the Sports hysteria It is as old as man, and supposedly even the ancient Greeks went mad, cried, celebrated with laughter, or cheered at the Olympic Games. The sport has been around for a long time The opium of the massesReferred to as Brian Uzi, a professor at Northwestern University, said: For many, it’s not just a game, but evokes real, intense emotions (especially high-stakes events).
Like love
feelings for the team may be related In love: identification, sense of belonging, loyalty – behind the emotional behavior of fans there are neural structures that are activated (activated) in love as well. These are related to reward and emotional processing.
In a book, Desmond Morris emphasizes the tribal character of football, inasmuch as the same feelings can be observed in a larger mass of people: attachment, enthusiasm and compassion. This applies not only to fans, but also to coaches and teams. Great sporting moments maintain cohesion within the group: if we go to a match, we can see that people feel pride and happiness when their club wins, and depression and disappointment when they lose, because they identify with the team that represents a community and a place.
Research shows that the more people cheer together, the more intense the emotion. Since impulsives see the outcome of the game as a personal matter, when they lose, they suspect unfairness (biased referee, deceitful opponent, bunda), when they win, they are proud and their self-esteem increases.
Group cheering leads to joint tension and excitement, as a result of which bonds are strengthened, feelings of belonging and attachment to the team are strengthened, and emotional reactions are deepened.
says Brian Uzi.
Emotional infection
According to Stephanie Preston, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, people are affected by the feelings of those around them. This emotional contagion is compared to a wave (like when fans wave at games), good/bad moods spread from person to person. As Preston said:
To be surrounded by a crowd of screaming fans – happy or sad – Contagious.
Intense moments can easily turn into tears, we can cry when we lose, we can also cry with happiness when it is finally resolved. Stress And the body relaxes. Our tears release neurotransmitters known as enkephalin lysine, which can act as natural pain relievers. If we cry in our unhappiness, it will be a consolation, and if we cry in our happiness, we will be happier than this alchemical messenger. In other words, tears can promote catharsis.
But there is another explanation for tears of joy: our brain doesn’t always know the difference between positive and negative emotions.
High stakes, high feelings
The higher the stakes, the stronger the feelings. An Olympic final with your favorite athlete, a World Championship with your team can generate tremendous emotions, even greater than County II. championship.
The tension came to a head when they were close to winning the final match, which could cause a lot of excitement.
Even if we’re not the biggest fans in the first place, we can absorb the moment even if we’re at high-profile sporting events like the European Championships, World Championships, NBA match, or Wimbledon tennis tournament. These walks are full of drama and excitement, as if we are watching a movie, we are attracted and elated, even if we do not want to root for anyone.
Soon we will be able to experience the feeling of this tribal joy, as Budapest will host the World Championships in Athletics in August.
(Cover photo: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
