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AngryParsley comments on Rationalist Sport - Less Wrong Discussion

3 Post author: MathiasZaman 17 June 2014 08:10PM

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Comment author: AngryParsley 18 June 2014 08:16:29AM 5 points [-]

The real answer is: Whatever you can get yourself to do regularly.

If you don't exercise regularly, deciding on a sport is like a picking a programming language before you've learned even one of them. There is no one-size-fits-all sport or exercise. It really depends on your interests, physical abilities, social circle, the weather, what's near you, etc. This discussion might help give people ideas, but so could a list of sports. The most important thing is to get out there and do something.

Also, your quoted example sounds like a just-so story. I thought bowling and football were popular because they're an excuse to drink with friends.

Comment author: Caspar42 18 June 2014 12:38:40PM 0 points [-]

Of course, motivation is an important issue in choosing a sport. If you start running, it might be boring and not very satisfying, so it is hard to practice regularly.

But I think from a huge extensive list of sports, a lot of them can be discarded for being too risky (maybe soccer or mixed martial arts?), having no physical/mental health benefits (maybe most e-sports?) etc. So I do not think that "Whatever you can get yourself to do regularly" provides a sufficient condition for finding out whether a sport is rational, even though it is definetely a necessary condition.

Comment author: Ander 18 June 2014 05:11:59PM 1 point [-]

e-sports would provide no mental benefit? Here is an article with some studies that disagree: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/video-gaming-can-increase-brain-size-and-connectivity

Comment author: Caspar42 18 June 2014 05:43:44PM 1 point [-]

Thank you, apparently my question mark and 'maybe' were very approriate. ;-)