The question of “how to win” aims at victory within the competitive boundaries set by a specific environment. No matter what environment people find themselves in, they can never truly escape competition. This is because every environment possesses its own set of values, demanding that individuals strive toward an ideal.
However, no matter how hard one tries, the likelihood of actually reaching that ideal is exceedingly low. Even if one were to reach it, a new fear arises—the fear of losing it. Furthermore, today’s values may very well change tomorrow. Fashion trends serve as a prime example; looking back at what was popular fifty years ago clearly reveals just how volatile these standards are. Therein lies the danger of focusing solely on “how to win.”
On the other hand, the question of “how to be different” represents an attempt to break free from the dominant standards of an environment. This endeavor inevitably forces us to question the underlying values themselves, providing an opportunity to view them not as absolute, but as relative. It is precisely at this point that the importance of “being different” becomes clear. There is no such thing as an absolute standard of value in this world—and even less so today.
