You have to feel sorry for the audience in attendance. Not to offend, but, first you have to watch a badminton match. Then, you have to watch players intentionally and pathetically try to throw the match. If you saw the video, it was almost humorous watching two competing teams both trying to lose. How often do we see that in an athletic event? I applaud the governing authorities for taking action and not standing for this kind of behavior. We live in an age in which ridiculous behavior is excused or worse, held aloft on some relativistic plane. I am glad someone had the good sense to punish bad sportsmanship!

An interesting article in The Daily Beast looked at the reaction in China, where badminton is a national obsession. One quote from the editor of a Chinese newspaper criticized the players saying, "... People attach great importance to results while ignoring process." The editor attributed hyper-competitiveness to something particular to Asian culture. I would argue that excessive emphasis on competition is a more universal, human characteristic, and losing one's perspective in the quest for some prize is something that westerners are all too familiar with. Process is so important; we all know that, but we don't always live it. We are too influenced by a culture of instant gratification and an obsession with outcomes.

Recently, there was a fascinating profile in the New York Times debating the merits of high stakes testing in education. High stakes testing, undertaken in the name of creating a better educational system and a more competitive workforce, has led unscrupulous educators to doctor exam results (i.e., cheat). Such testing has subverted the process of learning. There are numerous examples of educational institutions that “teach to the test” rather than actually developing the skills and knowledge of students. Being able to compete at a high level or to be a successful student takes time, and it can never happen, when “process" is subverted.

My earlier comment deriding badminton might mislead you; this is a game that I know well. I had a grandfather who loved badminton. In fact, he loved it so much that we had a badminton net in our backyard. When he would come over, the racquets and the shuttlecock came out to play. Unlike the Chinese, Indonesian, and South Korean teams that played to lose, my grandfather played to win. There was absolutely no compassion as he took down his young grandchildren in matches, and he did this in all types of activities, whether playing badminton or Parcheesi! What I appreciate is that my grandfather treated me as an adult. It wasn't condescending. He challenged us honestly. He was supportive and kind, even when the score at the Ping-Pong table was 21-5 in his favor. We shook hands after games. He would tell us what we could do better and what we did well. I learned from him that competition can be a noble thing, and one needs to be gracious in losing and winning. But, most importantly, I learned that to master a game or skill takes hard work, and that the satisfaction of winning is equal only to the amount of “process” and pain you put forth to get there.