[The following is machine/AI translated biblical perspective from my previous post written in Chinese, so please suggest troublesome parts for me to fix the translation, thanks.]
The news such as “Elon Musk Unveils Sarcastic Chatbot Named Grok to Compete With ChatGPT” was not unexpected. Before I understood the concept of “abundant life” and changed my perspective on life, I used to narrowly interpret “abundant life” as “visible experience-optimized life”. I took entrepreneurs like Musk as role models, enthusiastically reading their biographies. Hence, based on a shallow understanding of his personality and the public statements after leaving OpenAI, as well as the establishment of xAI a few months ago, I had speculated that this was inevitable: the “sudden shock” on the eve of the OpenAI DevDay was not surprising. He announced this on Twitter on Saturday, inspired by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” unveiling a large model with a humorous and rebellious personality aimed at competing with ChatGPT, and the next day, OpenAI DevDay’s Keynote had a counter-strategy (in fact, a strategy that was already in plan regardless), in short, ecosystem layout, mirroring the Apple ecosystem’s pattern similar to what Apple had done in its early days. From Grok challenging ChatGPT, I realized that competition and comparison are not only present in the forefront of LLM products but also omnipresent in the material and spiritual realms.
In secular culture, we are accustomed to competition and comparison. Sometimes, we crave competition; other times, we fear it. Sometimes, competition brings benefits, and at other times, it leaves us scarred. The email username I established before the age of 18 often contained “luluwin,” indicating that “winning” dominated my childish heart back then. As I grew older and gained more experience, the bad habit of comparison did not automatically change. I still followed the customs of this world, measuring my success, abilities, and worth based on popular views or others’ approval. For example, when I was single in my late 20s, seeing peers getting married and having children made me feel inadequate and self-pitying. In the early stage of my entrepreneurship, seeing other companies incubated during the same period raising round after round of funding made me feel a sense of comparison and dissatisfaction, bringing intangible pressure to myself, my co-founders, and other stakeholders, even a sense of frustration… Later, when I saw people in their eighties and nineties still comparing primary physicians for their illnesses and/or some aspects of their grandchildren, I realized that no matter what scale we use to measure, there will always be aspects that we cannot reach according to other people, things, or standards. The comparison trap won’t automatically go away as people age. I need to have a renewed heart to stay away from the temptation to compare. Such comparisons only trap ourselves in a dilemma. If we compare God’s arrangements in our lives with others, regardless of whether they are good or bad, it will be a fatal trap.
Fortunately, as my understanding of “abundant life” changed and my perspectives were reversed, I became sensitive to competition and comparison, understanding that comparing oneself with others is wrong. Genuine abundant living comes from joy and gratitude toward what we have, not wishing for or pursing what the world claims we need. Fullness of life is not measured in terms of wealth, power, or prestige, but seeking after God and His goodness. The root of “comparison” is pride, which easily leads to jealousy and self-disgust, resulting in inner poverty. “Comparison” is the beginning of strife. What does strife mean? It means conflicts arise from different views on things or for the sake of one’s own interests. We don’t need to contend with others; it benefits ourselves to be gentle, humble, and peaceful in our hearts. However, strife is often more prevalent than benign competition and has existed since ancient times. The most extreme form of strife is war.
Competition is not strife; it is not necessary to compete with others (or other institutions/products/services) at all costs just to prove oneself (or one’s institution/product/service) is stronger. On the contrary, competition means seeing others as better than oneself and continuously learning from others (or other institutions/products/services) to surpass oneself. Should we never have a mindset of “winning” or “progress” in a competitive society? In a competitive society, people tend to follow the trend — for example, pursuing what others pursue, living as others do, keeping up with how others plan their company’s products… As Christians, our value does not lie in becoming the “number one” in the world but in whether we can fulfill God’s mission for us. We are not meant to pursue a “successful” life but to pursue a life of “transcendence,” transcending the secular world, being holy and sanctified. Grasping God’s promises and missions will prevent us from drifting with the tide. Restoring a perspective centered on truth will reduce much of the pressure, sorrow, self-doubt, or pride. Instead, we will receive grace and be used throughout our lives.
Competition itself is not inherently evil. If used in a manner consistent with the truth, healthy competition is beneficial. In the market, fair and just competition can more effectively allocate resources, improve production efficiency, and enhance the quality of products and services. Most of the products and services we enjoy today have emerged from continuous competition. If the competition between people is fair and rational, it can promote each other’s progress because progress comes from competition. Whether it is commodities, services, or other aspects, if we respect God and others in competition, abide by the principles of fairness and justice, neither arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat, and strive to improve ourselves, many competitions will become a good thing. In life, competition and rewards can stimulate people to pursue upward progress continuously. Appropriate and healthy competition can make people not lazy but strive to excel, living a productive and fruitful life. For example, in the competition of grace, the standard of “conquering oneself and making the self submit” is very high, as can be seen from the strict discipline that athletes participating in competitions worldwide receive during training. Competition is not an everyday event, but practice is all about everyday life. People strive for victory for the corruptible crown in this world, with everything in moderation.
Competition itself is neither right nor wrong. However, in the process of competition, whether it is an organization or an individual, one will inevitably face various temptations. In today’s real world, competition sometimes turns into strife. Because competition itself is also cruel, what was world-famous yesterday may be completely unknown today. For example, the failures of enterprises like Lehman Brothers and Enron… fundamentally, these failures were not caused by competition but by the fact that the parties involved lost themselves in competition, stumbling in the face of temptation and greed. If our minds are filled with the latest TV shows, music, and all the rest the culture has to offer, we will be bombarded with messages and images that inevitably lead to sinful lusts. But if our minds are filled with the majesty and holiness, the love and compassion of God, and the brilliance of both reflected in His perfect Word, we will find that our interest in the lusts of the world diminish, “keep watching and praying that we may not enter into temptation” is the timeless way to guard our hearts and minds in order to keep the sources of temptation away from us. Therefore, whether it is an organization or an individual, competition is not about harming or hurting others but about constantly improving and enhancing oneself, overcoming temptations and practicing discipline in all things.
We live in this world where competition is inevitable, therefore, I hope that at least we only engage ourselves in the right kind of competition. Paying attention to worldly competition, whether it’s constantly comparing our products at the forefront of technology with our competitors, or comparing skills, abilities, reputation, popularity, success, wealth, or even comparing external objective indicators such as health, family, children, and various relationships, can burden us with unnecessary stress. There will be times when we need to strive for victory, but the best competition is always with ourselves — making ourselves better and better. Surpassing our past selves, allowing our potential to be fully realized, and not envying or being jealous of what others have, but asking ourselves, “What have I learned?” and “How much have I grown?” This is what we should truly focus on because we must constantly “surpass ourselves.”
Our greatest competitor is not someone else but ourselves. It’s important to focus more on “conquering ourselves,” overcoming our own sinful nature. We hope that God will help us not to care about winning or losing, to not attach too much importance to the fleeting achievements of this life, but to be willing to strive to fulfill God’s will, longing for eternal and spiritual rewards. When we can calmly live our lives with everything God has given us, grateful for everything He has arranged for us, surpassing our former selves, and allowing our potential to be fully realized, we can strive for that imperishable crown. This is not a competition with others, but a competition with our former selves. It is in this process that our hearts can find peace and satisfaction.
References:
“What does the Bible say about competition?”
Can a Christian be a competitive sportsperson? | What the Bible says about competition
Abundant Life: How do I live in abundance?
The Evolving Landscape of AI: OpenAI’s Strategy Reflects The Apple Ecosystem
