Why Your Arms Do That
It's not learned. It's wired in.
TODAY’S MINDBENDER
About 9% of Americans are still paying for (blank) today.
I’ll have your answer coming up.
It was a close game, back and forth, the teams evenly matched. Just as one side appeared to steal the momentum, the other side wrenched it back. The clock ticked down, less than a minute to play, the score tied, the tension inside the stadium at its max.
With the crowd on their feet, the home team pulled off a miraculous play, scoring as the clock hit 0:00.
If you looked at the hometown fans in that moment, you’d see the vast majority of them in the same pose:
Both arms raised to the sky.
Probably not even aware they’re doing it, just a purely automatic response. When something spectacular happens at a sporting event, our hands go up.
Our favorite rock band plays the opening chords of our favorite songs and our hands go up.
The politician on our side says something at a rally that fires us up, and we reach for the sky to scream support.
Raising both arms in triumph is a universal human gesture that signals either victory or dominance or both. We saw it during the World Cup, as each nation’s fans celebrated a goal by throwing up their hands. (Granted, since these 90-minute games might produce only one goal, you’ve got to celebrate any chance you get.)
Blame Your Ancestors
I find it fascinating. Apparently it’s an evolutionary thing, dating back to our ancestors who needed to establish status and dominance within early human societies.
Physically, it makes sense. Raising your arms makes you appear larger and therefore more powerful. The idea is to intimidate your rivals.
But it’s as psychological as it is physical. Researchers have found that raising your arms in victory increases your sense of control. And studies have shown that throwing your hands to the sky during moments of high excitement provides a release of tension.
What’s interesting is that blind people react the same way. A study of congenitally blind Paralympic athletes found they threw their arms up in victory exactly like sighted athletes, despite never having seen anyone do it. So it’s not a learned behavior; it’s innate.
A French sociologist, Émile Durkheim, noted how this behavior was common when groups of people came together for a shared purpose, specifically religious ceremonies. He found the phenomenon provided a powerful feeling of unity, a sense of belonging that transcended individual identity. Since then, sociologists have found the same behavior at arenas filled for sporting events and concerts.
Durkheim called it ‘collective effervescence.’
Strangely, however, the gesture has a double meaning. You might raise your arms in triumph, but you do the same in surrender. Same pose, opposite circumstances. The body’s signal for “I won” and “I give up” are identical, and we rely on context to understand which one applies.
We’re now in the second half of the Major League Baseball season, and NFL training camps are getting underway. Basketball and hockey won’t be far behind. We’re entering prime time for raised hands. That means you’re within a few weeks of doing it yourself.
And yet you won’t consciously make the decision. Caught in the moment, among your peers, your arms will automatically shoot upward.
Go team.
The Answer For Today’s Mindbender
What are 9% of Americans still paying for today?
Last year’s Christmas presents.
And I’ll bet you can’t even remember what you bought for people.
What does that say?
Thank you for being part of the MB Club. Enjoy your day!
Dom
Anyone can cook aloo gobi, but who can bend a ball like Beckham?