Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves.

Cossman’s line reframes “success” as an inward, ethical project rather than a competitive race. Instead of measuring life by relative rank—status, wealth, recognition—it urges a standard of self-comparison: today’s character, discipline, and understanding against yesterday’s. The quote also implies that rivalry can distract from the only arena we truly control: our own habits and choices. In this view, progress is incremental and personal, and the most meaningful victories are over complacency, fear, and ego. The aphorism fits a long tradition of self-mastery ideals in moral philosophy and self-help, emphasizing growth, integrity, and responsibility over social one-upmanship.