> "I don't want to have to beat you," Finny said earnestly. "You make me nervous. It's not even a race, not really. It's a test of nerve, and if I don't beat you I won't know I can trust myself."
This quote reveals that Finny doesn't just want to win, he wants to prove himself, to test his own abilities. Even when facing Gene, a friend, he sees the competition as a way to measure his own self-worth and confidence. This desire to prove himself, even to his friends, is a key element of his competitive spirit.