You become your competition. Even if you win, you will inevitably become who you compete with. And so you must be very careful about who you choose to compete with.

Most of the work you see produced today isn't worth competing with. It lacks quality. It lacks care. It lacks intention. It lacks originality. Furthermore, it has yet to stand the test of time. Unless a work has endured for more than a decade, you can't know whether or not it is any good.

This is why it's far better to compete with dead writers, artists and entrepreneurs. Compete with Virginia Woolf. Compete with James Baldwin. Compete with Georgia O'Keeffe. Compete with Jean-Michel Basquiat. Compete with Coco Chanel. Compete with Steve Jobs.

But, whatever you do, don't compete with those alive today. There are exceptions, of course. But, most of those who claim to be writers, artists and entrepreneurs are nothing more than influencers, content creators and AI-puppets playing dress-up.