It takes a fairly sophisticated person to recognize the true competition. The true enemy is rarely someone else. There's a Hebrew proverb that says, If you can overcome the enemy within, the enemy without can do you know harm. There's an Ethiopian proverb that says, When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. So working together, young people, for common goals, a common cause, will make all the difference in the world.
Unity is the key.
There was a visitor to an insane asylum who noticed there were three guards watching over 100 inmates. The guard said, No. You see, lunatics never unite. Sheer lunacy that we seem to not be able to unite. The goal in every race I run is not to beat another runner.