Burden of a Runner-Up

Is winning always that important, ideal answer would be no, it isn't, failure is considered to be a step towards learning, but then how many failures actually think in this way. We have become habituated to accept the consoling of others who decorate us with the title of a Runner-Up, and last thing anyone would want is to be a runner up. Why?
Its a tough job to suppress the feeling that one has when he is just a step from finishing line and someone else crosses it before him and the final whistle is blown. What he lost becomes more important than what he gained. Losing 1st place is far more devastating then enjoyment of achieving 2nd. He suddenly becomes a focus of criticism among the people, a man with greatest defeat. When anyone races, he becomes a representative of whole community, and the same community thrashes him when he fails to surpass their expectation of winning. Soon he happens to be a matter of comparison. Comparison with the winner and how better the winner was then him. Everyone points out the his darker side and he becomes an illustration of failure and then again his story of defeat is publicized. Runner up means just behind the 1st place, but only the same situation makes all the difference. Its actually very complicated to overcome the burden of being a runner up.