already reached; in between lie attempts beyond number, far harder than first learning because that starting point is too high; intervention after failure evaluates failure and competition itself and blocks, and may coerce. Response therefore decides not only which behaviours survive but how large intention is: the intention to rise and the intention not to be hurt again offset each other, and offset to the end is judging showing up itself dangerous. One gate holds the range: this is not competition as society knows it, nor contention over material basis and living space; it is not even struggling but a person's inner driver of his own growth. Its judgement is relative to the environment, not a verdict on the person, so the paper argues for changing arenas and rules, not eliminating people. No timetable, no normative value.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Human Behavior and Motivation
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