It's called "raising the bar"
Much of Mary Anne's comments here are centered on the concept of "teaching by example". She applies it with equal conviction to the behavior of the US in the community of nations, the behavior of citizens in their communities, and the behavior of Zoners. She lives her own life the same way.
Not all challenges are combative. Some are like "personal bests" in athletics: Winning isn't as important as self-improvement. But -- as you and many others here already know -- it takes a certain level of cognition to recognize that.