I wonder if some just lack whatever causes people to be fans. I feel repulsed by it. Going to a sports game, concert or convention feels like a stressful workday to me.

Same here. There are some things I like more than most people, like some comics, and specific books and games. But I wouldn't spend more than a minute of my life arguing in favor of any of it. What I do know is that I don't usually like superfans, because I hate fanaticism of any kind.

Akira super fan? Nah, just like it eh. Ah and yeah superfandom is totally a nurtured thing. Some of us just never got huge reward for following sports. Eg, if you got into reading fantasy or comics or got into just about anything besides sports like rock collection or bugs or anything... then sports would be just so dull in comparison. How can a touchdown or goal even begin to compare to the incredible thrill of Frodo and gang escaping the ring wraiths! How can we get excited about some random sports player success when what really sings in our minds is the loyalty and friendship of Sam Gamgee! Something has to have meaning and value to be valuable. What's so valuable about some person who isn't my friend or family becoming a successful sports player? Of course I'd be thrilled if it was a family or friend!

I agree, I have things that I like, few that I don't like but most I'm neutral. But I am not a fan of any teem, celebrity or franchise. I do not like that horrific orange color though. I prefer marron & white LoL!

Just like the fanaticism can be nurtured in children by enthusiastic parents thinking "It's cute" at that age and encouraging it... I think some of us just get raised with a more desirable slant toward "At least PRETEND like you've got a lick of damn brains, kid." SO we don't have to throw a fit when our team wins or loses. We don't have to lose our sh*t if tickets to our favorite band/singer/group are sold out before we get it together to afford to go. We can deal with the disappointment just by saying, well, there's always next time, or maybe their next pass through the town two cities over if I keep up with the finances and have time to plan better... no big deal. Just a personal example... AND think of it what you will... BUT when I was 4 or 5, it was the 80's and I was bordering on obsessed with the "Dukes of Hazzard" on TV. Truth be known I never really lost the speed-bug or being a "gear head"... AND I did go to courses to be a sport and stunt driver, just for personal edification... BUT at 5 when asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I got into a habit of wanting to be a stunt driver for the "Dukes of Hazzard"... Now, understand around this same territory of time, there were deaths of stuntmen AND camera personnel on the set OF THAT SHOW... Maybe my parents over-reacted, but they restricted my access to TV until I could absorb the understanding that a car is a BIG responsibility... I shouldn't want to drive like a g** d*** maniac, jumping over other cars in traffic and tearing sh*t up all the time. That was TV BECAUSE it was stupid and self destructive fun... NOT because it was something a sane adult would do with his or her life... blah-blah-blah... Notice, I DID take those courses??? Well, that started in the military and the FUN courses for "Mil-spec Defensive Driving" (aka "Vehicular Combat Driving")... AND I've had a BLAST in every track and course I could afford to get to. I highly recommend it... BUT that was a distinct DISCOURAGEMENT from becoming or showing my colors as a "fan"... even of a TV show with wild automotive stunts and effects... At the wheel, I am a bit of a prick about everyone wearing seat restraints (yes, I've had a few vehicles with harnesses rather than conventional seat-belts) and conducting themselves within reason in or on the vehicle. I don't hate the show, nor the car... I don't hate or resent my parents. It was arguably a pretty young age to expect a "mature" answer to whatever I wanted to do when I grew up... BUT I can understand a reluctance to encourage that... AND I still got a motorcycle license AND motorcycle at 15, and have since put more than a million miles down the roads in more than a dozen countries over the last 30 years. I'd still rather be on a bike than in a cage, so whatever... and while I knew who Evel Knievel was when I was a kid, and he was just cool... "and so what?" ;o)

We can only dream of being as big a fan as Vincent. Hope he took it ok. 😜🤘

There is a great episode on Bluey on how sports rivalry appears to kids. Also, a great example of how parents can include their kids in fandoms in positive ways.

@@besmart I think the psychological studies about fandom may have a fundamental flaw, if they don't study why people, put in the same situation as fans, don't become fans. Example, me. Chilean here, low-middle-class, boomer. My parents were fans of a soccer team called Colo-Colo, the most important in the country. I declared myself a fan of Universidad de Chile, its most important adversary - but it was mostly for kicks, because in truth, I don't care about soccer. I became a Star Trek fan in a household were there was zero interest in science fiction. Same with classical music (my mom called it "your damned music," they never went to concerts - I was in choirs for years), movies (I started to go on my own as soon as I could do it on my own), books (I became a librarian; my dad wanted me to be a secretary), politics (they were leftists, I am centrist), and everything I can think of, I have always done/liked it on my own. Even more, I once joined a Star Trek fan club - left it after a while; they were more interested in costumes and trivia than in actually trying to build a science-based, non-discriminatory society, which I think it's something really important we humans could (should) do even if we don't ever meet people from other worlds and never figure out how to trek to the stars. So... How can psychologist who study fandom explain the cases of lone wolfs like myself relying on biology and social pressure only? This video and your mention of love reminded me of another video of yours I disagreed with: the one explaining parental love as a genetic imperative. What about adoptive parents? Don't they ""really"" love their kids? Explaining the exceptions to the rules is what, I think, makes studies really positive - as in truthful.

i don't know exactly where i should place destin, on the one side he is a very curious and smart science guy but on the other side he is a religious redneck. i wouldn't even have thought that something like this is possible, like, usually you are either one or the other not both at the same time. like how can you know that the universe does not revolve around humanity and humanity not being the center of the universe but then despite knowing that believing that not only humanity would be the center of everything but the religion of the western culture (christianity) being the ultimate truth. it makes no sense. like how do you come to the conclusion that the western cultures religion would be the ultimate truth if science shows us that not only are there many different kinds of cultures and religions which already makes it unlikely for christianity to be one out of the hundreds religions thats coincidentally the right one but then we also know that we humans arent even the center of the universe, we aren't even the center of our solar system. so not only do we know that its very unlikely that out of all religions you are coincidentally born in the region where they teach the correct one but its even more unlikely that ANY religion in humanities existence gave us the truth because the people who invented these religions didnt even know basics about physics back then when they invented the religions

@@yoshtgyou just explaind exactly how I feel about religion

This is just about in group vs outgroup which applies to any groups and doesn't have to be political

so true!!

@PeterFreese Same

Same here.

I'm a superfan of TND. I think these people are cowards who redirect the energy normally used to save their society towards a lame sportsball team.

Same here as well. I certainly have things I enjoy, but I don't define my personality or my identity by them. I really really don't understand all the energy around sports, especially. I would like to understand more why people fall where they do on that individuality/assimilation graph. What is it about our individual biology that places us where we fall?

Yep I scrolled to the comments to see who else thought like this. I am also a left side of the graph person, which means we are unlikely to make a club about being on the left side of the graph. The right side of the graph should make a right side club though that would be pretty funny :p

I'm with you. If someone is intelligent, high-achieving, talented, or otherwise distinguished by personal achievement, I really can't see how they can relate to the idea of resigning their individuality to wear matching costumes, purchase tacky trinkets, and parasocially devote themselves to the minutae of the lives of game players who they will never know personally. Seeing the two hosts of this channel adopting this behavior is an odd cultural artifact which I find interesting.

​@@ryanhorsley9965Its simple Mr.Burns, because they're part of the community. Traveling to a event & hanging out with your friends & family is 50% the reason people go to sport event or any events for that matter

​@@ryanhorsley9965 Community and shared interests are a huge draw, regardless of how "intelligent or success" a person is. I don't think being a fan of something detracts from anyone's individuality, but increases it by adding another aspect alongside their other, preexisting traits. Of course when someone goes _full_ super fan and makes that fandom their whole personality, that's another matter. But you can be pretty damn into something, wear the clothes, have the bumper stickers, etc and still he distinctly "yourself."

Really? But introverts are deeply passionate people, a lot even struggle with obsession.

I also have a hard time understanding it. In the video I still think the people are giving tongue in cheek answers, they can't really be serious when they say they wouldn't accept if their kid brought a fan of a rival team home. Same as for being a superfan of your country (that you didn't choose) to the point of thinking that it's superior to the others.

Thanks. I’ll check it out.

A sense of community can be empowering.

Very well said, I am part of a music artist's fandom, the people around me, not so much, it's nice knowing that there are people in the world who have the same interests as me, like Joe said, it gives me a sense of belonging even though I don't know these other people personally

It is often that bad, but not commonly. Some sports fans definitely use their obsession with their team as an excuse to harm members of the outgroup (other fans or non-fans) and damage property. Most are merely benign people who really don't have any success to call their own so they develop a parasocial relationship with a team and claim its success as theirs.

Ongoing fandoms don't usually hit this because there's new content to keep things flowing, but they can DEFINITELY still run into issues with mob mentality. Sports groups act like that because they're meeting in such massive numbers with fever pitch emotions, but the same can happen with ANY fandom. Like when Yu-gi-oh fans sold out a stadium for the new pack...but when the Exodia release was cancelled, the riot turned into practically a hostage situation where government riot police had to swarm in. Look at the "Pickle Rick" incident, at homestuck fans becoming suddenly notorious for getting kicked out of hotels. It's mob mentality. Fandoms don't SEEM as bad because you don't see them rioting through the streets like sports fans, but when they get together they can definitely be just as bad

I feel genuinely EXACTLY the way you do. I can't disassociate such superfandom from tribal aggression and division

Coincidentally, Dream, who was mentioned in this video, experiences cases of extreme tribalism with his fans. There are people who strongly defend him to the point where he had to publicly tell his fans not to make aggressive comments towards others.

lol you thought aggression and things like that only happens in sports fandom

Might've been related to pre-adult rebellion feelings that most people have and being subjected to games so much made you rather resent than fan over.

Maybe, you're just love 'being unique' more than 'being in group'. In a graph shown in video, your happiness is optimum towards left side. But still, the fact that your parent shape your favourite team support the 'parent (society) assimilation' theory.

Isn't it terrifying? Superfandom, religious fervor, etc., are the dark side of human nature.

It allows people of low achievement and personal merit to live vicariously through big, strong, fast men for an hour or two. Once the game ends, they can go back to being feeble broom-pushers until the next game allows another escape.

The biggest example of how detrimental tribalism is in modern day is the US two party system. It needlessly pits one side against another, and therefore no one stops and thinks about how everyone's point can have validity. I argue that Joe and Destin are not superfans. They aren't serious when they say they hate other fans. I guarantee they will be playful and teasing, but not hateful. Sadly, there's still too many that are actual fanatics and are ultimately dangerous because of it. Since when is being literally obsessed with anything a good thing anyway?

Old habits die hard. 500,000 years ago anything not ""being part of [your] group" was trying to kill and eat you.

I am exactly with you on this. I am slightly on the spectrum, so it kinda makes sense to me why I am the way I am.

Just autistic most likely. A lot of us are more borked than most of us AND normal people realize, and this is one of those things. Makes me sad i can't experience being a fan, not even a super.

Same, I have absolutely zero interest in going to a game with thousands of people, all screaming, over a team that catches a ball.

@@JohnLA1980 Being rational is not very human, though. And you WAAAY overestimate the number of people not being superfans and other stuff.

@@DianaTaffie You think that millions of people is an overestimation out of the 8 billion in the world? So less than 0.1% aren't superfans of a sports team? It's actually more like billions. Superfans don't even make up the majority of people. You're insane.

Parasocial relationships are weird. I doubt the players, coaches, and team owners have any interest at all in the fans outside of their ability to spend money and offer sexual favors. Otherwise, the fans are just the annoying losers who keep you from being able to eat at restaurants or be in public in peace.

​@@ryanhorsley9965 Or, you know, the people who bring money to the industry? There's a ton of players and coaches in sports that go out of their way to not only acknowledge their fans but also give back to them. Without fans, competitive sports wouldn't really exist. Also, it's okay to just..let people enjoy things.

​@@ryanhorsley9965so negative

you probably would if you worked at Apple though, right? even if you were in the HR department or something and had nothing to do with the development of the phone. being a longhorn fan isn't a formal organization the way that a company like Apple is, but it's still an organization, albeit an informal one. I think people use "we" like this all time in talking about their work, nation, religion, ethnic background, political party etc etc even when they didn't contribute much or anything to whatever success or failure they're referring to. Just doesn't seem that strange to me.

@joeldeeter2958 no I wouldnt if I had nothing to do with whatever was being discussed 😂 I feel like your life must be pretty meaningless if you do this. You have nothing else going on that you've done personally, so you attach yourself to the accomplishments or failures of others?

​@@magnumxlpicouldn't have said it better!

People saying that don't think they're literally part of the team or anything, just a member of the associated community. That is what the "we" is referring to. It's referencing association, not personal accomplishment. Language has nuance, you know.

I often hear the same after elections by non politicians with no perceived gains at all. Like they are a super fan of an unrelated political party... Go figure.

Agreed. Tribalism is not a necessity any longer. Giving in to those base instincts just tells me you're not evolved enough. People feeling bored with their lives or alone is a big contributor to becoming a superfan of something. I find sports superfans to still be a different breed of people. A lot of them use it as an excuse to drink and party, or it's literally one of the only ways they know how to socialize. The more a person pigeonholes themselves into their fandom, the more they essentially isolate themselves from fans of other things too. I also think people confuse being passionate about something with being a superfan of something. They are not the same thing at all. People can feel passion for or about something without being a superfan.

I see this biological drive causing the people in the world to splinter apart. I am all for fighting this natural urge, to bring all people together and advance as a species.

@@TheSwauzz I couldn’t agree more, my friend.

@@TalEdds Exactly. 👍🏻

But you do see it in religion. It's amazing how religious people belittle others who don't believe in the same ideologies as them, including other religions.

It can happen in music. Check out kpop fan-wars. And you can see it in the American music scene whenever two or more artists have a beef with each other and suddenly fans are choosing sides and engaging in internet warfare (though thankfully not usually irl, even if the actual celebs do get violent with each other).

@@iprobablyforgotsomething You can go back to the 80's and see the same thing. Look up Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. Our Internet back then was magazines.

Brands like Tesla and Apple use this to their advantage. Making an "elite" tribe.

@@Gloworm17 Yeah, its shitty behavior from those companies. Also weird that people don't see that they are being taken advantage of.

Exactly! Why watch when you can experience it yourself is what I always said. There's actually a south park episode about out it

this is generally for sports fans, for Trekkies for example too.....

@trevinbeattie4888 Also same.

I have the same though process

i am both a NUFC fan and a sci-fi and science nerd, this is a generalization.

Then there's weirdos like me who love certain sports and science both, though if I had to pick only one it would definitely be science.

because most people are big fans of SOMETHING, so yes. You are the outlier by not having a fandom. That's not a bad thing, but it's normalized because it is normal, in the basic sense of the word.

Nah. You're not alone at all. More and more people agree with you when it comes to super fandoms. As they say, it's pretty cringe.

What kinda thought 🤨

Baader-Meinhof phenomenon