In the book “Get Out of Your Own Way”, Dr. Robert Cooper explores the twists of turns of how the human brain operates – sometimes even getting in its own way.  In my reading today, I came across an interesting quote: “Neuroeconomics also show that people perceive their life symbolically, not just literally.”  That very idea is something I’ve felt, albeit under the surface, for a long time.  Symbols are powerful, life-changing, world-changing.  They become a vessel or an abstraction for complex ideas – boiling down what might take paragraphs or entire libraries to explain, into something accessible, something personal.  Think of some powerful images and what they say:

Defiance of tyranny. Conviction of purpose. The human spirit will not stay oppressed without a fight. I remember clearly seeing this image as a young man. I always wonder what happened to the man standing in defiance of the tanks – and would I be willing to do the same?

Hope, daring, sacrifice, honor, courage. In one painting the entire American Revolution hinges on the successful execution of this mission, and its brilliant commander so gracefully presented.

Very few images capture the horror and insanity of war like this one.  No amount of after-the-fact-explaining of context or reasoning can undo the initial impression of seeing this photo.  It screams about war’s brutality & the breakdown of normal order.

These pictures above represent the power that symbols have to affect what we believe about the world around us.  But what about ourselves?  What about inside us?  I think symbolism can be found in nearly every aspect of what we do.  Chivalrous acts (like holding a door for someone) are symbolic – providing a familiar context to express deference to someone, which is a sign of acknowledging their worth and importance.  There’s an unexpected flipside to that as well.  Showing deference to someone implies that you are restraining what might otherwise be your right.  This displays character, and esteems your own value as well.  How else can you sacrifice for someone (even in a small way) without first having something to sacrifice?

I think that sports are an ideal outlet for us to express the symbolic nature of our lives.  Nothing encapsulates the ‘hard-fought’ nature of our job, for example, like watching two great football teams slug it out on the field.  The violent struggle on the field takes on the nature of the hardships we face in life. The letdowns: your favorite QB throws across the body, over the middle of the field, ending in an interception – granting the opposing team what they need to win the game in overtime.  Who hasn’t had moments similar to this in life?!  Your goal is within reach and you either get cocky or careless – and you blow it.  That makes the moments like Tyree’s “Super Bowl helmet catch” all the more sweet.  While those kinds of moments in life might seem less frequent, many of us have had the incredible sensation of leaping up to grasp hold of a goal or dream, and then actually manage to use our heads and hang on to it as our opponent tries to pull us down….