I went round to all these minority sports and I couldn't really appreciate them. Fencing, for example, is just 'click, click, click' and it is over. Then they retire. Then they go again 'On guard - click, click, click' and it is over again. You just think, 'what is this sport?' I thought this is really boring and then I went to Judo and it was just the same thing. These two guys just endlessly circling each other, acting as if what they are trying to do is take the others shirt off without him realising this is what they are trying to do. I just thought 'what is this? I don't understand this at all'. Then I went to table tennis, which obviously I could identify with because I had played it myself - not quite at Olympic standard - but I could understand it. It suddenly became clear to me that these people really are so far beyond anything I could ever dream of becoming. I felt really terrible because I hadn't appreciated the fencers. The reason I couldn't follow them was because they were so damn good. Their hands were so quick that I couldn't see what was going on.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Bryson fails to appreciate minor sports like fencing and judo until playing table tennis reveals the skill gap between amateurs and pros.
- In plain terms
- He thought sports were boring until he realized pros are way better.
- What can you take from it?
- Perspective changes when you see true expertise.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What hobbies look boring to outsiders?
- When did you realize someone was skilled?
Another view
Some sports lack mass appeal regardless of skill.
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