It's a good post, and I read the linked post under "greatness will still occur without being aimed for" and that was good also. However, as a skeptic, it's my d

It's a good post, and I read the linked post under "greatness will still occur without being aimed for" and that was good also. However, as a skeptic, it's my duty to consider the case where things aren't so convenient and rosy. What if in fact greatness won't occur without being aimed for? I notice (in the other post) you make an exception for the moon landing, so we can assume no moon landing. Perhaps we might incrementally and naturally develop toward a moon landing anyway, one day, without making ambitious plans at any point: or perhaps not. Does this all mean that "our net happiness will rise"? That depends on the nature of happiness. You tie it to "things you find fulfilling", but consider: people have values, and morals, and are happy doing what they think is right. I would rather say that our happiness would be different in nature - or that happiness already is different in nature for those who reject competition. This leaves unanswered the question of whether rejecting competition, as a value, is right or not. I tend to agree that everybody could take it easy and society wouldn't collapse, so fear of that collapse can't be an argument for competition. I don't agree (although the systems-based paranoia is attractive) that society seeks to use individuals for its benefit by pressuring them to compete. Rather I think they compete because they like it, bizarrely, and don't want to take it easy. Perhaps it's simply the allure of the prize (or selflessly, the allure of great things being caused to happen) that makes them want to reach far ahead of themselves. It is their own business, anyway, and I don't think I or you can be a back seat driver for these competitive types and steer them into gentler pursuits against their will. The suggestion that maybe they'd prosper by being less ambitious is a good one. But I seem to remember another Steve Jobs quote (if we think he was a wonderful visionary, which I'm skeptical about) along the lines of "come with me and change the world".