It seems that no matter where you are on the planet, the competitive madness was bred into your cells and reinforced in countless social interactions. But you can learn to watch for monkey mind to appear, to notice when it starts tainting your life. Like a virus, it generally sneaks up on you unseen; what you'll observe are its symptoms. Here are some telltale diagnostics:

1. You get irritable or depressed when someone else succeeds.
2. You don't feel loved or loving.
3. Meeting a successful person, you feel anxious rather than honored.
4. It seems to you that a victorious end justifies morally dubious means.
5. You actively hope for others to do badly or to fail.
6. You don't know what you like until you know what others think.
7. You're dogged by shame; you never feel good enough.
8. Winning creates a brief happy moment, which quickly gives way to anxiety.
9. Losing devastates you to the point of despair.
10. You criticize everyone and believe everyone is criticizing you.

From the August 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine