The World Cup exposed the ills of wrath

MILLIONS of viewers around the world watched the recent World Cup in France. The objective of almost all viewers was to see how soccer is played at the highest level or to see how their team fared but it was also interesting to view the tournament from a different perspective.

All professional soccer players know that they have only a few years to play at the top level and hence they are not prepared to make any sacrifices on the field. In the pursuit for glories, the soccer field hence becomes a battle field where players foul and swear at each other, they sometimes fight on the field and at times even have heated arguments with the referee for decisions made by him despite knowing that the referee would not change his decision. The powers bestowed on a referee provide him with enough authority to control players, rightly so, except where the referees are biased whereby their decisions then bring the game to disrepute.

In the heat of the game, players often fall prey to their instinct and as a result they indulge in behaviour that is counter to reason. There are many examples and the most recent one is the incident in the second round of the World Cup where England’s David Beckham indulged in a petulant act of retaliation against an Argentina player who had fouled him. In a moment of lunacy, he acted rashly by intentionally kicking the player who fouled him thereby compelling the referee to send him off the ground. By falling prey to instinct, Beckhem  sent his team back home and dashed England’s hopes for the Cup.

This reminds me of a parable relating to instinct-related bahaviour: The river was full, and flowing vigorously. The scorpion had to get urgently across as his family was stranded on the land beyond, needing food and care. The scorpion entreated with the frog to take him across the river. The frog being scared of the scorpion’s poisonous fangs, hesitated. But the creature had the gift of persuasion, and reason on his side. "How can I hurt you?" he asked the frog, "if I bite you, you will die and I shall drown too."

"You speak wisely scorpion," said the frog. "Fear, foul and irrational overwhelms me but I must overcome it." Thereafter, the frog embarked on the journey carrying the scorpion on his back. As they reached mid-stream, the scorpion plunged his pincers into the back and underside of the frog. "Ouch!", yelled the frog "stop biting me as you also will drown if I die." "I know", said the scorpion, "But I can’t help it. It is my nature."

The moral of the story: Instinct often compels behaviour that is counter to reason. When it does, instinct should be suppressed –unfortunately in the World Cup and almost all major sporting championships, instincts are all but suppressed and the ills of wrath will continue being experienced on and off the field.