Why People Engage in Extreme Sports despite the Risk of Death - Essay Example

Module Why People Engage in Extreme Sports despite the Risk of Death In the recent years, extreme sports have become so popular that massive numbers of people are seen engaging in such sports while the other massive number who are spectators enjoy watching these events at their venues or at home through TVs. This has led to the question on why so many people would be interested in participating and watching in a sport that is so risky to paralyze someone or cause death. According to researches that have been conducted by scholars and other peoples’ opinions, people participate in the sport for the risk of it while others participate for other reasons besides the risk of the sport. Studies and researches conducted on why people engage in extreme sports prove different results or factors that compel people to engage in these sports. There certain conclusions that are derived from these researches. For instance majority of people in the world are risk-takes only that they differ in areas that different people are willing to take risks. One common theory highlighted in the discussion of extreme sports or risky behaviors involves evolution. “It states that our brains have old parts where the control of the brain is done by preprogrammed impulses that stimulate people to take risks” (Gutman 149). This fact qualifies almost everyone as a risk seeker although there are many conservatives who are referred as risk avoiders. Many people who participate in extreme sports are not compelled by the risk that is involved but the achievement they would get from participating in the event. Leary, the author of various books such as Handbook of Self and Identity explains that those who participate in such events claim that they are seeking a meaningful and deeper accomplishment in life. There are various reasons that have been highlighted as the main reasons for individuals to engage in extreme sports regardless of life threatening risks involved (Leary 212). To begin with, it has been discovered that many people participate in extreme sports to fight and relieve boredom in their lives. Scientific researchers have proved that human brain has been designed in a way that it adapts to activities fast. For instance, a brain that is condition to working for long periods would suck more energy thus leading to inefficiency in production. In a similar way, a person who engages in roll caster or activities like mount climbing for several times may feel that it gets less exciting every time he does it again. This means that the person can get bored over time to use the roll caster and he might indulge in even more dangerous sports. One of the factors that lead people to try extreme sports is the urge and increase in degree of such risk to relieve boredom in an individual’s life. The rate and urge or degree to participate in extreme sports or activities that are speedy differs among various individuals and thus some people would participate in extreme sports while others would prefer sports that are not intense or fast (Gutman 157). Giulianottia, a psychologist and an author of behaviors that lead people to extreme activities states that “the need to find balance between activities like job and sports in life compels people to try sports that are different in nature”. People who engage in activities that are passive or lead to inadequate body exercise such as office jobs may participate in more rigorous sports to balance their life. Owing to their limited or constrained time as a result of job requirements they may not engage in extreme sports since it requires more time to participate into. However, an accountant or bank investor who have been undergoing a stressing and severe issues at work or at home may find extreme sports as a favorable alternative to excite or motivate him in life. “Some people participate in extreme sports as a way to unwind and their focus is on their personal improvement and excitement rather than the risk involved” (Giulianotti 23). There is a claim that increase in extreme sports participation may be as a result of commercialization of risk, mostly by the media industry. Since the extreme sports are attracting more people, the media industry may have engaged in activities that would popularize the sport more to make risk a commercial product. While the extreme sports serve as a growing market, the media industry has persistently continued to thrive and flourish. Given the fact that these events are undertaken at central positions and the equipment can be provided at those centers, the media industry supports the various state-of-art sporting equipment to attract large crowds and participants (Gawronski 41). These facilities may range from the costumes such as protective gears, t-shirts, and sandshoes. Duhm, an author of several books such as Future Without War, reveals that “the media also provides for karabiners, bikes, and surf wax”. This is a way of promoting the sports to ensure that they reap from the benefits. Since the media industry would gain more from huge masses of people engaging in extreme sports, they sponsor those who participate in these sports to promote the sports to higher levels. The sponsorship deals are attractive in such a way that even those who may be opposed to the activities can even participate in them. In this way they promote the sport and make it seems like an interesting engagement but can claim lives. This is one of the reasons that people participate in extreme sports regardless if the risk involved (Duhm 79). According to Gutman, the author of being extreme and a researcher of extreme sports, “people participate in extreme sports as a shield to overcome their fears”. Extreme sport can be used as a therapy to help someone overcome a psychological state of fear in his or her life. There are people with certain phobia or fears in life such as height, falling, or large water-bodies activities (Gutman 163). This fear factor can compel them to participate in such sport to release the fear that has affected his life for long. It is sometimes referred to as the hypo-egoic mindsets. The fact that a person could be suffering from low self-awareness can lead to engagement in extreme sports to eliminate the low self-esteem and raise his or her ego. People with egoic mindset often undertake a self-awareness test which often compels them to realize that they require a motivation activity that can raise their self-awareness. To raise the self-awareness nature often leads him or her to face challenges that can raise the ego of a person. In such cases, extreme sports become one of the best alternatives to engage into. The people in this category mainly focus on the endeavor instead of the risk of engaging in such activity. According to Gawronski, a psychologist and author of books such as Cognitive Consistency, scientists associate this activity with such aspects like listening to music, watching TV, dancing, or such activities like playing video games under which a person can participate into for a long time without thinking about their lives or their behaviors and can induce hypo-egoic mindset. A person who participates in an extreme sport without being distracted by such factors like their fear or problems in his life may achieve a hypo-egoist mindset and thus acting as a tool to motivate him and boost his ego (Gawronski 45). In conclusion, extreme sports have become popular in the recent years that there have been many debates on why people prefer to participate in such extremely dangerous events in life. The risks involved can lead to death but more people have been engaging in the sports with more passion than previously. Despite the fact that one engages in such risky event, the fear factor has been disputed to be an issue to participants. There are many reasons that lead people to participate in extreme sports such as relieving boredom, to find balance in life and commercialization of risk by the media industry. Works Cited Duhm, Dieter. Future Without War: Theory of Global Healing. Wiesenburg: Verl. Meiga, 2006. Print. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=oZI-eRLcmFcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Future+Without+War:+Theory+of+Global+Healing.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TkpDU-6PMsfYsgaZ_4HYCw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Future%20Without%20War%3A%20Theory%20of%20Global%20Healing.&f=false Gawronski, Bertram, and Fritz Strack. Cognitive Consistency: A Fundamental Principle in Social Cognition. New York, NY: Guilford Press, 2012. Print. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=XQ2DgGMf3xYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Cognitive+Consistency:+A+Fundamental+Principle+in+Social+Cognition.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7EpDU-aoDJCV7AbS2YCAAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Cognitive%20Consistency%3A%20A%20Fundamental%20Principle Giulianotti, Richard. Sport: A Critical Sociology. Cambridge [u.a.: Polity Press, 2005. Print. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=0O8tPs8PPaEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Sport:+A+Critical+Sociology.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=JUtDU8ipGaXb7AaDiIHoBg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Sport%3A%20A%20Critical%20Sociology.&f=false Gutman, Bill, and Shawn Frederick. Being Extreme. S.l.: E-Ereads, 2002. Internet resource. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=cY42n_EVA5kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Being+Extreme&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dEtDU6viOKmw7Abwz4HgBQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Being%20Extreme&f=false Leary, Mark R, and June P. Tangney. Handbook of Self and Identity. New York: Guilford, 2005. Print. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=vafgWfgxUK8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Handbook+of+Self+and+Identity.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=BUxDU5W1Dqqu7AaW44H4Dw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Handbook%20of%20Self%20and%20Identity.&f=false Read More