I entertain in this post three paradoxes from sports that extend to all aspects of our lives. Humans tend to carry their habits and patterns anywhere and anytime. What sportspersons do in the field they do everywhere.
The Paradox of Scoring
You most likely watched games such as soccer in which an attacker failed to score an easy chance but yet scored from almost an impossible angle or position. Why do we miss up on easy opportunities is the question.
I recall my own experience. The examiner put five questions for students to solve four only. However, a student who wished to get an A had to solve the last and most difficult question. The questions were ordered from simple to most difficult.
I managed to solve the last question and yet answered wrongly the simplest one.
Do we become faulty when we see things are so easy that we become neglectful?
What do you think?
Sportspersons Who Show the Least Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship calls for certain and respectable behaviors. However, I am sure most of us have seen acts by sportspersons that are from the spirit of sport. Impeding a player or even pushing him down, players fighting and players refusing substitution and when they do they act horribly when leaving the pitch are typical examples.
This behavior we see in other aspects of our lives. Employees who leave a company may start abusing their previous company and try to pollute its reputation.
I recall this story. In an interview, the candidate replied to a question on the reasons for leaving his previous the candidate job and criticized his previous company bitterly. He cursed the management and the culture prevailing there. The interviewer asked him how long he worked for that company. The candidate replied by saying almost eight years.
Do you want to tell me that you worked for such an awful company that long?
The interview terminated and the candidate lost the job.
The Losing to Winning Paradox
I recall a match between Liverpool F.C. and Barcelona F.C. in which Barcelona won by a high score to nil at home. Liverpool had very slim chances of winning the return game. They did and scored the winning goal in the dying seconds of the game.
This turning losing to winning happens frequently. My analysis is that as the players get less time they try harder. This is besides being the underdogs they have the challenge to prove their quality.
This paradox again extends to other aspects of our lives. We say give people as much time as they need and I add, in even slightly less time than they need. This makes people try harder and succeed and restore their prestige.
For more on this paradox, you may enjoy watching this relevant video
Paradoxes in life as in sports have great lessons to teach us.