Dear Stephanie,
Sometimes scientists can be very competitive, and yes, I have felt that drive to 'be the first' to do a project or observe certain astronomical objects before someone else in the field gets the idea. But in hindsight, it is silly to do that. If you know of a person who shares a scientific interest with you, the best thing to do is to collaborate. Imagine, two bright heads would be better than one! That would be the best for the sake of knowledge, and remove our own pride from the issue.
Isabel Hawkins