Finally someone who understands the way I think during a fight! You find an exploit in their game, or find an exploit in your character that does not break the game and you can come out on top. I am of course speaking from an offline perspective as well.
A competitive mindset to me means that you will do whatever it takes while upholding the rules that are given in order to become the winner. This may seem dull because of the fact that you may not give your opponent a fun fight, but rather an aggravating experience all together. However, if the goal is to win the contest and I am up for the challenge, I am not going down without throwing everything I've got into the fight beforehand.
/end rant..