With the Euros, Wimbledon & T20 World Cup all taking place recently, we’re reminded of how much sports means to so many of us. People from all over the world are tuning in, and some even flying in, to see their nations compete for glory.
One of the primary reasons sports resonate so deeply with us, is the innate human drive for competition and winning. From an evolutionary perspective, competition and domination has been a crucial factor in survival.
Sports toe the line between the chaotic nature of competition and the innate desire for order. Within us exists the chaos of nature and the aggression that is a byproduct of the competitive urge we all have, but what also exists within us is a need for a taming of those urges, and a need to regulate those instincts. Sports, and especially contact sports, provides us with an outlet for those chaotic and competitive desires and gives the order, structure and regulation that balances them out. The structured environment of sports allows us to channel these instincts in a constructive manner, turning potentially destructive impulses into positive and socially beneficial activities.
Addictions follow a similar process of operation. They exist due to the underlying voids, issues and chaos that is present in our lives but are so rarely paid attention to in the right way. Addictions are the result of a deeper drive or desire or need that exists in our lives that isn’t being fulfilled sufficiently and so addictions become a poor substitute to fulfil them. But the truth is that they can only truly be fulfilled by things that are much less about temporary satisfaction and are much more about meaningful fulfilment.
We may have chaotic instincts, misplaced impulses or wayward desires, but, there not only exists a deeper issue beneath it that is the real problem to be dealt with but there likely exists a balanced, sustainable and healthy outlet or method to deal with those instincts that aren’t
A lot of the time when we feel like there is an instinct or impulse that takes us away from the direction we wish to go in in our life, instead of simply giving in to our impulses; exploring the deeper desires and innate wants at the foundation of those impulses can be much more productive.
The wish of a footballer is not merely to kick a ball into a goal, the wish of a basketball player is not merely to throw the ball into the basket, but rather it is the innate desire of winning and competition and triumph that is articulated in the form of football or basketball, and they find those forms to be the most satisfying for them.
Similarly, in life, if something has a hold of us, like an addiction for example, it is very unlikely that the real problem is an addiction, but rather an underlying issue of loneliness or misery or dissatisfaction that takes the form of an addiction as a coping mechanism.
The point is, chaos and order are two competing forces that exist within us whether we like it or not. But the good thing is what we do have control over is the manifestation of the balance between them. When there is a chaotic or aggressive or toxic urge that takes hold of us, we must remember that there are multiple outlets for it and it’s most likely that the outlet we resort to most of the time isn’t the one that is most beneficial for us.
Sports shows us that those chaotic instincts within us do have an outlet that can be beneficial for us and even beneficial for more than just ourselves. So the next time you feel that it’s impossible to balance an instinct or impulse that takes over you, just remember, that proof that that balance exists is present within the magical middle of sports.
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Written by Ben Joshua
