Why is there in the
media and society a big emphasis on sports? And why is one kind of
behavior being rewarded more than another?
In both the western world and in many other
parts of the world, different kinds of sports are a big part of society. In the
media after the world wide news we will get the sports section with all the
latest results. Why is this?
In our current society there’s a big focus on
how we look and what we eat. Often we will get told what to eat and what not
to. There’s an expectation that we are fit and in good shape. If you’re obese
it could be your own choice, but often it’s interpreted as if you’re not having
control with your life. Being fit shows that you have surplus and the necessary
willpower to put the needed hours into the gym.
This means that if you’re a person who enjoys
going to the gym or you’re doing other kinds of sports, then there’s a good
chance that people will see this as being a positive way to spend your time.
That’s also why we’re looking up to big sport stars that are the elite and are
competing at an international level. It’s the same thing with being an
introverted or extroverted person. There’s a general tendency from the society
to prefer extroverted behavior to introverted. Being outgoing and social is perceived as a positive quality.
Another example of one kind of behavior which is pointed out as being good, is to look at Warren Buffet. He’s
an American investor who is widely considered the most successful investor of
the 20th century. Buffet is the primary shareholder, chairman and
CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and considered among the world’s wealthiest people.
He was ranked as the world’s wealthiest person in 2008. In 2012, American
magazine Time named him the most
influential person in the world.[1]
He considers himself as being lucky to be born
into a capitalistic society such as America, because here his stock marked skills
are being recognized and rewarded. In a liberal capitalistic country in which
money equals power and fame he’s doing great. He says:
I’m not sure whether it’s intellectual or emotional, but when I was born in 1930 the odds were 40-to-1 against me being born in the United States as opposed to someplace else. I was a male. The odds were even money on that. So now I’m down to 80-to-1. You don’t want to bet on 80-to-1 shots normally, but I got lucky. As Bill says, if I’d been born a few thousand years ago I’d have been some animal’s lunch, because I’d have gone around saying, “Well, I allocate capital,” you know, and the animal would say, “They’re the kind that tastes the best.” I can’t run fast. And I can’t climb trees. And so here I am, by pure, pure luck, born at the right time, the right gender as it turned out, compared to my sisters who were just as smart or smarter than I am, in the right place and in a system where allocating capital pays off like crazy.[2]
I think this quote by Warren Buffet illustrates
very well the point I’m trying to make. In a certain society, one kind of
behavior is being preferred to another. If Warren Buffet was born a thousand
years ago he would be at the bottom of the food chain, but in today’s society
he’s at the very top.
The reason why our current society puts an
emphasis on sports is because we have chosen to put focus on the body. It’s
good to be fit and on a slimming diet if you have put on some extra kilos.
Another reason why we focus on the body, is
because in the present society making a first
impression when we meet new people in important. Today we differentiate between ‘primary
relationships’ which are close and personal relationships which are found mainly
in the family and ‘secondary relationships’ which are professional relations
which are found in the school system and in the labour marked. In the family it’s a goal in itself to spend time with each
other while in the school system and in the workplace there’s a agenda where
there is certain things that has to be done. In previous societies the primary
relations were domination, but today the secondary relations are more and more domination. We will meet so many different people that we
don’t have time to sit down and get to know every single person. Therefore you
could argue that the first hand expression you get of a new person is quite
important. If you’re being fit and seem to have a certain control over your
life, then it will help you make a good first impression.
To sum up why sport is such a big part of the
current western civilization it’s because there’s a focus on the body, being
fit and in good shape. Therefore participating in sports and being social and
outgoing is behavior that’s more rewarded in current society.
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