I've talked to a friend of a friend who basically doesn't fear what normal people fear (e.g. talking to beautiful women, surfing, rock climbing, talking to strangers - he is really successful at sales). I asked him what his biggest fear was. He said it was to his lose health/lose control of his body (e.g. bad accident/paralysis).
We all have fears, and I think, in the end, we all fear mortality. And those who don't have the fears we most have (e.g. talking to beautiful women), fear their mortality/fragility of even the most fit body the most.
I'm happily married, I don't cheat, I don't want to cheat, I'm really not interested in the "hot woman," but if I end up talking to her under any circumstances, there's a loud chorus of voices in my head screaming "dontfuckitupdontfuckitupdontfuckitup." I push through and get over my initial nerves, because I'm a grown up, but it's awful and annoying and I wish it would go away.
Not everyone. You don't have to be afraid of death. And before someone suggests it, this is not the same thing as wanting to die or even not caring if you die.
Did you play football? The danger of permanent crippling injury has been blown way out of proportion by helicopter parents and the news. Of all the kids I played with and all the kids I coached (volunteer), only one of them ever wound up partially crippled. That kid in particular would routinely do daredevil stunts in his spare time. By the time he injured his knee, he was missing teeth, had blown his eyebrows off three times, and messed up that knee at least twice before stepping foot on the field.
Football is a safe sport, considerably safer than not playing. I hear on the news about concussions and crippling injuries, but I never see it in real life. Those things are pretty rare, especially when compared to vehicle accidents. I've seen far more lifetime permanent injuries come out of the soccer camp, to be honest.
Another anecdote: guy I know has a kid that's like a high school... sophomore and in order for this kid to continue to add value as a basketball player, he apparently can't afford to play HS varsity ball. It's a distraction. His other (older) son is approaching 7 feet tall and is totally over organized sports altogether, and is pointed at engineering.
In what way?
> It's a distraction.
From what? That's the weirdest sort of reasoning I've ever heard.
So will sitting on your chair in front of a computer 8 hours a day. Everything in moderation.
I've done my share of team/contact sports in my youth. nothing horrible happened apart from few broken fingers, but stuff I do now makes those sports look super boring/borderline idiotic when looking back (ie coach yelling at you like a little girl, running you around 'to break you to unlock your potential'). What I mean - trekking, skiing, climbing, via ferratas, cycling on unpaved roads, a bit of easy ski alpinism and mountaineering.
but I agree that any activity/sport is endlessly better than none, that's for sure