Is it frustrating to be the second best? What do you think so?

If you know you have done anything in your power when it comes to studying, training or what you want to be the number one in, but yet place as number 2 or 3, then i believe you should yet be satisfied with your result. The reason is simply that we are not all super talents, and im confident there is some traits/things you can do as a person better than others, but sometimes it just happen another person is the best. Learn to accept that you dont win every time.

Well, actually I dont aim to be the first, I aim to be the best that I possibly can. If that doesnt make me the first then I dont mind, as long as I know that I did all that I can. There's this concept about second bests that I have seen in a movie. I forgot what movie it was but it said "Second bests are First Losers." That concept kinda stuck in my mind because I agree with it somehow. Of course there are two ways of looking at it. The pessimistic view would be the negative connotation of the term 'loser'. They did what they could but still it fell short that they werent able to get to first. The optimistic point of view would be, even if they came in second, they're still first at something. With this regard, I push myself in a different way. I dont expect and hope too much of anything. Its best to not even expect anything so as not to be disappointed. In that way, if I dont make it, then no hard feelings. If I do make it first, then that would bring great happiness.^_^

IN my efforts during life I have found that I have come first and last in many different competitions and events. One day, sometimes in my 30s, I suddenly wondered what it was all about it, and why I was putting in such efforts to be a "winner" at everything I tried. The answer is seemed was that as long as I did well enough for my own personal satisfaction, all the competing and worrying was only creating stress. I just stopped worrying about it all together and ceased being competitive from that moment on. I guess that was around the time I discovered and started practising Zen and realized (for myself)that life wasn't about winning, but about a journey of learning and discovery. It is a mystery where we come from and a mystery where we go when we leave, as there is no absolute proof of who we really are from the outer world, only from the inner world - and we can only prove that to ourselves. My competitive nature was getting in the way of these profound questions before I let it go. I feel more peaceful and fulfilled now - Derek

it is not frustrating to be second best. especially if you are second among 50 others or more! but try and try again, do not get impatient. in your frustration you will lose being second. let the pressure of being first be on the one who is first! you relax and think about your next move!

in this competitive world ,we all aim to be first. but to whom much is given ,much is required .i am grateful if i am chosen first, if second ,i check if they have been fair in judging.then i chose to be happy for the one who won first ,she must have toiled more than i did.being among first two is great, what really matters is if you enjoyed your craft.

as there is competiton in this world everyone wants to be at first position.we can see competition among people as well as students in every field in todays world.every person has a determination to beat other people .as we can see a real example that can be seen in every schools that there is a tough competition among the students to be at first,second ,third place.if in a colony a person purchased a car worth rs 8 lakhs to be the best in the society then in next week a person will come upon another car worth rs 10 lakhs. everyone is jealous of another one .so it is quite frustrating to be in second position.

no, I dont feel sad rather i feel lucky and happy that i'm the best in three. That is i thank god that i'm atleast second best in the class rather going back down positions. I love second position more than first. I remember when once I was coming first in a race but i endingly came up second. Through out the race i was thinking that ah.. I like silver so i would love to come second and i dont like gold so i dont want to come first. I will accept the situation and think that yes..i have to do my best to come first.The diadvantage in coming first is that u have to keep up the good work constantly that is to protect your first position which is indeed a tough job to do.

I try my best at everything I do. I do not mind being second best some of the time though. I will absolutely not tolerate being second best in a relationship though. I have to be put first just like I put them.

I think it is more important to know you did your best than to be best. Some people do not have to work at being best, which will lead to problems if they fail at something. But when you know you are doing your best at all things. You never fail because you put forth your best. Have a blessed day.

i think it will not be frustrating if you were not the first before you reach second place

It's so frustating to be the second best than to be the last place in a competition. It's just like there's something within you that says "if only I did much better".

I'm going to philosophize here :) We got to face it... there is always a loser in everything we undertake. No one can always be the first! So I think it's good to be second best sometimes as we gave others a chance to be the first. In all our honesty, as long as we put our hearts into the work and do the best we can, we should be content. Obviously, when there is a feeling of deceit in any competition... work, school, sports, etc., the resentment and frustration would increase. When I was in the lower grade school, I used to be the first in my class. My mom would say that's normal because I'm the teacher's daughter. I spent my vacation with a text book and was deprived of playing games when I came second. This must have affected my attitude towards "winning". For me, it's not important where I stand as long as I know I've done my very best. Be happy :)

Hi neelianoscet :-) Yes there were a few instances. I was working hard to pull my company out of the blues and I did manage to see that we could meet our monthly requirements for almost 2 and a quarter year, with no annual promotions in between. When the increments came, everybody else got more than me. Apparently, there was a typo, and I never raised the issue. It went on. And I did resent it. I finally got a job outside and left the organization.

Absolutely! I hated being second at everything. You work so hard for something, you come so close but then someone beats youu in a race by like .5 seconds. You know in your mind that is you gave out 110% instead of 105%, you could have won that race. You would remember that for a long time. Like if you're playing in the chess championship game, you make one blunder and you lose the game. If you would have named all of your moves and pay atttentioned to that queen in the corner you could have won. It is devestaing frustration all around. You try and be number one but there is always someone better than me, smarter than me, worked harder than me, etc. I remember during a swim meet, it was just awful. I was ahead of everyone for a couple of meters, and then out of no where, this asian dude goes berserk and sprints the last lap like he has nothiing to lose. I saw that coming and I tried to go berserk too but I already wasted most of my energy on the first lap and so on the way back, I ended up second with a huge upset against me.

Many times in my life it has felt I have tried to compete for something to end up the Best and then to only loose out. Even with my job where I work now, I make sure to never be late, do my job, call in only when I am really Sick, and then I am the one who never seems to get rewarded. Everyone else gets chosen for Employee of the Month, earns as much as me even if they've only been there 1 yr. with me almost 3, etc. It can be quite annoying for sure. And if you ask about me being compared to my family, I will never stack up even now that I own my own home even. It can be disappointing for sure.

I can understand the pain and anguish one must feel, when after so much hard work and efforts, he/she becomes, second. Nobody remembers the person who comes second, you ask anybody who has won the 1980 Wimbeldon Tennis tournament, everybody will remember the champion, but nobody will remember the runner up. The same thing happened to me a few days back, when I was passed by for a senior position in my organization and some one else got it. So I can understand the pain and anguish.

oh my god i would have to say you really made your life path very narrow. as to me there's glaring joy even if i stood on the last place of ant competitons. the second best,that is even better that the real best one cruz there will be passion to do your things better

Well this happened to me almost all the time. I really tried to make the best out of me but then I always ended up just second best like you said. It is very frustrating of course. But I realized that there's no reason to fret, what I am doing right now is just do everything to show to the world that there's still things I am capable of doing by not letting others think I am just a second best choice. I am doing things also without high expectations.

Hi neelianoscet, I am sure this has happened to many of us.As for me i give my 100 percent in whatever i do.I don't exactly think about what the outcome will be.If somehow i don't do as good as i expected ,i try to move on with that.But that doesn't means i am happy to be the second best.I always believe that - 'you never win a silver,instead you always loose a gold'.What i want to say here is give your best efforts and don't think about the results.

It is better to be second best than second most terrible!