During my kindergarten days, my school would have us participate in many extra-curricular activities. We would play games, make art, recite songs and poetry, etc. Those were fun and carefree days when we would play around and have fun with our friends.

Little did we know that the teachers judged our performance during these playtime activities. The schooling system conditions our minds to “compete” in a world segregated by winners and losers.

I clearly remember one of the days when we were coloring, and I was completely immersed in my crayon artwork. When we were done, I and others in the class were so proud of our work, showing them off to each other.

I didn’t know this was an art competition. At that age, I genuinely did not understand the concept of competition. I was trying to understand why only a few of us got awards. I was upset. Where is my prize?

This story happened over and over again. I was running with my friends and having fun. I didn’t know we were competing in a race. I did not understand my friends got a medal, but I didn’t.

I recited my favorite poem in front of the class. I was just being myself, without knowing I was expected to be better than others to win a prize.

We had several such activities throughout our kindergarten. There was always someone who “won” and got congratulated. I remember being so upset one day when I realized that all my friends had won something or the other. I never did. Why are others getting a prize? Where is mine?

As I grew up, I was successfully conditioned by the system. I started to believe that expressing my art for its own sake was irrelevant. I have to be better than others. This is the broken world we live in; I get it.

But I wish we could just let the innocent children be. Let them express their art. Let them run on the tracks. Let them sing their songs. They should only have to worry about winning or losing once they are old enough to understand what competition means.

The educators do not realize how this system harms children’s mindsets.

• The ones who always win develop a superiority complex and will forever seek validation for their ego.
• The ones who are always a bit short of winning will grow up trying to struggle to be like someone else.
• The ones who never win will give up trying, believing they will never be good enough.

It takes a lot of awareness and examination of perspectives to get over the years of conditioning infected by the conventional educational system. I think it would be better to not cause this damage in the first place.

How can people judge and compare art? How can there be winners or losers in an activity which calls for a genuine expression of the self?

The world is becoming a popularity contest, forcing people to compete to survive. If one wishes to get out of this rat race, one must examine their mind with awareness and root out such tendencies from the level of perception.

I see value in becoming free from this need to seek validation. You do not need others to validate your art and expression. You do not need to compete in the popularity contest. Express your art like a child; joy comes from the genuine expression of the self.