Them vs Us – Good For Sport, Bad For Society
It takes a relentless and ruthless mentality to be successful, the kind of mindset that takes teams like Stevenage F.C. from being almost relegated from the Conference in 2004 to being in League One seven years later. And to go on record – I love Marmite
Us vs. Them
In sport, a “us vs them” mentality is an amazing way to fire up your team and create confidence that everyone is fighting for the same cause. It’s a basic social identity concept, it works well in sport. In society, too much of it is, well, how we end up with the division we are seeing now.
Everybody Hates Us…
The world is a very divided, and divisive place. Don’t be distracted, keep your focus on your goals and seek to achieve great things. If people are able to hate Mother Teresa, the rest of us are guaranteed to pick up a nemesis along the way, don’t let them steal your vision.
Great Expectations
Choose your goals, and ask yourself how much will you sacrifice before you are prepared to accept defeat, and how much will your habits hinder you? Are you determined to create new paths for success? This will tell you how much you really want it, and whether your are ready to go all out for success.
Some Men You Just Can’t Reach
Communication is hard, especially in a fast-paced world. My little U11/12 soccer team learned how to communicate with each other. They all had different jobs on the field, but they all had one common goal. If a bunch of kids can find their role and work together, surely we can?
…Failure To Communicate
We all want our identity validated, and we want our beliefs confirmed. This is only natural, but social media is not the place to find that home.
What We’ve Got Here Is…
Remember these three things – Not everything you want to believe is true. If you are going to comment, make sure you read the story. If you are going to forward something, make sure it is accurate.
Just Question It!
We feel safe when we find a group we identify with. It is insecurity that leads us to become extreme in our positions, and the more insecure we are, the more extreme our behaviours. The more we question, learn, grow, and understand, the more secure we become. You can fake-news-proof yourself by simply questioning.
Just Doing It! (For The Wrong Reasons)
We are living in a world where people believe what they see on the surface. If someone with a high-profile seems to be taking a risk for a cause, they will be heroes. It doesn’t even matter if the risk is real anymore, supporters will believe it. Seek to uncover something new today and ask the question “Why?”
Just (Don’t) Do It! For The Right Reasons.
Don’t be like Nike and drive the wedge a little deeper. Be the good person you are and do one good thing for something today. Change society by changing your attitude, don’t fall victim to a marketing campaign.