They should be more realistic. (Sports commentators and “experts” expecting the Norwegian athletes to perform optimally at each event and win. If the athletes do well, they just get what they expected. And if they don’t – which is equally or more likely – they get disappointed. It also puts extra pressure on the athletes which they don’t need. It seems a poor strategy all around. Much better to take a level-headed approach, show some sportsmanship, and get pleasantly surprised.)
- True?
Yes. I can find where it feels true. I can find stories supporting it. I can find others – especially in my own mind – who agree. - Sure it is true?
No. It is just an opinion. - What happens when I take it as true?
- I get annoyed. I even turn off the sound so I don’t have to listen to the commentators. (Especially the cross-country commentators.)
- I feel sickened. I see it as unhealthy and distasteful patriotism.
- I go into stories supporting the initial story:
- It is idiotic to expect the Norwegian athletes to always perform optimally, everyone else not to perform optimally, and everything to go Norway’s way.
- If they do well, we just get the expected. If they don’t do as well – which is equally or more likely – we get disappointed. It puts a great deal of extra pressure on the athletes, which won’t help them. It is a poor strategy all around.
- I see it as immature. Close-minded. Lack of perspective.
- It shows a lack of old-fashioned sportsmanship. Lack of generosity towards other countries.
- It shows lack of respect towards all athletes, both the Norwegians (putting too much pressure on them), and those from other countries (discounting their skills and abilities).
- They should take a realistic and level-headed approach. That way, if the Norwegians do well, we are pleasantly surprised. Also, it shows a generosity towards others when we acknowledge their skills and level of performance, and that they are equally or more likely to do well. It shows sportsmanship.
- Who would I be without it?
- Receptive. Curious.
- I may still turn off the sound, but without the drama.
- Turnarounds.
- They shouldn’t be more realistic
- They seem to have an ideal or norm about being unrealistically optimistic, so they are just following their own norms.
- They may see it as helping the athletes. (Even if it seems a poor strategy from my perspective.)
- They create drama. They turn up expectations ahead of time, and set everyone up for disappointment. It is all drama, and “good TV”. That may be more important to them than much else. They may even accept appearing as idiots if they can turn up the drama.
- Sports is entertainment and drama, and they do create more drama that way. Including when I, and probably others, get annoyed by their attitude.
- It helps me see my own beliefs around this, and the discomfort I experience propels me into inquiry.
- I should be more realistic
- Yes. When I believe the initial story, my views are automatically unrealistic. I filter and shape information and stories to support the initial story.
- I should be more realistic. I should find what is more honest for me than the initial story.
- I shouldn’t be more realistic
- Right. Whenever I take stories as true, I am not very realistic. It is inherent in the dynamics of beliefs. It is playing itself out, as it has to. Until it changes.
- It helps me to experience beliefs from the inside. I am in the same boat as many others here.
- They shouldn’t be more realistic