I just can't understand why people are so into watching sports. I believe the history books of the future will look at humans enjoyment of sports

as a surefire sign of how primitive they were. They are just so mind numbingly boring, a complete waste of time and a distraction. And as George Orwell stated, a tool of control, "Football, beer, and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult."

I mean, just think about golf as an example: people will spend thousands of dollars on clubs and thousands of hours practicing merely to be able to hit a ball into a hole in the dirt. Wow. And then people will actually spend money to watch that. It's just insanity to me.

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TinyViolins · 31-35, M

I think you also have to factor in the fact that sports go a long way into building a sense of community. People of all kinds of different races, religions, incomes, identities, etc. can all rally together in support of one team. I think that's an incredible thing.

How many real-time events are there where people can all get together and cheer for the same thing? We need stuff like that to give people common ground. Especially in a time where there's countless different shows and streaming services, so many different musicians and artists, so many different games and platforms. That's not even touching how divisive politics are these days.

Life can be stressful. It's nice to have some entertainment once in a while.

In a nation with as much diversity as the US, having something in common helps remind us that we're all on this big lonely rock together

Freeindeed · 31-35, M

@TinyViolins But there are so many other things that build a sense of community which are actually contributing to one's intellectual, spiritual, mental and emotional growth. Community itself is meaningless if it isn't for the right or a good cause. Take for example the skinhead or antifa groups who are building a sense of community and want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, but what exactly is that accomplishing?

Micro · 36-40, M

@TinyViolins Well said! Who do you like in the Super Bowl tomorrow night?

TinyViolins · 31-35, M

@Freeindeed How is community meaningless when humans have always been a social species? Look at how many loners go on to become school shooters, how many lonely people become depressed and get into self-destructive habits, how loneliness contributes to poorer mental and physical health as people age. Community doesn't need a cause, it IS the cause. Society would not function without people feeling like their contributions matter

Of course people can form community for a variety of reasons. It's in our nature to seek belonging, even if that's for ignorant or self-aggrandizing reasons. I'm not saying every community is important, just that it is important to have a community.

I mean, you could also argue that music and art and literature are useless since they don't serve any grander purpose.

Self-improvement communities are fulfilling in their own ways, but I'm specifically talking about large, organized, real-time events. There's not many. Concerts are usually cost-prohibitive. Parades happen only a few times a year. Theatres expect you to be quiet in the dark. Sports are one of those things where you can attend in a stadium, you can tailgate in the parking lot, you can watch at home, in someone else's home, in bars and restaurants. It brings people together from different walks of life and even different physical locations. Not many things can compare to that

Freeindeed · 31-35, M

@TinyViolins I concur that community is important and that it is wired in us to need it because we are a social species, but I still do not agree with your conclusion here.

But music, art and literature are all fulfilling in some form of intellectual, moral, aesthetic and spiritual need. All three cannot in any way be compared with sports, as they all at least took deep thought, introspection, creativity and intelligence to compose. They are mediums which contain ideas that change the world. Sports has no such function.

Okay, well even if I grant you that community doesn't need a cause and it is the cause, that still doesn't justify its existence, because as I mentioned, there a plenty of bad causes which do more damage to society or just wastes time, which still ultimately damages society. All groups are not legitimate just because they have a sense of community.

Our argument is essentially about whether or not community on its own is good. I just don't see how you can take the affirmative based on all of the abject and dysfunctional groups out there. When I say meaningless, I pretty much meant without value. Not every group which has a sense of community has value.

There are deep thinkers and geniuses who have done more good for the world in solitude than most groups have.

TinyViolins · 31-35, M

@Freeindeed Sports require a lot of hard-work and perseverance. Those aren't just people off the street competing in those contests. They train their bodies, they work on certain skills, they study their opponents, and practice to perfect their crafts.

It's not just people who are born with freakish athleticism that get flung into the arena. Those types don't last long. You have to work to earn your spot, or else someone else is going to out-work you for it, and that is a very useful attitude to have.

When it comes to team sports, it teaches cooperation, it teaches responsibility, and it teaches work ethic. Those are intrinsic values that translate over into a lot of other fields very well.

When children are able to see their favorite players succeed, it motivates some of them to want to succeed as well. Sports absolutely has value in society. It may not be for everybody, but that doesn't make it pointless.