Isn't it interesting the great variations among expectations (in everything in life, but specifically, because I'm thinking about it), in the Olympics? Some athletes work so hard and never make the Olympics. To them, just getting on the Olympic team in their sport would be the greatest accomplishment. They don't dream of medaling, maybe not of getting past the first round of anything, maybe not even of playing (depending on their sport), but getting on the team -- that's a huge huge victory. Then there are the ones who are pretty sure they'll make the team, but they would like to finish well, beat a personal best, or win one game or match. If they do that, they will be ecstatic. They know they're not anywhere near medal contention. They're just happy to be there. Then there are those (these are my favorite) who have an outside chance of winning a medal, but everything would have to be just right and the stars would have to align and they'd have to have the best performance of their life, and someone else would have to mess up. They are the ones who look ecstatic receiving a bronze medal stand and who may never ever get one again.
THEN there are the ones (and I'm not knocking them, I'm just listing them) who are at the top of their sport; they have world records, other gold medals, maybe, and everyone EXPECTS them to medal, and really the only thing they'll be happy with is gold. Isn't it strange? To them, a silver is like losing. In some sports, it really is losing, like the team sports with matches (soccer, basketball, etc.) unlike in races. You don't lose a race when you get silver, you come in second. But when you get silver in soccer, you lost a big huge game. Tonight I saw video online of the womens' US and Brazil gold medal match. Apparently the Brazilians actually outplayed the US team, but ultimately the US got an overtime goal. I saw three Brazilian players sobbing, distraught. They lost. They played really hard and they lost. When they got their silver medals, they were classy and tried to smile, and mostly did, but their great disappointment was obvious.
And Michael Phelps would have been really bummed, most likely, if he had only gotten seven golds. Crazy, huh? It's all about expectations.
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6 comments:
Dude, I love this post. The Olympics are indeed a perfect metaphor for the universal and inextricable tie between expectations and happiness/contentment.
This concept (as you may know) fascinates me. The unattainable dream life Tevye describes in "If I Were a Rich Man" would be intolerable for, say, Cindy McCain. I wouldn't like it much either, ftm.
But if I was going to get my eyes poked out, I'd be esctatic to get a reprieve on the condition I live like poor (i.e., non-rich) Tevye.
Also, if you expected high-quality comments on your blog, but instead got arcane references and tortured, obscure metaphors, well you'd be unhappy then, too.
Well what about the guy who refused the bronze medal he'd won? He said, "I didn't want it" I saw that much here on Norwegian TV. Don't know who he was or what competition he shamed my doing so, but he was obviously was going for the gold.
Haha. Tevye wanted a wife with a "proper double chin." You don't want that?? Yeah, if you are who I think you are (I've never seen you comment before) I know you are fascinated by this concept - I almost gave you a shout-out and discussed the life aspect of it more but the post was getting too long.
Hmm, alleycat, yeah I guess that guy was definitely hoping for gold. I think he was protesting the officiating in his (wrestling?) match...I remember reading something about that.
cal, I give you a silver medal for your comments, minimum. i hope you feel good about that.
Anyway I like this post too, because I've been thinking about the same thing!! Who would've thought that? I know, amazing.
Making all of this more interesting, I practiced all last week trying to make the US water polo team, but apparently the team members had already been named. So i killed myself. it truly is about expectations.
alleykat, i have your avatar as an actual picture that's hanging on my wall. so now we're bonded forever.
i meant alleyKat--there, fixed that.
erik answer your phone i'm trying to call you
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