Do you live vicariously?

[LightSun]

Do you live vicariously?

“I have to do more research on why Homo Sapiens seemingly live in a vicarious way. First I am in the extreme minority when it comes to what I’m about to share.

In my life I’ve played flag football, volleyball and softball. I enjoyed these activities immensely because I was a part of the action. I’ve never been into spectator sport.

In all my life I’ve never watched an NFL super bowl, NBA championship, Stanley Cup, World Series, or a world soccer championship. To me and this is only identifying my own personal subjective experience, it is boring.

Most of my life I’ve never watched sports. As I got older I am interested in the best of the best and sports statistics. So I’m interested in the most home runs, the longest passing yards in football, and who are considered the greatest of the great.

I am outside looking in. I support sports and the enjoyment it brings to countless people. In all sports there is fan Behavior who are rude, and obnoxious among other things.

When I see fans having riots, killing people in a stampede based on watching a sports venue, I am incredulous. Also I watch character. There are sports heroes who do objectionable things but yet are glorified.

Not in my personal reality. I marvel and watch Michael Jordan for what he could accomplish. I give him credit for his extraordinary accomplishment. I prefer Kareem Abdul Jabar for what he accomplished on the court and off of it.

Michael Jordan was in his competitiveness a bully. He punched Steve Kerr in the face at practice. I admire Steve Kerr more for not only what he contributed to the bulls team but also his personality and coaching style.

I watched the 30 for 30 documentary of the Dream Team. I was incredulous when you had fans swooning and saying, “We love you Michael.” They don’t even know him.

Again, this is but my subjective experience. I never cared for athletes who talked trash talk or made a spectacle in their accomplishments. This would be Ocho Cinco / Chad Johnson and Terrell Davis.

In football Jim Brown from the Cleveland Browns days is often referred to as one of, if not the greatest running back in NFL history. He however has documented history when it comes to domestic violence.

I look up to and admire Barry Sanders. I’ve watched him in sports specials. I like his humility and decorum. In real life and on the field.

To many Muhammad Ali is the greatest. I am aware of his boxing. I can’t stomach that he called Joe Frazier “The Gorilla From Manila.”
This is shameful. Muhammad Ali is no hero, not to me.

I am not blinded by the accomplishments of people whatever their field and or endeavor. I look at personality and character.

Again I’m just me. I practice what I write in real life. I take the wisdom of religions and the secular giants in philosophy and live according to what is exposed.

Jesus, Mahavira, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Muhammad, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche,
Gandhi, Martin Luther King and others have all expounded that the kingdom of heaven is within. That true worth comes from inside.

I perceive hypocrisy. We are in the world glorifying inappropriate, anti-social, and mentally ill behavior when it comes to Pro-Wrestlimg. There are no good guys in wrestling. They are all worshiped doing inappropriate and anti-social behavior.

We in the world pursue wealth, beauty, sex, fame, wealth, power and violence and damn the way these faulty goals are achieved. To me a despicable show was the Jerry Springer Show.

I watched in horror if I happened to turn on the station. These people displayed no sense of shame but would do anything just to get in the spotlight. What is even worse is we America watched it and it became a number #1 show.

We seem to glorify people with issues and turn a blind eye. This is not to castigate any person I have mentioned. None are perfect and certainly not myself.

I am me. I walk a path. It is independent. I focus on what I control. I seek to grow. I practice a path of joint reason. This includes using judicious discernment and employing critical thinking.

I also am on the path empathic. I have compassion and try being the best my humanity allows. I’ve always in both writing and speech spoke out and for the disenfranchised.

This is what I find value.
1. Education
2. Health Care
3. Children
4. Decreasing the gap of the super rich and poor
5. Increasing the Human Happiness Ratio of our American citizens

 

[yeghor]

Entertainment and sports are full of Se-dom and Se-aux types cause they are good at those things and have good looks and physique. Unfortunately, Se also symbolizes materialism. And American culture is overly-materialistic and capitalistic.

The capitalist overlords keep flooding the culture with materialism so that they can keep selling their idols and stuff and keep people occupied so that they will stay in the rat race with hopes of a better house, car, shoes, watch, dress etc and won't question the system.

Most of the things that the religious scriptures consider evil/sin and ascribe to Satan, stem from the same sense of obsession with material gains and greed. Hence, US culture promotes the opposite of what it preaches.

Al Pacino - Devil's Advocate

 

[everything__dies]

In all my life I’ve never watched an NFL super bowl, NBA championship, Stanley Cup, World Series, or a world soccer championship.

Never? I have to force myself not to watch the commercials.

I think part of it is a group mentality. Why choose only one favorite team? Or bandwagon onto the best team? People want to believe in something larger than themselves. Or they want to be represented by a particular city's or place's team because of some tribal identification. Then there are others who watch just to have something to talk about with their friends or at work or to play fantasy football. Some people are allured by the teamwork concept and again the group idea of achievement outside the invidual. Another group are the casual spectators who go just to be part of an event that particular day or occasionally in the affordable seats but aren't particularly interested in the result.

We seem to glorify people with issues and turn a blind eye.

There is no shortage of athletes or mid-level aspiring minor leaguers. Those who reach the top have spent the most time playing games all their lives and the least time living and developing other areas. No surprise that they have vices or shortcomings which the public spotlight inevitably finds. Professional sports definiely would attract a certain type of personality and filter out for others.

 

[LightSun]

This is just an incidental post. I’ve expressed I in my personal subjective view I don’t like profanity, labeling, pejoratives, or name calling.

I don’t find it intelligent, mature or professional and I tend to disregard the messenger as disgracing themselves.

I’ve disciplined my mind for decades with CBT and REBT and don’t utilize cognitive distortions in my writing or articulation.

I will however with certain close friends utilize labeling and emotional reasoning when discussing certain personalities that displeasure me in a personal way.

I don’t personally like violence. I find offensive MMA and UFC. Professional wrestling is abhorrent. There are no good guys. They are all doing anti-social behaviors that are meant to be supposedly entertainment.

I’ve expressed I’m not into vicarious living and have never seen a super bowl, NBA finals, world soccer championship, NHL Stanley Cup or World Series. I know I am the outsider looking in and in the minority.

To watch anyone else is boring to me personally. I don’t get it and I don’t have to understand. There are parades of championship teams and people go out, and cheer. In my mind, “Why would I wish to be a spectator and watch a bunch of millionaires on a float?”

I do honor professional sports. I just don’t understand, but that’s okay. I personally played flag football, volleyball and basketball and found it entertaining and invigorating. To derive satisfaction from others and just sit, does nothing for me.

In basketball I would think Steph Curry the most dynamic and fun individual to watch. As I’ve said though I’d be bored to merely watch someone else. There’s no visceral satisfaction. In football I think the most dynamic player was Barry Sanders.

Again I don’t have the patience to watch any event, even a championship. I am intrigued by statistics. So the most home runs, most Super Bowls, NBA points leaders, I’ll watch documentaries.

I like character and excellent sports heroes. I am not a fan personally of cheering results at the expense of sportsmanship.

I love Kareem Abdul Jabar on and of the field. I’m a great fan of Barry Sanders on and off the field. I’m watching a sports 30 for 30 documentary of Bo Jackson. He and others I’ve mentioned have my unrivaled respect as an athlete, and a gentleman of seemingly apparent great character.

We all live in independent realities. I just want to highlight some pro athletes who represent the best in sports. They have my respect as well a legion of other fans.

 

[LightSun]

“If you are ever tempted to look for outside approval, realize that you have compromised your integrity. If you need a witness, be your own.” Epictetus

“When I look at the world, I see a world that worships external qualities. Supposedly the kingdom of heaven is within.

It is for me but not the majority of the world populace. I call it ‘The Tower of Babylon’ syndrome..

Many in the world place these six eternal ‘idols’ ahead of helping their fellow human. beings. They worship and idolize those human beings that seem to be successful, but they are externally motivated.

“Sex, Beauty, Wealth, Power, Fame and the adulation of Violence, all false, superficial qualities.” LightSun