I’m not the person you’re responding to but I’ll give it a go.
The progress angle:
When two competitors clash they motivate each other to advance the state of human potential.
Today’s elite high school track athlete would have set world records decades ago.
The narrative angle:
When there is a clash of wills, narratives and stories emerge. When Michael Jordan had the flu and led a comeback in the NBA finals, he helped write a compelling story about fighting through adversity. Google “flu game”.
Sometimes it’s a little of both:
When Steph Curry overcame a series of chronic ankle injuries through a specialized regiment of training, he wrote a story into the culture about problem solving, and helped advance the state of sports medicine.
The progress angle:
When two competitors clash they motivate each other to advance the state of human potential.
Today’s elite high school track athlete would have set world records decades ago.
The narrative angle:
When there is a clash of wills, narratives and stories emerge. When Michael Jordan had the flu and led a comeback in the NBA finals, he helped write a compelling story about fighting through adversity. Google “flu game”.
Sometimes it’s a little of both:
When Steph Curry overcame a series of chronic ankle injuries through a specialized regiment of training, he wrote a story into the culture about problem solving, and helped advance the state of sports medicine.