We humans are very ego driven beings. Competition fuels the ego which in turn stimulates the release of testosterone and dopamine. In psychology we call this "the winner effect" and it is very well documented and studied.

Prior to any competition testosterone levels spike but post competition only the winner gets another dose. The loser on the other hand does not receive this. This leads to feeling meek and timid over time, its submissiveness an evolutionary advantage preventing it from getting into future fights that could cost it its life since it has a history of losing. This, of course, known as "the loser effect".

Besides testosterone, we need to look at dopamine. Dopamine of course is one of the main regulators of brain's reward and pleasure centers. If you want to know more about dopamine I will let you explore that on your own. You could spend your entire life studying that neurotransmitter. Most importantly to your question, dopamine is released based on the "winning" and "losing" effects as well.

So is being addicted to competition a bad thing? There are a fair number of studies out there on this subject. As with almost all things, it really comes down to balance. If you are too competitive within colleagues and social groups, it tends to lower everyone in the groups hormone levels ("loser effect").

So to answer the question, it is both a yes and a no. You can certainly go overboard on any addiction but at the same time most of the people I know are functioning addicts. Life is what you make of it brother. If you are competitive but respectful to yourself, then your addiction is not a problem. On the other hand if you find yourself disgusted with yourself, then the addiction has become a problem.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask anytime.

Peace,
The Last Sage