Why Humans Can’t Do Without Sports

nautil.us

8 points·dnetesn··4 comments

My wife once told me that she notices I'm a less happy person if I'm not regularly playing sport. Since she mentioned that, I've been able to sensitise myself to when I think I'm starting to feel irritable for reasons of 'not having competed recently'. I've found it to be quite tangible.

There's definitely an evolutionary element to this, something along the lines of a requirement to contribute to the survival of the tribe; prove ones worthiness.

The other thing about sport, for me, is singular focus. Whilst it's physically draining, it's a temporary escape from all those other niggling thoughts and helps to get rid of the trivial ones. Meditation-esque.

>it's a temporary escape from all those other niggling thoughts

https://www.google.com/search?q=humans+would+rather+shock+th...

Do you need 'sport' to achieve those goals, though? Or would exercise enough be sufficient? I know several very fit people who don't play team-sports, but just take themselves for a long run or swim.

The article was rather flimsy and didn't actually answer its headline. It would have been more interesting had it addressed why people keep watching sport without participating.

I can't answer that definitively, but my preference is for team competitive sports, which is probably related to the motivation to perform as opposed to scratching a genetic itch.

Agree that the article was flimsy, and that's putting it politely.

Whether it's a function of age and cynicism or not, I'm not sure, but I'm much less fanatic about watching sports than I used to be. Jerry Seinfeld was right when he said that we're cheering for the uniforms. My home team for my sport-of-choice to watch is maybe 10% local talent and the rest are imports, and even the local ones don't necessarily stay put from one year to the next. Makes me care less and less.

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