January 1998
SUPERBOWL SUNDAY: The Vicarious Pleasure of Violence
In the early days of
man's evolution, aggressive behavior was not only condoned, it
was extolled as essential to the species' survival. In contemporary
life, the open and free expression of physical aggression is not
acceptable. A "civilized" society cannot safely condone
violence; yet man's aggressive nature still persists.
"Contact sports
such as football provide society with a legitimate outlet for
aggression, as they entail identification with the players, who
are free to -- in fact, required to -- express physical aggression,"
explains psychoanalyst Maurice G. Marcus, M.D., who played football
in high school and college.
"When we become
involved as a spectator at a football game, we experience a vicarious
enjoyment of hitting. Because of our deep identification with
"our" players, when the team wins, our vicarious expression
of physical violence enables us to feel triumphant, victorious."
It is interesting to
note that the word "fan" is derived from the word "fanatic;"
some people excessively identify with "their" team.
Dr. Marcus notes, "Typical fanatics are people whose masculine
self-esteem depends on an excessive degree of identification with
the players and the team. When their self-esteem is threatened
-- say, when the team is losing -- they feel attacked, and that's
when fights break out."
Of course, most fans,
while extremely supportive of their teams, are not fanatics.
They enjoy the experience of bonding with other people who have
similar interests and, in the context of the game, the same aspirations
-- winning. "There's a wonderful camaraderie we feel as
we share rituals such as tailgate parties and victory celebrations.
Fans feel a part of the team, and we enjoy the sense of working
together and sharing success."
"We also gain pleasure by putting ourselves in the shoes of athletes, who are admired and adored by the public and paid great sums of money for their work."
To interview Dr. Marcus about fan and fanatic football loyalty, please call Mary Tressel, San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute Media Consultant, at 800-260-2663.
It's Winning and Losing and How You Play the Game
Football games are in some ways a metaphor for life. While winning is a great feeling, losing is a more realistic one. "Most of us experience the frustration of not being able to achieve what we want," says psychoanalyst Woodrow Donovan, M.D.
Actively supporting a football team, watching games with friends, and rooting for the players can teach us important lessons. Dr. Donovan emphasizes that people learn a great deal from losing, which "induces the capacity to persevere in the face of adversity. Losing helps us learn to gain satisfaction from our contributions, whatever the outcome. Losing can also encourage us to discover different, better ways of doing things and renew our commitment to achieve results despite temporary setbacks."
He adds that the team aspect of football gives people a larger perspective of their own worth. "The sense of striving for something with a group of like-minded individuals helps us recognize that we can all work together, and contribute as part of something larger than our own efforts. We gain a feeling of mastery and control over the world. We build a sense of community and learn that we are not alone in the world. We also learn to contribute our best with no guarantee of success."
Dr. Donovan, paraphrasing an old Japanese adage, says, "We must respect our adversaries because they are there to help us feel good. If the game weren't challenging, we wouldn't feel the same sense of accomplishment at its conclusion."
To interview Dr. Donovan about the lessons team sports can teach us, please call Media Consultant Mary Tressel at 800-260-2663.
Parenting a Teenage Athlete
A child's involvement in team sports gives parents the opportunity to support the development of their child's character. This athletic involvement can help young people develop healthy attitudes towards winning and losing as well as a sense of their own abilities. Parents can help their child see losing as a learning experience, winning as a chance to celebrate as a group, and participation in sports as a way to forge strong bonds with their peers.
"Unfortunately, some parents of teenage athletes play out unresolved issues from their own adolescence, excessively identifying with their child's team," says psychoanalyst Mary Lamia, Ph.D. "Their egos become involved in the child's activities, and the team becomes the parent's endeavor."
Because children identify so strongly with their parents, they watch how their mothers and fathers respond to failure and frustration as well as triumph.
"When the parents' own competitive efforts get bound up in their child's pursuits, the boundaries between parent and child become blurred."
Some parents try to hide their feelings of aggression and competition. Dr. Lamia says, "They may tell their adolescents that 'it's not winning and losing, it's how you play the game,' all the while demonstrating critical and humiliating behavior which tells the child that the parents care very much about winning after all."
When a child has a natural talent or interest in a sport, parents should be encouraging without being overwhelming. "While parents may sometimes need to reassure a child to stick with a sport when he or she experiences feelings of doubt or failure, parents also must remember that the sport is the child's choice, not their own."
To interview Dr. Lamia about teenagers and team sports, please call Mary Tressel at 800-260-2663.