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why should we compete? what does "victory" amount to? i'd gladly give up winning in favour of some form of survival guarantee and freedom to choose work rather than require it for survival.

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You're thinking of this from the wrong point of view. This is about evolution and dominance. A culture in which work is highly valued (even so far as at the expense of the individual) will expand and squeeze out other cultures. The same way a successful gene will reproduce and take over.

Two excellent books that delve into this area are "Stumbling on Happiness" and "Sapiens".

i think "evolution" is not some purely natural process that plays out separately from how we think. e.g. forming societies where we support and elevate each other instead of competing is also a potential evolutionary future. societies where whatever means are necessary _results_ in an evolutionary advantage will "win", not those who necessarily work harder. capitalism-driven competition is just gamification of exploitation and doesn't inherently lead to an evolutionary advantage. it's just one of many ways to get there.

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