Being your best vs being THE best

So, here's a little story about not only how I play the game, but also how I approach life.

I'm not competitive by nature. I swam competitively for almost 10 years. I was actually ranked 16th in the US in the 1500 meter freestyle in 1988. That was also the year that I quit swimming. Why would I do such a crazy thing when I was obviously doing so well? Simple. I wasn't enjoying it anymore. There was so much competition involved and so many weird little mindgames people played that I simply couldn't stand the sport anymore. I still can't go swimming to this day!

But I realized something that summer of '88. I only wanted to be the best that I could be. I didn't care about being THE best in the 1500. And that sort of mindset doesn't win you a gold medal at the Olympics.

I was near the top in my class in high school. Always have been a good student, but never the best. Why? Because I spent more time learning what I was interested in rather than what was deemed necessary by the curriculum.

So just how in blue blazes does this apply to WoW? Well, here's the deal. I enjoy playing this game with a wonderful group of friends I made in-game. I'm a co-hunter officer in my guild because I have proven my ability as a player over the course of the last year and a half. I'm a top dps'er, but not always #1. I do as much damage as I personally can.... and that's a fair amount, but not always the most.

I'm happy with that. I don't obsess about dps. I like to work with my other hunters to help them find little ways to help them increase their survivability, utility and dps in a raid. I care more about a boss dying and having a good time more than I do about being THE best.

This is why I don't duel. Don't get me wrong. A lot of people really enjoy dueling. Me? Not so much. It's another one of those ego things that drives me mad. I'll duel with some friends and laugh my @ss off when they wtfpwn me, but when certain, dps-obsessed people challenge me. I decline. And that pisses them off. I don't need to prove anything to these people. I'll let my raid performance and dedication speak for itself.

I was courted by some of the big boy guilds on my server a while back and I just couldn't bring myself to play at that level. I could have been one of those legendary hunters on the server, but I just can't bring myself to muster that level of dedication to this game. My desire to simply have fun with friends far outweighs my need to be the best.

Now, I don't want to imply that people who crave to be THE best are wrong to choose such a course... that's how the envelope gets pushed and goals are set. We need people who strive to be THE best. Though, I wish they would just do their thing and not constantly puff themselves up on vent or in guild chat with talk of how great they are. Again, ego rears it's ugly head. People with big egos and big mouths... not a good match.

I'm just not one of those people. I'm content to simply be the best that I can be at what I do in-game and in life.