Football Psychology

     So this week saw the end to the Patriot’s season. I know for a fact that I am not the only one around here who’s pissed off. This was supposed to the year; after everything that happened to the Patriots organization, and especially Tom Brady, in the past 12 months, the time was absolutely perfect to show up the NFL and win the fifth ring. This year more than ever it felt like us against the world, the timing felt right. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. I won’t say much about the game itself, but I will say I think even myself and a few friends could’ve gotten to Tom Brady with the horrific performance we witnessed from the offensive line. Anyways, like always, the people on Boston sports radio stations had plenty to talk about this week. There are always conflicting opinions and a few crazy caller who present some hilariously ridiculous theories and ideas. But I have never heard a caller being called out on using defense mechanisms-until this week.

      I think it was Tuesday, some random Boston sports fan called in to add his two cents. While most people let all their anger out on the phone and scream about how the refs were unfair and that the NFL will never let the Patriots win again, this man was rather composed. He said that initially he was incredibly upset over the loss. But now that it’s over, he realizes it’s ok we lost because the Panthers would have killed us, just like they are going to destroy the Broncos in two weeks’ time. And without missing a beat, the host on the show called out his use of the defense mechanism of rationalization. I was stunned. He specifically said “defense mechanism” and “rationalization”. It was very unexpected and I was certainly impressed.

     Defense mechanisms are used to cope with subconscious trauma or conflict, and any time the Patriots loose is definitely a traumatic event. Everybody deals with it in their own way, but in the spirit of good ol’ Bill Belichick, we’re on to next season!! 

A Ridiculous Lottery Meme (and How People Will Blindly Follow "Good" Ideas)

           This week we witnessed the drawing of the largest Powerball jackpot in United States history.  In total, 635 million tickets were sold in the hopes of taking home the $1.58 BILLION jackpot. I am sure that I was not the only one who spent this week wishfully dreaming of the infinite ways all that money could be spent. We can get so caught up in our rich fantasies that we often forget that the odds of winning, 1 in 292,000,000, are ridiculously improbable. Just for a comparison, you are more likely to died from a vending machine accident(1 in 112 million). Nevertheless, we are still allowed to dream; and that is what makes the lottery so successful. It's always fun to think of what it would be like to instantly win big. And in this technological age we live in today, many took to social media with their thoughts on the lottery. Amongst the several annoying "I will split my winnings with everyone who shares this picture" posts, this picture appeared in my newsfeed:

                Now at first glance this may seem like a genuine idea to solve the very serious issue of poverty in the country. The lottery is a lot of money and it could be used in better ways. I get that. Unfortunately I have a big problem with this post. IT IS COMPLETELY WRONG!!!

               

                First off, the math itself is actually incorrect! $1.2 billion divided by 300,000,000 Americans is not $4.33 million per person. As a matter of fact, it is only $4.33; just a slight difference. Giving everyone in America 4 bucks would be nice, but it is not the same as $4,000,000! How much would it cost to actually give everybody $4 million? $1,200,000,000,000,000! (that’s $1.2 quadrillion by the way.) So yeah, just a little different.

                Additionally, if ridiculously incorrect math isn't enough to discredit this post, giving everybody $4 million would not solve poverty to the extent that many people think it would. Sure everybody would be $4 million richer, but costs of goods would also increase to adjust to the economic status of the country. While it might make a slight difference, it would not signify the end of poverty forever.

                This post was shared all over Facebook and other social media sites. Some of its popularity was the result of the glaring mathematical error, but there were also many people who shared it to express their support for this idea. For me, this was an example of how many people can be so blind when it comes to supporting a good cause. There are many people in America that read that, saw "$4.33 million per person" and "poverty solved!", and instantly supported it and share it with the #ShareThis. Solving poverty is without a doubt a serious issue, but it becomes a problem when people start supporting outrageous ideas without understanding the details and costs behind them. It is socially accepted that equality and helping others is the right thing to do. Not a bad thing either. However, this leads many uninformed people to blindly follow ideas and plans simply to support "the right thing to do". A theoretical idea that supports these socially accepted values will gain great amounts of support. Unfortunately, not every supporter of this amazing plan will take the time to actually understand the details and costs of the idea. The idea might not necessarily be a horrible one, and it probably supports an important issue. But just like with the wonderful lottery idea, giving everybody what they want might actually cost a lot more than people tell you.  

The Prospectivism of Good and Bad

                I suppose it is an idea that has always been in the back of my head, but something I didn't really think about until today: Early American freedom fighters like the Sons of Liberty were actually just terrorists. Of course that's not the way we were taught it. I still remember learning about the American Revolution as a young third grader. We were always told that the early American leaders were brave heroes that stood up to the tyranny of the British Empire. The only reason we are taught with this bias is because we actually won. But consider how the American Revolution would've been perceived if we had lost. America would most likely still be under the control of the British; and us, as young English citizens, would probably learn how the Revolution was merely a rag-tag group of terrorists that attempted to oppose the peace and order of the Empire. Events like the Boston Tea Party would not be regarded as acts of heroism, but instead as petty acts of terrorism.

                It was our exploration of Irish history in English class that inspired this provoking thought. During the Irish War of Independence, the IRA were considered a terrorist group that used guerilla warfare to defeat the British. The only other time I had heard the term "guerilla warfare" was during our studying of the American Revolution. Just like the IRA, the Sons of Liberty and other early American "heroes" were nothing more than terrorists in the eyes of the British. It is such as strange concept to grasp because we, as Americans, have always thought of ourselves as "the good guys". But if you were French, Spanish, Russian, or especially British at the time of the American Revolution, you probably would've seen the American Colonists as "the bad guys". 

                So while writing this, I have been quietly applying this idea to Star Wars. I am a huge Star Wars fan (I've seen the new movie twice already), and I'm sure there are many of you reading this are fans too. What's not to love? Though the prequels were not great, the 3 originals are classics. The heroic adventures of the brave rebel alliance and Luke Skywalker against the oppressive Galactic Empire, right? However when you think about it, we only see it that way because the bias of the movie is told through our rebel "heroes".  You have to remember that the majority of people in the galaxy are part of the Empire. Even if they disagree with, or are possibly ignorant to, the dark ways in which the Empire works, you can't argue that the Empire doesn't bring order and structure to the galaxy. So take yourself out of the plot of the movies and just be part of the universe; chances are, you are impartial to, or even support the Empire(like 99% of everyone in the galaxy). Now if you think from that perspective, the rebel alliance is nothing more than a terrorist organization that seeks to destroy your accepted way of life! For the majority of the galaxy, the destruction of the death star was seen as a horrific act of terrorism, much like 9/11, not the heroic event that was portrayed in the movie. Sorry if this has ruined Star Wars a little.

                The overarching idea of these three examples- who we see as "good guys" and who we see as "bad guys", whether in real life or the movies, is all a matter of perspective and the bias of the side your see it from.