Each human being is born as something unique, something that never existed before. Each person is born with what he needs to win at life. A normal person can see, hear, touch, taste, and think for himself. Each has his own unique potentials---his capabilities¹ and limitations. Each can be an important, thinking, aware, and creatively productive person in his own right---a winner.

 

The words "winner" and "loser" have many meanings. When we refer to a person as a winner, we do not mean one who defeats the other person by dominating and making him lose. Instead a winner is one who responds genuinely by being trustworthy and responsive, both as an individual and as a member of a society. A loser is one who fails to respond genuinely.

 

Few people are winners or losers all the time. It's a matter of degree. However, once a person has the capacity to be a winner, his chances are greater for becoming even more so.

 

Achievement is not the most important thing for winners; genuineness is. The genuine person realizes his own uniqueness and appreciates the uniqueness of others.

 

A winner is not afraid to do his own thinking and to use his own knowledge. He can separate facts from opinion and doesn't pretend to have all the answers. He listens to others, evaluates what they say, but comes to his own conclusions.

 

A winner is flexible. He does not have to respond in known, rigid² ways. He can change his plans when the situation calls for it. A winner has a love for life. He enjoys work, play, food, other people, and the world of nature. Without guilt³ he enjoys his own accomplishments⁴. Without envy he enjoys the accomplishments of others.

 

A winner cares about the world and its people. He is not separated from the general problems of society. He tries to improve the quality of life. Even in the face of national and international difficulty, he does not see himself as helpless. He does what he can to make the world a better place.

 

Although people are born to win, they are also born totally dependent on their environment. Winners successfully make the change from dependence⁵ to independence, losers do not. Somewhere along the line losers begin to avoid becoming independent. This usually begins in childhood. Poor nutrition, cruelty, unhappy relationships, disease, continuing disappointments, and inadequate⁶ physical care are among the many experiences that contribute to making people losers.

 

A loser is held back by his low capacity to appropriately express himself through a full range of possible behavior. He may be unaware⁷ of other choices for his life if the path he chooses goes nowhere. He is afraid to try new things. He repeats not only his own mistakes and often repeats those of his family and culture.

 

A loser has difficulty giving and receiving love. He does not enter into close, honest, direct relationships with others. Instead, he tries to manipulate them into living up to his expectations and channels his energies into living up to their expectations.

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