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| Agbegnenou (FRA) and Gerbi (ISR) -- fierce rivals and good friends. |
(Adapted from a story by Trevor Leggett)
Some people say competition only creates discord. If that is the case, should we not avoid competition altogether?
If people play golf or soccer or judo, without counting points, that is not sport but merely healthy exercise. This approach may allow you to get fit without creating any discord but it is also tasteless and ultimately boring.
The essence of sport is that two parties agree to PLAY at being enemies, on a fixed field under fixed rules. They try with intense seriousness to defeat the other. One of the few pleasures in life is to be able to adopt the role of antagonist seriously, yet after the match, shake hands and smile at your opponent. Regular contests between closely-matched opponents should make a strong friendship.
True competitive sport is a temporary, make-believe discord in an underlying real concord, and it is a good way of refining the instinctive drives in human nature.
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