Laughter

 Let me start by saying that I do not know the background of this picture. But I am going to talk about it as if I know what happened here.

We watch a lot of soccer in my house. Some players are better than others. Some players are nicer than others. Some teams are better than others. From the anthropological perspective, it is interesting to see a "unit" that has a "personality." But that's a different discussion.

Although they tend to be the best of the best, refereeing a Premiere League match with 20 players running all over the field, pushing, shoving, etc, trying to call every infraction (or sometimes just "letting them play the game") is a very difficult job. And it is actually amazing how often they get very small calls correct.

But some players have a strategy of challenging every call, regardless of whether or not it is right. Some players kick the ball out of bounds and then throw their arm up like they should also get the throw in, too. Ridiculousness. But as far as I know, no refereee has every reversed a call due to a player's whining and complaining. So just shut up and play the game. But I think that the thinking is that by complaining, they are laying the groundwork for the next call. Or that the ref will keep a closer eye on the "offending opponent" and maybe catch something that would have otherwise gone unseen. So complain they do. Some quite vociferously.

But what I have also noticed is that the very best players don't do much complaining. Maybe because it's not effective. Maybe because they don't feel the need to try to "influence" the ref. Maybe because it takes them out of the flow of the game and out of their own head.

So what I see are the lower level players whining and yelling and stomping and ranting and raving and...well, not being the very best players. And then I also see the very best players reacting to a bad call with laughter. They just laugh at it and move on. "Oh. come on, you're kidding me..." I don't know if that is what Lewandowski is thinking or saying in this picture, but it's the same look. Bemusement.

And it strikes me that this might also be a good approach to life in general. Rather than getting upset and yelling, just laugh it off and move on. Don't be overly concerned with "justice" or trying to modify the behaviour of some idiot (oops, sorry) but just move on. Keep your head in the game. That's how you win. That's how you be a better person, a better citizen. Smart people will tell you that you do not want to get dragged into someone else's game. Play your own game, keep your head, and do your best.

Not a bad approach, actually. Maybe I'll try it...