Basketball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Paint por Jerry L. Walls - Reseña. El baloncesto y la filosofía. Pensando fuera de la pintura.
Quiero compartir unos pasajes del libro que me cautivaron significativamente. Lamentablemente, las comparto en el idioma original pero espero que algún lector pueda ayudarme a traducirlos.
"For Aristotle, it is making the most of our potential, striving for excellence in all that we do, but particularly in those capacities of heart, mind, and spirit that make us distinctively human. Being all that we can be, living at the top of our powers—this, for Aristotle, is what each of us should strive for, however humble or exalted our station in life may be" (pág. 61)
--
"Goals not only motivate us to aim high, but they also keep us on track and guide our progress along the way. As Pitino remarks, “goals provide our daily routine. They show us where to start and they establish our priorities. They make us organized and create the discipline in our lives" (pág. 62)
--
"Throughout history, great philosophers have stressed the importance of effort and hard work.
Aristotle taught that happiness is an activity, an exemplification of excellence, rather than any kind of feeling or state of mind.
Marcus Aurelius (a.d. 121–180), the famous Roman philosopher-emperor, believed that humans naturally find fulfillment in “action and exertion” rather than in idle pleasure or creature comforts.
John Locke (1632–1704), the great seventeenth-century British philosopher, maintained that one of the first duties of a teacher is to teach his or her pupils “vigor, activity, and industry.”
And American philosopher William James (1842–1910) argued that effort is the true measure of a person, because “effort is the one strictly underived and original contribution we make to this world" (pág. 63)
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"For Aristotle, forming good habits of character and intellect is crucial to leading a happy, fulfilled life". (pág. 64)
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As Rick Pitino writes: “Good habits prevent laziness. They prevent foundering... Good habits create organization and discipline in our lives. It’s virtually impossible to achieve success without having good habits... And in times of stress, times when you are being severely tested, good habits become even more important. They become the rock, the standard of behavior that we must stick with so that we don’t get off track. (pág. 65)
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“If a man is to know himself, he must be tested. No one finds out what he can do except by trying... Disaster is virtue’s opportunity". (pág. 67)
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"Since human referees are necessary, and they can only be judged on the basis of what information they have available to them at the moment a call is made, it’s usually unfair to criticize referees" (pág. 106)
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"Basketball happens at such a fast pace that your mind has a tendency to race at the same speed as your pounding heart. As the pressure builds, it’s easy to start thinking too much. But if you’re always trying to figure the game out, you won’t be able to respond creatively to what’s going on. Yogi Berra once said about baseball: “How can you think and hit at the same time?” The same is true with basketball, except everything’s happening much faster. The key is seeing and doing. If you’re focusing on anything other than reading the court and doing what needs to be done, the moment will pass you by". (pág. 125)
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"Aristotle argues that sustained excellence is achieved through habit and repetition. For Aristotle, this is the central dictum of moral education and personal growth". (pág. 128)
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"Our society values certain personality dispositions and social graces more than it values core moral virtues like honesty and fair play, or even assumes that they are one and the same" (pág. 157)
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"Competition, when balanced with a yin perspective, isn’t focused on defeating the “other,” but on overcoming the obstacles that suspend the sort of mindful surrendering necessary for optimal performance. The same is true of strategy: if one concentrates solely on which play to run, which trap to set, which pass to make, then the potential for a spontaneous response to a particular situation is lost and so is the ability to counteract the other team’s defense or offense. Having a plan is important, but not as important as cultivating the ability to react". (pág. 164)
"To balance yin and yang on the basketball court
requires a blending of seemingly conflicting opposites
such as competition and surrender,
strategy and spontaneity,
aggression and patience,
and self-sufficiency and teamwork"
(pág. 164)
"For Aristotle, it is making the most of our potential, striving for excellence in all that we do, but particularly in those capacities of heart, mind, and spirit that make us distinctively human. Being all that we can be, living at the top of our powers—this, for Aristotle, is what each of us should strive for, however humble or exalted our station in life may be" (pág. 61)
--
"Goals not only motivate us to aim high, but they also keep us on track and guide our progress along the way. As Pitino remarks, “goals provide our daily routine. They show us where to start and they establish our priorities. They make us organized and create the discipline in our lives" (pág. 62)
--
"Throughout history, great philosophers have stressed the importance of effort and hard work.
Aristotle taught that happiness is an activity, an exemplification of excellence, rather than any kind of feeling or state of mind.
Marcus Aurelius (a.d. 121–180), the famous Roman philosopher-emperor, believed that humans naturally find fulfillment in “action and exertion” rather than in idle pleasure or creature comforts.
John Locke (1632–1704), the great seventeenth-century British philosopher, maintained that one of the first duties of a teacher is to teach his or her pupils “vigor, activity, and industry.”
And American philosopher William James (1842–1910) argued that effort is the true measure of a person, because “effort is the one strictly underived and original contribution we make to this world" (pág. 63)
--
"For Aristotle, forming good habits of character and intellect is crucial to leading a happy, fulfilled life". (pág. 64)
--
As Rick Pitino writes: “Good habits prevent laziness. They prevent foundering... Good habits create organization and discipline in our lives. It’s virtually impossible to achieve success without having good habits... And in times of stress, times when you are being severely tested, good habits become even more important. They become the rock, the standard of behavior that we must stick with so that we don’t get off track. (pág. 65)
--
“If a man is to know himself, he must be tested. No one finds out what he can do except by trying... Disaster is virtue’s opportunity". (pág. 67)
--
"Since human referees are necessary, and they can only be judged on the basis of what information they have available to them at the moment a call is made, it’s usually unfair to criticize referees" (pág. 106)
--
"Basketball happens at such a fast pace that your mind has a tendency to race at the same speed as your pounding heart. As the pressure builds, it’s easy to start thinking too much. But if you’re always trying to figure the game out, you won’t be able to respond creatively to what’s going on. Yogi Berra once said about baseball: “How can you think and hit at the same time?” The same is true with basketball, except everything’s happening much faster. The key is seeing and doing. If you’re focusing on anything other than reading the court and doing what needs to be done, the moment will pass you by". (pág. 125)
--
"Aristotle argues that sustained excellence is achieved through habit and repetition. For Aristotle, this is the central dictum of moral education and personal growth". (pág. 128)
--
"Our society values certain personality dispositions and social graces more than it values core moral virtues like honesty and fair play, or even assumes that they are one and the same" (pág. 157)
--
"Competition, when balanced with a yin perspective, isn’t focused on defeating the “other,” but on overcoming the obstacles that suspend the sort of mindful surrendering necessary for optimal performance. The same is true of strategy: if one concentrates solely on which play to run, which trap to set, which pass to make, then the potential for a spontaneous response to a particular situation is lost and so is the ability to counteract the other team’s defense or offense. Having a plan is important, but not as important as cultivating the ability to react". (pág. 164)
"To perform at the highest level possible, our goal cannot be any external reward; rather, one must be so immersed in the action that the playing becomes an end in itself, free of distraction and desire" (pág. 164)
"Can you still your mind and embrace the original oneness, acting without expectations, leading without dominating?"
(pág. 168)
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"The sage does what is necessary then stops. Using strength without coercion. The master ventures on the path. Able to achieve without pride. Able to achieve without possessing. Able to achieve without force".(pág. 170)
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"The best strategy to build confidence is to build competence" (pág. 209)
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So what is proven by the hot hand studies? Some conclusions correctly drawn by the skeptics include (1) having a hot hand does not increase the chance of success for one’s upcoming shot; (2) players who believe that their recent run of successful shots increases the chance of making their next shot are unjustified in this belief; (3) players perceived as streaky do not have more success runs than what is statistically expected; and (4) having a hot hand is not the result of a causal mechanism not describable by the laws of probability.
Unfortunately, the skeptics erroneously infer that the previous results mean that there are no hot hands and that everyone is wrong in thinking otherwise. Instead I have argued that being hot does not have to do with the success rate, duration, or even frequency of streaks. It has to do with their existence. The conclusions to be drawn are (1) one has a hot hand when one is shooting better than average; (2) players often know when they are shooting better than average, and (3) observers can often tell when players are shooting better than average. (pág. 220)
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"How can you improve if you’re never wrong? If you don’t admit a mistake and take responsibility for it, you’re bound to make the same one again" (pág. 278)
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"The Hickory team simply refused to quit, refused to believe that they couldn’t win. Courage, perseverance, drive, teamwork—all come together for the Huskers in that dramatic championship game because Coach Dale had created situations all season long in which they could develop those qualities". (pág. 279)
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"Forgiveness is as close to changing the past as there can be.
Forgiveness allows for a future that is not just a continuation of the past; it paves the way for breaking old patterns.
The mobilization of so many human faculties in the experience of forgiveness—compassion, intellect, will, imagination—gives birth to hope. Look at what it did in the life of Shooter.
Forgiveness prevents an unerasable past from destroying the promise of the future". (pág. 282)
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