I am sure that is correct for some, if not many.
For others, their own pressure to do better is all that they need to motivate themselves to improve. I guess that could be considered self competition, if a guy wants to think about it that way.
Different people get motivated differently.
You competed back in the day Ted.. The old KD course which I am sure you have completed a few times. While not a "match" it was scored and under time.
While we weren't trying to win, I'd think most fellas on the line were trying to clean the course of fire, and I'd be lying if we weren't trying to beat our buddies or at least win a beer bet.
The various shooting courses and especially qual ranges did cross my mind when responding earlier no doubt, and your argument absolutely does have logic. I was most certainly trying to clean the course but the only external pressure to do so was to keep my command off my back. Having others around watching and possibly judging me just didn’t motivate me at all. I am not sure if I am explaining this very well but I just didn’t feel the same way about external pressure and improvement under that pressure as some seem to.
It wasn’t tough to score expert on the qual range, but a pizza box wouldn’t have bothered me, truth be told. I can also honestly say we never made any bets on the range, that I remember anyhow. There was no need to make beer bets when cases were waiting for us back in the barracks. It is just how I am wired, I guess.
