Showing posts with label Psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psychology. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Opinion: Knowing the Why - One Easy Step To Understand Anything!

Hey,

Happy October!


I'm still very new to the world of clay. I've been extremely hesitant to just get my hands dirty and figure stuff out. I've always been somewhat cautious about approaching new things. I need to understand the why and how of it all. It's not enough to just copy someone else and say I Did It! This can have positive and negative effects. In this case, it created a barrier to entry. I was so focused on being the perfect clay potter that, I lost touch with my inquisitive nature. 

I love YouTube. It's becoming an ad-ridden hell hole, sure but, I've learned a lot of niche skills and discovered interesting and unique ideas that I may not have otherwise. It's like the Universal Library of information. However, one of the largest trends is the How To genre. It's filled with videos of, seemingly, professionals showing you how to do anything in 4 Easy Steps! Most of them are alright, this isn't about knocking the ones that aren't terrible. However, even amongst some of the well meaning ones, a trend has developed among the community.



With so many videos online showing how to do anything, most people have stopped asking Why? Wanting to know how something is done, simply to recreate it, is fine. It's a great starting point but, for most people, it seems like it ends there. There's not many videos of people receiving knowledge. Everybody wants to come across as the all knowing giver of knowledge but, most of the smartest people in the world are learning, rather than teaching. There's an entire culture of people obsessed with and satisfied with a result, rather than appreciative of the journey of exploration and understanding. Try this analogy.

Imagine society has broken down. You are humanity's last hope to build shelter. All we have left is this IKEA style, snap into place, home building kit. It's easy, you just put piece A into piece 1, etc. That's fine. It works but, what happens if the instructions are corrupted and some of the pieces are destroyed? You don't know which piece goes where, let alone why the foundation and supporting beams are put where they are to support the ceiling and the roof. You just knew the simplified answer was, put A into 1. With that little How To, you could do it but, if you had taken the time to understand the Why of each piece and how it was connected, you could take that knowledge and adapt it to something outside of the context of the How To Instruction Manual. 

Knowing the Why, you could find suitable materials to replace the ones you lost, apply the principles of building a sound structure, and make adjustments based on what you have at hand. A truly knowledgeable person's power comes not from being able to recall the right excerpt from the book but, in being able to recall the understanding of the concept and applying it to the current circumstance. What good is knowledge if you aren't building on to it?

I know. That analogy gets a little wonky but, I think you're smart enough to understand what I'm getting at. What good is having all of the knowledge of the universe at our fingertips if, once it becomes inaccessible, we are useless? It's great to be able to reference anything whenever we want but, we should be using that reach to expand our core systems, instead of simply relying on the cloud. From a networking perspective, access to the cloud network is fine but, just in case, let's keep a hard copy offline.

Let me try to tie it in with this. I began my clay journey with a sustainability goal in mind. I wanted a cost-effective, ecofriendly solution to my need for many small pots, used to store and transport seedlings and rooted cuttings. I knew I didn't want to use the plastic cups that were so readily available and I knew I didn't have the budget to buy the fancy Eco-Friendly Biodegradable Pots at the scale I had in mind. That's when I fell back on my fascination with ancient technology. Particularly, ancient pottery.

It seems so easy. It's literally just dirt, mixed with water, and shaped into a bowl. Now, as I ventured down the rabbit hole of information about Wild Clay, I was inspired but, also deterred from beginning. While I'm sure most of the accounts mean well, I felt this strong deterrence. There was a mental, or spiritual, blockade: You can't just go and get dirt from your yard. I agreed. It couldn't be that easy, right? There was all of this information about clay sediments, and locations, and private and public land, etc., etc. Don't get me started on the fancy modern pottery vernacular, with the cone firing ratings and what not. 

The more I learned, the further away I was taken from my goal. Listen. I get it. Some dirt is just not clay. It may not hold up well, it may not last long. Sure, there are some limitations but, why wasn't I just getting my hands in some dirt and seeing what's what? 

🪬 Handcraft by a man who's soul sees better than his eyes do at SoulSeesBest.writerjoshua.com


So, today, I decided to do some experimentation of my own. I'm not going to name any specific accounts because this isn't meant to be disruptive. If anything, despite all of this, I still learned quite a bit, and have been inspired just the same. The adbreaks are still a GIGANTIC TURN OFF but, that's another entry (I mean, I don't even like watching ads in professional television, why would I want to watch ads from someone I don't even know is going to give me the right information, yet?). The point is, I choose to understand the why and how of clay, instead of simply relying on what YouTubers say. I'm going to take what I've learned and apply it to my current circumstance, and that means some experimentation.

  • Read: What Happens If I Don't Seal Air Dry Clay? - #SoulSeesBest #AgEcoResearch (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

 I have also received a lot of information about sun drying clay. You're not supposed to sun dry clay because, it is said, that it will crack and become useless. But, I want to know, how useless? I've also been looking into adobe mud brick. I am currently living in the Southwestern United States. Adobe is prevalent so, why not see if it can be a solution for me. 

  • Read: What Happens If I Sun Dry Clay Pottery? - #SoulSeesBest #AgEcoResearch (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)



--
Sincerely yours,
Joshua Lucero
--

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Location: Menifee, CA, USA

Thursday, June 27, 2024

BallFirst: About My Study of Sports Psychology, Philosophy and Spirituality


 

Regardless of who you are or what the score is, the path to victory in any ballgame is the same.
Put the Ball First.

    Playing sports has always been my greatest teacher. I was blessed with an incurable thirst for knowledge since I was young. I know most of the prototypes include either jock or nerd but, I've always been both. I've always loved being outside, chasing any ball there is, against any opponent I can find but, I am equally comfortable in the classroom, or in the computer lab, or in the kitchen, or on the ranch. There is not much that I am not interested in learning how to do, if I haven't already studied it well enough to make a respectable go at it.

    There's debate around some quote that goes along the lines of "Jack of all trades. Master of few." It implies that if you run around trying to be good at everything, you can never be a master of any one in particular. While I will concede that there are some things that I have not mastered, yet, I take that notion as an insult. I respect that other quote about "10,000 hours" being the only way to master a skill but again, I was blessed with a strong desire to understand everything interesting to me at a molecular level. 

    My gifts have benefited me a lot of dirty looks and resentment from total strangers for most of my life. Luckily, one of the skills I was reluctant to master was that obedience to mediocracy. If I enjoy the way something happens, I want to understand how it works, replicate it, and see if I can't revolutionize the way it's done, and much of the time, I do. I know you've probably attached a voice to this piece that you already despise. If I didn't know me, I would assume that the writer of this was a total self-centered, delusional, egotistical prick. In most cases, you are correct. People that dare to speak this way are often ridiculed, pressured and found to crack, just like everyone else. However, that has yet to happen, here.

    As cocky as this may come off (almost comically so), another skill I've attempted to master is that of humility and I ask you to forgive any preconceived thoughts you may be having about me and trust what I'm about to share with you. I'm a ball player before just about anything I can call myself. I'm a good cook. I am a talented musician, songwriter, and sound engineer. I am a photographer, video producer and a film maker. I can ride, rope, hammer, and paint. I should have been a cowboy. I've mastered certain video games so well that they have developed an isolation tactic to save the players they want to be the best in the world from being undone by me, again. I don't like being in front of the camera but, I could act if I found the right team. Law and Accounting bored me to tears like nothing before but, I could do it in a pinch. My sister is a literal physicist so, I may have to defer some of the more technical stuff to her but, I can handle some arithmetic if I needed to, as well.

    Before any of that, and I assure you, I haven't finished, I think it is accurate to say that at the root of all of that mastery, has always been a ball player. Sports gave me some of the most valuable information anyone from any of these fields could ever achieve. It showed me exactly who I am. The thing about athletics is that there is no middle ground for fact. The ball will tell you exactly what you are capable of and what you are not. The beauty is in its simplicity. You either catch it, or you don't. You hit the target, or you miss. There is very rarely a grey area. If there is, it is usually attached more to the human element, such as the opinion of an umpire an obstruction call, or wether or not a hand ball in the box was intentional. It's the human argument that everyone clamors to but, the ball adheres to its own principles.

    Before I get to far, you should know, that this Ball First thing is closer to a religious principle than it is to a "typical sports intensity metaphor" ever will get. I'm serious. I play (and think) sports at a metaphysical level. Yes, it is played with the body, and the main reason most people enjoy watching them at such a high level is because you can literally have every advantage on paper but, you still have to play the game to truly find out the result. Even if the whole world knows exactly who is going to win, up until the final whistle, anything can happen. In a close game, it often comes down to a fair amount of luck, even. Some unforeseeable circumstance can completely destroy your bracket, right? A simple weather delay can turn your fantasy team upside down and you had it all figured out just a hours ago, you know? More on that unknowable element, later. 

Ball First is about selflessness.

    At its core, the intention for this... I don't know, philosophy? (I'm actually developing this...thing as we speak) is that true dynasties, the most successful teams, the legendary athletes have all tended towards one similar principle. This is my attempt to gather all of that wisdom into one solitary ball, if you will. 

    Around 2010, I discovered a few significant books about philosophy and spirituality. That started me down a path of self-reflection, and when you take good hard look at someone like me, you will always get a good look at a ball player. Every major breakthrough I found had it's root in something I had already learned in a ball game. As I mentioned, sports can reveal you to yourself in ways most of life cannot. However, if you can get a handle on that, and learn enough about yourself, you can look up and begin to see it revealing information about the world around you. That admittedly audacious list of fields I could easily excel in from earlier in this piece, most of that information was revealed to me from a ballplayer's perspective. 

    That's when I realized, we don't watch people do great things because of the people themselves. Sure, we idolize our athletes and entertainers for what they can do but, everyone is always spending most of the match hyperfocused on one specific element. Yea. The ball. The ball holds all of the answers. Not just to your current at bat, not just to the holes in the defense to be exploited but, all of the answers. More often than not, the ball is round (sorry hockey, rugby and football but, this will apply, anyway.) A sphere is a perfect shape. It contains the entire universe within, and from it's center, the entire universe expands from that point. Think about it. From the vast, unknowable distances of outer space and the tiniest atomic ions within, can all be connected through this one point, and you are throwing it, kicking it, chasing it. You are playing it behind a defense, switching the point of attack, curling it into the corner. The universe.

    I know, I know. I don't expect you to wrap your entire head around the concept. It's sort of impossible. You're only human after all but, doesn't that give you some perspective? When I notice players getting overwhelmed, worried about potential negative outcomes, worried about a facing a potential opponent, I notice one thing. They seem to be stressing about all of the unknowable information attached to that ball but, once you've made peace with not knowing completely what will happen, you can begin to imagine what is equally possible to happen in your favor. From there, a ballplayer that is "in the zone" is one that begins to dictate the outcome. They are willing the ball in the net, leading the opponent in an already ordained dance. That player has embraced the entire universe within the ball.

    Again, it's okay if you don't quite follow me. Some of you never will, and that's okay, too. Some of you just aren't ready, yet. That's fine too but, I know there is someone reading this having an epiphany. Somebody is understanding themselves, the game, the ball, in an entirely new way. Something just clicked and you can't wait to get a ball out and see what happens. You're a champion.

    I have more thoughts about sports, philosophy, and even spirituality. This won't be a typical sports blog. I'm not that interested in statistics and probability. I can see the value in preparation but, there will always be that immeasurable factor no algorithm can account for. "You can't play with a calculator in your pocket," and no, I won't be swayed by your argument for wearable technology or a smartphone on the field. I guess I'm just old school in that fashion. I'm glad the tech geeks and accounting nerds have found a way to love our games but, I will always love the human element more than the technology we use to talk about it after the fact.

    I won't push any gambling sites, cover the spread picks, or ratios. I won't dig for drama and storylines. I'm not going to craft passionate pleas to trade or fire coaches and players. I don't do click bait. This is going to be a sports philosophy project. Maybe this is the first chapter of a book, I don't know. If you would like to join the conversation I might even consider a guest blog or two. We'll see.   

Check out more Sports content from myself at BallFirst


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Location: Menifee, CA, USA

Sunday, April 14, 2024

The real flex is not flexing at all

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Sunday, February 11, 2024

Sport Psychology: Can Taylor Swift Win Super Bowl LVIII? 🏈



    Today is the day. This afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will play Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders new super stadium (NFL, 2024). You can watch coverage all day and multiple networks leading up to the Kick Off Show on CBS at 3:00 pm Pacific. You can even watch the Super Bowl with Spongebob Squarepants from Bikini Bottom on Nickelodeon.

    2023's Super Bowl LVII was viewed by approximately 200 million viewers, measured by Nielsen and the NFL in a custom survey collaboration (NFL, 2023). That number reflects how many people watched for at least one minute. It was a 9% increase from the previous years viewership. The NFL, already a pro sports behemoth, continues to grow in popularity. As of Wednesday, February 8th, the lowest priced ticket in the venue was more than $6.8k and prices rise well over $10k each (Elbaba, 2024). The City of Las Vegas is anticipating 330k tourists and workers for the Super Bowl festivities (Hughes, 2024). 

    While National Football League fandom calls to mind the die-hard fanaticism of a shirtless drunk guy cheering through a literal blizzard, 2023 has seen a significant addition to the ranks. You can't really hide from it can you? If you have an electronic device and some form of connectivity, you are most certainly aware of the NFL's new, most amorous celebrity fan, Taylor Swift. The media can't resist publicizing her romantic life but now, she's dating a star football player and the world is watching. 

    According to Adam Budelli, a StubHub ticket expert who spoke with NBC, over the 24-hour period after Taylor attended her first Chiefs game, the team saw its largest spike in sales all season (Elbaba, 2024). That same NBC Bay Area piece also mentions Marketwatch data referencing a 53% viewership increase in girls aged 12-17, 24% in 18-24 year olds, and 34% more among those 35 and older. 

    While this seems like good news for the game, the Swifties gridiron migration has become the source of some controversy. With Taylor's talents creating such a strong fanbase, coupled with her left-leaning political sentiments, it has become a source of inspiration for right-wing conspiracy theorists. I will spare you the details, as I have no desire for this site to become a political, let alone a conspiracy theory, focused outlet. You can read the Rolling Stone post by Nikki McCann Ramirez (linked below) about the various concerns of conservatives, including that the romance is a "deep state plot to reelect Democratic President, Joe Biden (McCann Ramirez, 2024)."

    I've been around for the past few years so, I'm well aware of the remarkably chaotic society we live in. From conspiracy theories to social media's decay into bot frenzy advertising, I am not one to judge, or rule out, the possibility of people with power operating in shady ways but, this one seems a bit far-fetched. As an athlete, I know how difficult it can be to play well. As difficult as that is, it could be even more difficult to manufacture a result, as it would require the same amount of hand-eye coordination, physical prowess, and a fair amount of luck as it would to win a ball game. The idea that the highest level of professional football could manipulate an entire league of organizations, who all strive to succeed with real consequences if they don't, doesn't quite hold me. 

    However, this story has inspired me to think about some other sport related..."energies." If you know anyone who loves sports, you understand the power of superstition. Even if you are completely atheistic towards a game day ritual, or that any one fan can have an impact on the performance of a professional ball club, there is actually a fair amount of science to argue that, it is not entirely unfounded to believe in something more than purely physical contributions.

    Mentality is not a new concept to any competitor. Whether you are playing for a championship or striving towards fitness goals, the way you think can be a deciding factor in failure or success. Confidence goes a long way. In competition, managing emotions can not only will you to victory but, allowing them to control you, can lead to defeat. As read on Psychology Today, above motivation, confidence, intensity, and focus, mentality is at the top of the Prime Sport Pyramid (Taylor, 2010). 

    However, does that mean that crossing your fingers before every free throw, or flipping your cap inside out when you need a hit actually affect your favorite players in a pivotal moment? The answer is debatable, sure but, it's not an emphatic "no." Studies have show that, for the fans, involving themselves with their local teams can lead to lower depression levels, loneliness and feelings of alienation (Association of Applied Sport Psychology, 2009). Identifying with pro clubs also leads to higher self-esteem, higher energy levels, and greater levels of trust in people.

    As for the athletes, there is an entire discipline dedicated to maximizing mental performance. Clubs and organizations around the world have invested in sports psychology professionals to maintain emotional well being of players, particularly in how they deal with fan behavior (Association of Applied Sport Psychology, 2009). Whether home or away, positive or negative attention, players must be able to manage their mentality, and it is so relevant, that medical professionals are required at the highest levels.

    I don't want this site to become a politically charged (let alone a conspiracy theory laden one). However, the latest news cycle has inspired a few questions. Is the NFL conspiring with the Democratic National Convention to manipulate the outcome of matches, like it's the WWE, for political reasons? As an athlete, I understand just how difficult it is to produce results consistently. More than that, how difficult would it be to convince an entire league of professional clubs, who live and die by their success on the field, to give up their own integrity and lose on purpose. Hell, even if that were the case, it would take the same level of dedication, practice, effort, and luck to play well enough to achieve the desired result and make it look convincing. 

    It seems more likely that conservative conspirators see one of the most watched cultural events on the planet as an opportunity to influence public opinion but, have they created a self-fulfilling prophecy? As we've established, sentiment can be a powerful force to an athlete. Who is to say that there isn't something to an entire city (or nation on a global scale, such as the Olympics, the World Baseball Classic, or the World Cup) focusing their collective attention behind their team doesn't have an effect? Even if it's not "juju," or "mojo," or whatever, couldn't the knowledge of that play a role in the mentality of a ball player? Imagine the collective energy of all of Kansas City plus, Swifties all over the world, and any romantic who believes the power of love rooting for the same team. Sure, "you still gotta play the game" but, if any team is likely to be affected, would't it be these Chiefs?

If you read this before the final whistle, leave your prediction in the comments and enjoy the game!
🏈
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Sources

Association of Applied Sport Psychology. (2009). The Fan-Athlete Relationship. AppliedSportPsych.org [PDF] https://appliedsportpsych.org/site/assets/documents/FanBehaviorcanimpactathletes.pdf

Elbaba, Julie. (2024) Is Taylor Swift impacting Super Bowl LVIII ticket sales? NBCBayArea.com https://www.nbcbayarea.com/super-bowl-2024/taylor-swift-super-bowl-ticket-sales-impact/3447810/

Hughes, Trevor. (2024) Las Vegas Super Bowl has it all: glitz, sex, oh yea, and footbal. USAToday.com https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/02/10/las-vegas-superbowl-preparations/72536972007/

​NFL. (2024) Super Bowl Event Info. NFL​.com https://www.nfl.com/super-bowl/event-info/

NFL. (2023) Super LVII total viewing audience estimated at 200 million. NFL.com https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-lvii-total-viewing-audience-estimated-at-200-million

​McCann Ramirez, Nikki. (2024) Right-Wingers Say Super Bowl Is Rigged So Taylor Swift Can Endorse Biden. RollingStone​.com https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/taylor-swift-targeted-conspiracies-chiefs-super-bowl-1234955940/

Taylor, Jim. (2010) Sports: The Power of Emotions. PsychologyToday.com


--
Sincerely yours,
Joshua Lucero
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