In this world, and even before our current society was established, the winner would reap the benefits. The strongest, most intelligent, most socially versed people would win. Everything is earned, not simply given.
Meanwhile, the rest of the people would scramble for the scraps, and the leftovers. To the victor go the spoils, that’s how the real world works.
But why does the winner take it all? And why do people tend to divide themselves based on winners and losers?
Why do the spoils go to the victor?
People tend to organize themselves in hierarchies
To the victor belongs the spoils because people have a tendency to organize themselves based on competency. And the most competent people tend (although not always) to win in this world.
There are winners and losers in life
In all facets of life, there are winners and losers. Some people win at sports because they are the best, and those who lose because they’re not the best.
Some earn millions of dollars, and those who are on the streets earn nothing, or those working for scraps. Those who are beautiful get to pick and choose their partner, while those of us who aren’t blessed with extreme beauty usually need to settle with a congruent partner.
Life organizes itself into winners and losers. And for there to be winners, there need to be losers. You can’t have one without the other.
The winner takes it all
It’s important to be a winner in life, since the winner takes it all, while the rest is left fighting over the scraps.
Those in a position of competence/dominance have the option to pick what rewards they desire. The rest will have to do with the scraps. The leftovers, so to say.
But don’t worry, losing isn’t the end of the world. You either win or learn in life. That is if you decide to be open-minded and to learn from your mistakes. And there’s no better incentive to learn new things than failure and losing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does, “to the victor go the spoils” mean?
To the victor go the spoils, which means that the winner will reap the rewards. It means that the victor gets everything because they are the best at what they do.
Winners tend to keep winning firstly because they have a winning attitude, secondly because most people are naturally drawn to winners, and finally because winners have access to more resources and opportunities.
This inherently means that it’s beneficial to be a winner in life. It doesn’t matter what aspect you’re a victor in, it’s always beneficial to be the top dog. [1]https://grammarist.com/proverb/to-the-victor-belong-the-spoils/
Who said to the victor go the spoils?
To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy was first reported being said by William L. Marcy.
He was an American politician, cabinet member, and governor.
What keeps us from becoming winners in life?
But what does our society tell and do these days?
Society tells people that they are fine just the way they are. Children are being told in school and at home that they’re perfect. That they should stay just the way they are. But you see, the problem with that is, well, where’s the incentive to improve if they’re already perfect?
Not only that, telling flawed people, like we all are by the way since humans are imperfect, creates a delusional mindset. This behavior tends to overinflate their self-worth because those around them have been lying to them their whole life. They have effectively been deluded by friends and strangers alike.
In schools, participation medals get handed over to the children for the sake of equality. But deep down, everyone knows who won, and that the rest lost. And giving everyone a medal or trophy doesn’t change that simple fact. On the contrary, it only helps to delude children/people that winning doesn’t matter, but it does.
Equality of opportunity is great, but equality of outcome is not possible, and not even desirable. Not everyone is equally intelligent, beautiful, and strong, no matter how equal their upbringing is. Even if everyone would get the same amount of opportunities, we still wouldn’t get the same outcomes.
Everyone has their unique gifts and advantages that they should utilize
Everyone has their unique gifts and talents. This means that we are better at some things than others, and worse at other things than those around us. This means that we can’t be equal in outcomes.
How do we learn how to become winners in life?
It boils down to this. We learn how to become winners in life through experience and failure. When done right, this makes us competent, which allows us to succeed. And not just competent, but the most competent we can be, so we can dominate the field we’re in and get the benefits.
To become capable, we need to have a continuous self-improvement mindset. We need a hunger for knowledge and improvement to keep getting better and to remain at the top once we manage to get there. Life is ever-changing, and those who adapt the fastest remain at the top.
But many other tips exist to learn how to develop a winning mindset in order to emerge victorious and reap the benefits.
To the victor go the spoils synonyms
To the victor go the spoils has many synonyms such as:
- To the winner goes the spoils
- To the victors belong the spoils
- To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy
While the phrasing is a little different, the meaning remains unchanged.
To the victor go the spoils Latin translation
To the victor goes the spoils, the Latin translation is victori spolia.
Final note
The spoils go to the victor, it’s that simple.
We might not want to hear it, and we might not even believe it, since most of us have been fed this lie that everyone is equal and that we are all winners.
But the simple fact remains. There are winners and losers out there.
The winners get the benefits, while the rest of the folks fight over the scraps.
Call to action
Since we know that to the winner goes the spoils, and that’s why you should ignore the naysayers.
It’s in your best interest to try to become as competent as humanly possible. If you become the top dog at what you want to excel in, then you’ll be the winner while others are the losers.
To do this, you’ll need to develop a continuous self-improvement mindset. Winners never settle, nor do they let other people dictate how they should live their lives.
Try to become physically and mentally competent/strong. Start with small, achievable goals, and gradually build up to create more beneficial habits that work for you instead of bad routines that work against you.
References
| ↑1 | https://grammarist.com/proverb/to-the-victor-belong-the-spoils/ |
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