The Olympics: why I am uneasy

And yet, and yet. I don't know how to respond to the fact that this Olympics is being held in China.

Amnesty International's monitoring involves four main areas: repression of activists, detention without trial, censorship and the death penalty.
Each of these areas give cause for concern.

This of course is without mentioning China's actions in Tibet. AI's last report says "The recent protests in Tibet and Tibetan-populated areas of surrounding provinces and the subsequent crackdown and media silence imposed by authorities highlighted not only longstanding and unresolved violations of fundamental human rights but also on-going censorship of the media."

Today, as the ceremony proceeds, there are people being tortured by the state because of what they believe or say. At least one person will be executed for one of 68 crimes punishable by death.

I am not sure how to react, but I do think there is something in the 'shining a light on the issue' viewpoint. The more we open a society to outside influence, the more we understand and the closer we come to change. It's understanding that brings change.

But this doesn't leave me feeling anything other than uneasy.

One Olympics, one world, one party state.

The Olympics: why I care

I have never really got into the Olympics before now. I am not sure why, because I love sport. It's possibly because I've never played any of the sports except hockey, and I suppose running. Though my running can hardly be described as running running.

But now I've changed, and I'm excited about these Olympics. I think this is a natural result of several factors, not least that as you get older your circle of interest expands, from self, to community to world. Though there's also possibly a London effect happening - I can't wait for the world's attention to focus on London.

I am also more of an observer of sport now, rather than a participant. I have finally realised that I am no longer going to be a world class sportsman, which is something that crept up on me only gradually. (Is it too late? Even for shooting?) So, I am free to enjoy sport for the story it tells about the world, rather than the story it tells about me.

Next, I believe in the power of sport. It certainly saved and enhanced my life. I think it's essential for human development to experience sport, or at least exercise, and I see it as key to unlocking the broken lives of some of our young men, in particular.

And I also believe in sport as a great unifier. I doubt there is anything that has done more to combat racism in the world than sport. Certainly, in Britain football's contribution to tackling racism can't be underestimated. We've come a long way since John Barnes was pelted with bananas. And it was Barnes' reaction to the pelting that started the journey. The experience of South Africa adds to the argument. And so, yes, I suppose I am arguing there is something about the Olympic spirit and that sport can be used to mend lives, societies and even international relations.

But perhaps above all, the Olympics is interesting because of the stories that it produces. At the last Olympics, there was 0.545 seconds worth of difference between five Gold and Silver medals for Britain. Half a second between 5! That's a lifetime of effort and 4 years of dreaming, boiled down to about a tenth of a second each. Inevitably, this leads to astonishing stories and if anyone doubts the power of these stories they should read The Meaning of Sport by Simon Barnes, the greatest of all sporting storytellers, or follow his blog.

Meaning at work

A fascinating article in today's Times about a man who left a highly paid position at Microsoft to go and do something more meaningful. On the way he lost his girlfriend and all his savings. Ooh, a bit like me then!

Happiness and meaning

When talking about happiness, psychologists distinguish between hedonic pleasure and eudaimonic pleasure. Hedonic pleasures might be what we understand by being 'happy' and eudaimonia might be what we understand by 'content' or 'satisfied'. One is charatcerised as pleasure (eating, sex, laughing) the other achievement (satisfaction of a job well done, overcoming difficulties to succeed, experiencing 'flow').

We often look down on hedonic pleasures, as though they are somehow less rarefied or worthy than eudaimonia. But psychologists have shown that the two are in fact interrelated. Eudaimonia is consistently accompanied by feelings of happiness. Enjoyment is routinely paired with eudaimonia. Indeed, 'flow' (the feeling of being completely absorbed in a task) is more likely to occur if one is in a happy mood. Happiness appears to heighten an individual’s capacity to discriminate between meaningful and meaningless experiences.

Why is this?

Nature rewards us for activities that are essential to survival. Those activities tend to be hedonic: eating, drinking, sex. Happiness in this form is often sneered at, perhaps because there are characterised as lower or vulgar pleasures.

But happiness is also linked to meaningful activities. Being absorbed in a task, trying, winning from a difficult situation, achieving something - these are all activities which have an evolutionary cost in terms of energy and time. Yet nature rewards us for doing them.

Happiness may play a role in enhancing the experience of meaning .... lending hedonic reinforcement to these eudaimonic endeavors
Professor Laura King, 2007.

In other words, nature rewards activities that it favours. By rewarding meaningful activities, it reinforces them.

Truly, humans are unique in this respect. Nature rewards survival and procreation. But it also rewards effort and being exceptional. To be truly human, we must strive to achieve.

Numbers 20 - 40

21. Go to a party dressed entirely in leather, or velvet.
22. Meet Larry David.
23. Eat at The Fat Duck
24. To visit Japan
25. Learn yoga properly
26. Learn a martial art
27. Listen to the Beatles albums one after another dressed only in velveteen.
28. Cycle across the USA, east to west coast
29. Prioritise my time according to principles of positive psychology
30. Write a book based on the experiences of the second world war generation
31. Offer discrete services to targeted section of the population: young, old, deprived, depressed.
32. Be a reliable friend
33. Buy a guest house and offer walking holidays combined with psychological counselling / coaching
34. Learn about wine in depth
35. Sod it; to own a vineyard in California and make quirky wines
36. Know more about plants and trees and nature, innit.
37. To spend a winter in Anchorage, Alaska, writing to old friends
38. Become a Zen snowboarder in Whistler, Canada and live for the moment
39. To raise a family
40. Retain both curiosity and humility as I get old
41. Be green, in both business and personal life. Not as in inexperienced though, environment wise.

Meaning

How important is meaning at work? What I mean by meaning is a sense of purpose; that what you do is important, and that the organisation you work for is doing something inherently meaningful.

The hierarchy of needs

Like Freud, Maslow (1908-70) argued that our own internal motivations are a central aspect of our personality. Unlike Freud Maslow was not a crusty old perv, who practised only on white middle class jews and linked all our ills to fixations with orifices.

In Maslow's view we are driven by a hierarchy of needs.

At the bottom our most basic needs are food, water, oxygen, rest, freedom from George Galloway etc. Until these are met, we cannot be motivated by anything else.

Next comes safety and comfort. So shelter, security, and perhaps that luxury goose feather duvet from Heal's all count at this level.

Then attachment needs. When Paul Simon sang he was a rock and an island he was wrong. (Yes that was a metaphor). Humans have a basic need to love and to be loved, and not in the pert nipple sense either.

Next comes self esteem - we want to be recognised as the fabulous people we tell ourselves we are in the mirror. I am not sure where Anya Hindmarch bags come in, maybe that is Maslow's point.

Now we seek harmony and beauty and order, almost like a naked revue.

Finally, we seek self-actualisation. This is a concept which means achieving our full potential. The drive to self-actualise is fundamental to human nature (Maslow argues) if our other needs have been met.

So, er, get on and self actualise if you aren't already. Or at least have a nice cup of tea so your other needs are being met.

MeanInc

For the past 5 or so years I have been thinking about meaning. Specifically, meaning at work. In fact, I have had real trouble with it. This unhappiness meant I constantly fought depression, which ultimately led me to take the sabbatical I'm on now.

I'm finally piecing some answers together and I want to talk about this a lot more, but I thought I'd include a post which is actually a paraphrased e-mail I wrote to someone 2 years ago. It sounds jolly, but deep down I was in trouble.

It can be a starting point.

27th May 2005

Seriously, what's it all about? What are we meant to do with our lives? What is meaningful? No I mean, really. Is it this? Is this meaningful? Can't I even e-mail you now?

What then? Is sport meaningful? Possibly. But not the way I play, unfortunately. It's not religion surely? Not for me anyway, unless I get really desperate.

Work? Not management consultancy, I assure you. My last job was a ridiculous sham, for which I will feel eternal shame. The private sector may be better, but do you really want to be remembered for selling more beans?

So how about focusing on the ridiculous amount of money you earn doing it? Surely, it can't be about that though? Or can it? Is our mission simply to provide for our future children? But how much money do they need? Do they need Nike trainers and private school? But my childhood was wracked with worry over money, so there must be a balance.

But what happens if I just opt out? Will I be less happy? Won't women ignore me? That would solve the children problem. But won't it mean just giving in and not resolving these issues?

Is there a book I should be reading? I read 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' already. And 'Who moved my cheese'? Now, that really was toss.

Should I devote my life to others? Won't I end up just feeling like a tit? Everyone who works for a charity says it's shit anyway.

Of course, my Grandad wouldn't talk like this. But he'd saved the world from the Nazis and had 4 daughters by my age. It's easy to be modest when you've done that. I have some swimming badges, a certificate from Crufts and a nice stereo.

Because I don't really know where to start I just procrastinate and dither like an old woman at the post office. And if I don't act soon that's exactly what I'll be. Well not exactly, but you get my point.