In this paper, I argue that the idealisation of the market economy has perverted the spirit of competition, rendering it uncontained, without boundary, and devoid of superego. I refer to this idealised state as the dark side of competition. It is underpinned by a culture of rationalism untempered by reflexivity, which has occurred by stealth, gradually enveloping parts of western capitalist society in a belief system and behaviours which are regressive and which have seen an increasing split between reality and fantasy. Narrow success indicators have rewarded an adolescent notion of masculinity, manifested in excessive heroics, toughness, and risk taking that has led to corporate collapses unprecedented in recent times. Aggressive and exclusionary dynamics have seen the repudiation of the feminine, with the resulting loss of capacity for reason, moderation, and boundary. A fine balance has been tipped, and the fragility of the system exposed.