The Nature of Competition Has Changed

In watching reality television shows, particularly the the competitive ones, something interesting occurred to me:

The strongest competitors don't always win.  In fact, they are often eliminated prematurely.  The rationale being that they exist as a threat to the other players.  Thus, by voting them off, they are they eliminate said threat.

This, is bullshit.

It is my opinion that the strongest competitor should win.  Any other way is chicken shit.  I know what they were attempting to do, introduce a component whereby not necessarily the strongest, but the smartest could also prevail.  Perhaps the most potent blend of both physicality and intellect would be victorious.  The most complete player.  The strongest physical competitor shouldn't ever have to consider taking a dive, or losing intentionally so as to not appear as strong.

These do however do appear as tenants in The Art of War as militant strategy.  Appear as weak when you are actually strong.  To provoke an attack?  You're still putting the option in the hand of your opponent.

Can you tell I am interested in military strategy?

Survivor was good enough to introduce a feature called "immunity" whereby players who win certain challenges are now exempt from elimination or being voted off.  While beneficial for the strong competitors, it's also a double-edged sword.  You start winning challenges, and winning immunities to prevent from elimination, and you identify yourself as a strong competitor.

I would argue that, if you had to vote off the strongest competitor to win,  you didn't really win.  You were, essentially unable, ill-equipped, and frankly too chicken shit to go up against the strongest and win.  I would much prefer to lose to the best than to win under false pretenses.

I considered myself a strong competitor in N64's Super Smash Bros.  Actually, I considered myself next to infallible.  Naturally when my friend Tank, said:

1. He could mop the floor with me.
2. There was someone out there (Dustin) exponentially better than him.

I was naturally skeptical  having rarely been toppled in a game of Smash, even by some of the fiercest competition.  I was extremely disheartened to learn however that Tank was indeed on this one occasion, considerably better at smash than I.  I say this one occasion intentionally not because I have since defeated tank.  Quite the contrary.  I feel my ego is unable to sustain another blow of this magnitude.