THE MOST RECENT FREEDARKO POST ARGUES that because NBA players are arrogant and narcissistic, they have no reason to take performance drugs. It is a silly, silly argument.
OK, so LeBron is a god, knows he is, loves himself for it. But that doesn't mean, as FD says it does, that he has no reason to cheat (or whatever--I don't know the rules) to make himself even more of a god. The assumption that he does misses an interesting aspect of human behaviour, which is why I'm writing about it now. Briefly and artlessly, because I really should be working.
It is well documented [citation needed] that drivers who think of themselves as good, safe, or even talented drivers permit themselves transgressions or recklessnesses that they would not tolerate in other, "worse" drivers. It is because I drive pretty good that I can pass this guy dangerously; I'm a good driver and I know how much time it'll take and I know my car and the rules don't apply to good drivers like me, they apply to assholes like this guy I'm trying to pass. Or: don't think that incredibly wealthy bankers, successful atheletes, politicians, and any other kind of person who knows he's the man, and walks the walk to back it up better than anyone else in his field--even if his field is about individuals, like politics is--will be kept from cheating to get richer, better, more powerful just by their arrogance. Sometimes the opposite effect occurs: being the best means you can ignore the rules. Madoff proves this; so does Watergate. So does the fact that I'm probably not a very good driver even though I think I am.
None of this means that LeBron is cheating. Indeed, I don't even know what team he's on. But it shows opposite arguments can sound reasonable and the only way to be (kinda) sure is to consult empirical data. Thank you Karl Popper.
And now back to our regularly scheduled philosophy of social science.
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5 comments:
I'm just surprised you actually think you are a good driver.
kidding, you havent killed anyone yet, so youre cool in y book.
I dont think thats what hes arguing. instead of lebron having no reason to dope for himself, shoals is arguing he has no reason to dope in the vaccum of the NBA as viewed by the freedarko lens, that is as defined by individuality.
but, even if that was the argument as you claim,i still dont think lebron would have reason to cheat. in fact, i think that since the NBA is a league of such individuality and therefore great ego, than the risk of being the first one caught, the future posterboy for NBA doping, is reason enough for people like lebron and kobe not to do drugs.
Finally, there's also the possibility that since one is the best, doesn't mean that they WILL break the rules, or have broken the rules already.
oh, and madoff is another story, wasn't his problem partially that he was exceptionally bad at what he did? yeah he was good at conning, but he didnt earn the right to break any conning rules, other than, well, confessing.
If what you're saying is applicable here, why is there only one LeBron James? Only one of the greatest players ever thinks himself big enough to be above the law? That's awfully modest of every other All-Star of the last two decades. . .
First of all, Mr Shoals, let me apologize for treating your argument with less than the respect I would have if I had thought you might read it. We don't usually get celebrities 'round these parts and, well, if I'd'a knew you was comin' I'd'a baked a cake.
In fact what I meant to argue is precisely that there isn't only one LeBron: that there are not quite a few guys, though not a lot, who are so good that their projects of style--which is the fascinating psychological-philosophical face of the game you write about, which is the only part I'm at all qualified to think about--take them to an ego place where the rules don't apply to them. In fact it's not because he's just "very good" or even the technical, competitive best that someone gets over the law; it's because he's the fucking man that the rules for little people weren't made for him. It's when a person thinks of himself, justifiably or not, as so good at something that his ego transcends the game itself, that he's able to cheat. Most of the examples I can think of come from politics, and the structures of sporting might make this particular effect negligible here, but I wouldn't be surprised if being too good to worry about the rules was a part of as least some pro athletes' psyches.
Bernice, I don't think your argument stands where you say that they wouldn't do drugs because they wouldn't want to get caught and become the posterboy for NBA doping. I think people, especially ones that are so far superior in their game, start to believe that they can't get caught. No one can beat me at this game, so no one can beat me ever. Or something.
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