Why do crowds erupt with joy when their team wins a match… but rarely cheer their armies the same way during a real war?
The answer lies in how the human brain processes risk. The downside in losing a match is very low. In a war, everyone could die. So the downside is way way bad compared to how good the upside is. You don’t care about the upside as long as you can prevent the downside.
In war, you pray that you don’t lose. Or don’t die.
In sports you only have a website. So you cheer for the team to win.
Sports activate the brain’s reward system. There is uncertainty, tension, and tribal competition — but no real danger. When victory arrives, the brain releases dopamine, producing excitement, pride, and celebration.
War activates the survival system instead.
The brain knows the stakes are real: lives, families, cities, and futures. Instead of dopamine, it triggers stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. The dominant emotions become vigilance, anxiety, grief, and resolve.
In other words:
Sports are symbolic tribal competition.
War is existential conflict.
Anthropologists often describe sports as a ritualized substitute for war — a safe arena where nations can experience unity, rivalry, and victory without the catastrophic human cost.
So stadiums erupt in cheers.
But in war, societies become quieter, more serious, and more solemn.
Because deep down the brain understands something important:
This time, the consequences are real.
The same analogy can be taken to startup’s. For venture capitalists, there isn’t much of a downside if a venture fails. For the promoter the downside is real.
Now derive your conclusions.
