Cebu Island Stay: A World Without Competition

As a theory of happiness, I believe that "not comparing yourself to others" is one key to continuing to feel happy.

Even if you know this, putting it into practice is incredibly difficult when trying to survive in a competitive society.

In today's article, I would like to think about
comparing yourself to others,
competing with others,
and ranking people.

I would like to think about these things.

🇵🇭　　🇵🇭　　🇵🇭

I am currently learning English at an English conversation school on Cebu Island in the Philippines. Speaking of studying, there are tests. When you take a test, the results are quantified by clear standards, and a ranking is produced.

Scores can be posted in a ranking from top to bottom that is easy for anyone to understand.

Now, does this mean we are competing with our classmates?

We have lived in a world labeled by test scores and deviation scores in order to pass high school and university entrance exams.

A ranking is something that clarifies superiority and inferiority. You can easily understand who is above and who is below by comparing yourself with others.

It is a cruel world, but that is reality.

In discussing the theory of happiness, avoiding comparison with others as much as possible is considered essential for daily life.

However, in a society focused on academic background, you might go to university, and after that, join a company, where you spend your days feeling anxious about performance evaluations while being ranked.

🇵🇭　　🇵🇭　　🇵🇭

I am currently studying English conversation. Am I competing with my classmates over my English level?

No, I am not competing, absolutely not.
My classmates are not competing with anyone either.

That's right.
This is a world where no one competes with anyone.

Whether your English level goes up or down, it is all your own responsibility. No one will criticize you. You don't get a sense of superiority just because your grades are better than someone else's. If you really want to compete, you compete with the person you were yesterday. I suppose this is what we call growth.

🇵🇭　　🇵🇭　　🇵🇭

When discussing theories of happiness, I believe individuals should define their own meaning and methods. If you feel happy, it doesn't matter what others say. A 100% subjective world is perfectly fine.

That said, many people are concerned with their standing. Standing refers to things like a sense of belonging or hierarchical relationships.

In most cases, our living environments do not allow us to escape that. However, the closed environment of an English language school strips away all those constraints.

Japanese common sense does not apply here.
Languages are diverse.
Age is irrelevant.
Students, working professionals, and freelancers don't pay attention to each other's status.
English proficiency rankings don't matter either.

The people studying here are on short-term study abroad programs. They live together for periods ranging from one week to six months. Students arrive every Monday and graduate every Friday. These short-term relationships are incredibly intense.

Such a unique environment is a wonderful setting for thinking about theories of happiness. If you come here, you can experience an environment where there is no competition.

Perhaps if you were with the same group for a long time, a competitive environment would emerge. However, among comrades who share the same goal of wanting to speak English, friendships are formed, but rivals are not.

Occasionally, I do see love blossoming, though...

Related articles below