Competition

Positive role when aimed for spiritual/social progress

Vie in service with each other

"Vie ye with each other in the service of God and of His Cause. This is indeed what profiteth you in this world, and in that which is to come. Your Lord, the God of Mercy, is the All-Informed, the All-Knowing."

(Bahá'u'lláh, cited in Advent of Divine Justice, p. 83)

Happy the soul who will vie with fellows in service to the good of all

"Happy the soul that shall forget his own good, and like the chosen ones of God, vie with his fellows in service to the good of all..."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 116)

(Inter-community competition cited among positive developments)

"The auspicious year destined to witness the Centenary of the Birth of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is brilliantly opening. The last year of the first Bahá'í Century is more than half spent. The tempo of organized, concerted activities of the members of the worldwide Bahá'í community is correspondingly accelerating. Teaching campaigns, enterprises of institutional significance, publicity measures, publication projects, and celebration plans are rapidly multiplying. Inter-community competition is steadily mounting."

(Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America, p. 67; in This Decisive Hour, no. 121.1 as cable)

Proceed with preparation of design for Temple arranged by means of a competition

"He also feels that you should proceed with the preparation of designs for the Temple, which he understands you will arrange by means of a competition of architects."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Light of Divine Guidance, vol. 1, p. 227)

(Examples of appeals to healthy, spiritual competititon)

(America vs. nations of Europe)

"Will it be America, will it be one of the nations of Europe, that will seize the torch of Divine Guidance from Persia’s fettered hands and with it set the western world aflame? May your Convention, by its spirit, its resolutions and its accomplishments, give to that country’s urgent call a noble and decisive answer."

(Shoghi Effendi, to the U.S. Bahá'í Convention, Bahá'í Administration, p. 89)

See also

• Greed
• Cooperation
• Public recognition
• Nationalism
• Sports

To-dos for this page

• Add negative examples, e.g., for competitive elections, and when compared to cooperation