What is it about violence that many of us find so seductive

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Reference no: EM133660820

Assignment:

A basketball player suffers a horrific knee injury; the huge hit delivered by a football player that usually will lead the highlights on Sports Center; a boxer who beats their opponent into unconsciousness; a MMA fighter snapping someone's shoulder out of its socket; a rousing hockey fight. How about a baseball that cracks a batter right between the eyes, or a fiery NASCAR crash. If you're like me, you'll wince and cringe at many of these things - but then find them on YouTube and watch them over and over!

That's the topic - violence in sports. We may say "That's terrible," or "They should put a stop to that," but let's be honest - we love it! (or at least many of us do). The potential of someone getting hurt, or worse, in so many of the sports we watch makes them more interesting. Thrilling. Maybe even sexy! Or does it?

Very few of us are sadistic people - the vast majority of fans don't want to see someone get seriously injured or killed. Talk to almost any boxer or MMA fighter, and at the end of the day they don't want to actually seriously injure or kill their opponent, even though inflicting violence is at the core of the sport. And in the language used to talk about it. So, what is it about violence that many of us find so seductive, even if on the other hand we don't actually want it to happen? Is it the actual violence, or the fear and anticipation that it might happen at any minute?

Here's one way to think about this that is to an extent discussed in the reading. Contrary to popular belief, human society is far less violent today than at any point in human history. We used to engage in physical violence against others to eat and survive to a much greater extent than we do today. Our lives have become sanitized. We use violence in movies and video games and sports to entertain us, as it rarely exists in our everyday lives anymore. So, do we somehow need it? If the answer is yes, that's a disturbing social-psychological conclusion to come to. Or is it?

Reference no: EM133660820

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