There is a simple truth that a lot of individuals struggle to accept: one will always meet someone who is better than them at something. Smarter. Faster. More experienced. More creative. More disciplined. It is normal. It is part of life. What matters is how one responds when they meet such a person.

Most individuals react with quiet insecurity. They feel threatened. They compare themselves. They start competing in places where no one even announced a race. They waste energy trying to “prove” they belong. But insecurity is loud, and competition born from insecurity is even louder. It pushes one to chase validation instead of growth.

There is a healthier way to respond. When one meet an individual who is better than them, one should work with them rather than working against them. One grows faster beside strong people than one ever will trying to outshine them from a distance. Collaboration stretches one. Competition shrinks one. Secure individuals are not afraid to learn from others.

Wanting to outdo everyone around you is not strength. It is fear. It is the fear that one is not enough, and that someone else’s greatness will expose one. But working with people who are ahead of you reveals something different. It shows one what is possible. It opens doors one didn’t know existed. It teaches one skills one didn’t even know they lacked. It lifts one’s standards without destroying their confidence.

When one collaborate with someone better, they borrow their wisdom and add it to their own. They benefit from their experience without carrying their mistakes. One grows without having to prove anything. And the best part is that truly great people are usually willing to help, as long as one is humble enough to learn.

Competing with someone who has already mastered what you are still learning is a losing game. One waste time trying to “catch up” instead of simply absorbing the knowledge they already have. One stands outside the room, trying to break the door down, while collaboration would have simply invited one inside.

Working with stronger people is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that one is smart enough to recognize an opportunity. It takes confidence to say, “Teach me.” It takes maturity to say, “Let’s build together instead of fighting for spotlight.” And it takes wisdom to know that learning from someone does not make one smaller; it makes one better.

If one wants to grow, don’t run from people who outshine you. Move closer. Watch how they think. Ask good questions. Share ideas. Contribute what you can. And let their strength sharpen yours.

You win more in life by building together than by battling alone.

©️Victor E. Ojei, 2025.