Olympic games in Paris (2024)

[Fluffy]

I'd say some good points of view. What I'd add is that it's worth recognising that the extreme position on either side (i.e. it's either all good or all bad) is never representative of the average.

From an "average" perspective, most sports in the Olympics don't offer very good earnings to athletes who aren't in the top 100 in their sport (exclude stuff like football, basketball and tennis).

On average, to succeed, there's a certain level of dedication and selfishness needed. By its very nature of competition, athletes if they want to succeed must have resolute self confidence but this must be such that they also must know how to learn and listen so they can get better (otherwise they simply won't get better or succeed). They recognise that we (i.e. the normal man) aren't on the same journey and so they may appear selfish or egotistical to us. A man who is dedicated to a cause may appear selfish to a man who is dedicated to nothing - one man sacrifices everything and the other man languishes around criticising and demanding everything.

Having said the above, athletes are not immune to the things that we are all here to learn. Of course each athlete is also an individual human being and they are in 3D because they have lessons to learn despite their profession / calling.

Personally, having seen a few (no one famous, ultimately people who didn't "make it"), I recognise the hard work they put in, the sacrifice and that for the majority, the defeat they'll have to come to terms with. I recognise the strength and talent in these human beings. In my view, its better than just accepting a life of no dedication to anything, of no suffering towards something of not striving or sacrificing or holding a dream.

How many of them though are perfect little puppets, OPs, NPCs or whatever we like to call them? May be the suffering isn’t really suffering at all but and externally driven by a force compelling them to do what they do and they can’t not do it because they don’t really have a choice in the matter. The Olympic Games is and always has been a spectacle for the elite’s delight, and they drag us all into it like it has some kind of special significance about who is the best at this and that.
For what purpose? Pure entertainment just like zoos and circuses.

 

[SOTTREADER]

How many of them though are perfect little puppets, OPs, NPCs or whatever we like to call them?

At least the ones I knew were just normal kids who picked up a sport at some point, weren't incompetent at it and decided to stick it out and try to improve and make something of it. Whilst everyone else was busy getting blind drunk at uni, these guys were over there with their bottles of water. Whilst everyone slept in until 10 or 11 am, these guys were up 5 or 6am.

What's not to admire?

May be the suffering isn’t really suffering at all but and externally driven by a force compelling them to do what they do and they can’t not do it because they don’t really have a choice in the matter.

Can't you say this about anything? Can this for example not apply to what it is you do?

The Olympic Games is and always has been a spectacle for the elite’s delight, and they drag us all into it like it has some kind of special significance about who is the best at this and that.
For what purpose? Pure entertainment just like zoos and circuses.

I think it's a matter of perspective - there are people who work extremely hard to get to the Olympics and compete. No matter what, that effort and struggling they put in can't be taken away from them. Real things come to the person who can put himself through such things and those are things that can't be taken away by another man.

I should add these are just my personal views. We can hold differing views.

 

[Fluffy]

At least the ones I knew were just normal kids who picked up a sport at some point, weren't incompetent at it and decided to stick it out and try to improve and make something of it. Whilst everyone else was busy getting blind drunk at uni, these guys were over there with their bottles of water. Whilst everyone slept in until 10 or 11 am, these guys were up 5 or 6am.

What's not to admire?


Can't you say this about anything? Can this for example not apply to what it is you do?


I think it's a matter of perspective - there are people who work extremely hard to get to the Olympics and compete. No matter what, that effort and struggling they put in can't be taken away from them. Real things come to the person who can put himself through such things and those are things that can't be taken away by another man.

I should add these are just my personal views. We can hold differing views.

I’m just throwing it out there, I can’t tell the difference between an OP or a souled person because most of them act the same. I do admire perseverance and dedication yet when it’s to attain personal goals that are totally self serving and benefit no one but they self then it doesn’t count for much (in my opinion), even if it is impressive on some level. So what if you got a gold medal and you’re the best in the world, how does that help anyone else be a better version of them self? It likely just encourages more people to want to serve themselves in a same kind of way.
I’ve just never really been a fan of competition, winners, losers, striving for top dog… it’s not my jam, and if I had to pick a side I’ll always cheer for the underdog.