Victory isn’t a word that strikes much interest in hearts these days, and certainly doesn’t appear much in marketing or sales tactics. Nobody says, “Feel the victory of biting into a Big Mac.” There aren’t any signs that say, “Victory can be yours for only $19.95 plus shipping and handling,” and you don’t see game shows named, “Victory Against Ben Stein”.

It is, in many ways, an antiquated word, ranging up there with names like, “Gertie” and the concept of ironing and starching your underwear.

There is a lot of emphasis on winning however. You can win a reality TV show. You can win the lottery. You may even win an all-expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi. There was talk of, “winning the war on terror”, but now nobody really believes there’s anything there to start with, so that’s a bit hollow at this point. However, you certainly don’t see the government using the term like it did in World War I and II — “V-Day”, “Victory at Sea”, etc.

So, what’s the difference between “winning” and “victory”?

Both appear to be measurable — one knows when they have won or when they can claim victory in a situation. In fact, in many ways, one could say that winning is a part of victory. So — winning is a subcomponent of victory. What else does it encompass then?

From what I am able to tell, victory has a larger component than simply crossing a line ahead of someone else. It contains within it an emotional or psychological component as well, perhaps a welling-up of satisfaction that accompanies the winning, or a morally- or ethically-influenced sense of “correctness” about your win. There’s a clear superiority to your winning the contest versus the other party(ies) success.

“Not only did we win,” says the coach, “we were victorious.” Their sense of goodness surrounding their win might have been brought upon by soundly defeating a rival team in a fair match or simply winning with good spirits, sportsmanship, and ethics. Perhaps this win was a particular moment in the team’s history, prompting not only another notch in the stick for the good, but a turning point in attitude, team spirit, or camaraderie.

So, taking this into account, when in life should we try to win and when should we be victorious? Are we winning too much and leaving victory and its concepts behind in modern usage?

Our society is very “win”-oriented, prompting everyone to engage within a contestual activity with one another. The problem arises from the vast and increasing number of people who are out to simply win the activity rather than make a good, solid, and fair victory instead. Crossing the line ahead of anyone else, regardless of your journey to the line, has become the point, urging everyone to bend, flex, or even break the rules to get the advantage over others.

This is partially because victory oftentimes rewards no better than winning, at least in terms of material or monetary goods. This leads to lazier winnings, trying only to finish and using whatever means available to do so, rather than making a judgement call about the quality of their performance. Without external incentives, the standard goes straight down the flusher.

How, then, should good people be using this information to apply to their own lives? Simply put, winning is fine and good, but winning isn’t everything. You may very well have that top job, but if you had to burn bridges, shun friends, backstab co-workers, cheat, and slander your way to the top, you have only won, but not claimed victory. You are a scum; a successful one, granted, but morally and ethically vulgar.

The true victor, on the other hand, considers the journey as a part of the end result. The quality and content of the struggles and challenges that are overcome and the methods used to do so are what really rest in the victor’s mind — “How can I succeed and remain a good, moral, and ethical human?”

The victors no doubt lose more than the scandalous winners; of that I am certain. This may lead to much depression by the good folk of the world, but fear not — your victory, when it comes, will be that much sweeter, and you will still be able to live with your head held high in the knowledge that you won and you did it with a clear conscience. That, in and of itself, may be the best victory of all.