Going off of what Madeleine said I agree that these characteristics of humans aren't entirely bad. I also think that it depends on how big a scale we are looking at. Sure, if there's someone who is doing better than you at a sport, you will want to become better than that person. But what happens if you don't achieve the same level as that person? Wouldn't you get frustrated and envious that the person you were competing with is better than you? Now of course that wouldn't lead to war, but say it's something bigger, like hockey. Fights break out all the time in NHL because the competition is so intense. The more intense the competition, the more likely it is that a fight will be created.