It’s all about perspective

It’s all about perspective. I have mentioned this before when talking about my weight. If I have been 95kg and hit 90kg I am elated. But if I have come up from 85kg, then 90kg seems disastrous. Why do we do that to ourselves?

The concept applies through so many other areas of our lives, none more so than the recent Olympics in Paris.

I watched the final throws of our lovely girl in the Women’s shotput this morning. She had led for most of the tournament, lost the lead briefly when the German girl surpassed her, regained it, only to lose the prospect of gold on the German girl’s final throw. I am sure she was delighted to win silver, a terrific achievement. However, I am sure somewhere, there would have been disappointment that that lead she had held for most of the tournament was lost on her final throw. Had she been sitting in third place for example, and jumped to silver, I am sure she would have felt so much better with that medal than the way it had gone.

I did see an interview with her though, when she acknowledged that it wasn’t over until the last throw. It was probably only the audience who was disappointed in this case, and it wasn’t for ourselves, but for her.

We watched several former gold medalists compete and not win this time around. I am sure the feeling would have been the same for them, whereas someone coming up the ranks who took that title would have felt so elated. I saw this example in the women’s kayaking fours. That title hadn’t been won by a Kiwi team before. Our girls were delighted, whereas one could see the disappointment on the silver medalist’s faces. In any other circumstances, these second-place getters would have been elated too, but not from having previously held the title. But so it is with sport.

In another example, we watched our men’s triathlete competitor lead for much of the running segment of the triathlon, only to be surpassed in the last 200 metres of the race. How incredibly disappointing that must have felt for him, but at the same time, what an absolutely wonderful achievement to gain silver in a competition as grueling as that.

I am sure, after the what ifs are over, these people will feel incredibly proud of themselves. Anyone who can even make an Olympic team is pretty extraordinary and as I have mentioned before, someone always has to lose.