Maybe it's because I come from a very utopian world of being a comedian, but I'm used to many live comedy performances going on in any city I'm in, and each of us is trying to be the best at what we do. I don't think of it as a competition so much as a thriving comedy economy.
I want my audience to be my friends - that is when they will get the best comedy. If they see me as a performer, they won't get the best show.