The bite of the Uruguayan player Luis Suarez at the World Cup has every chance to go down in history. What happens to one of the best strikers in world football? Why do some people in a moment of strong excitement begin to behave inappropriately — bite? Psychologies editor Yuri Zubtsov collected expert opinions.
Social networks and paper publications compete in wit, publishing new cartoons and memes. Suarez as Godzilla and the shark from Jaws. Suarez on fake posters for vampire movies that read, «It’s a pity Suarez isn’t a vampire. Then everyone who was bitten by him would also become Suarez. The Apple logo — the famous bitten apple — complements the inscription «Suarez was here.»
- Thank God we lost
One of the best players in the World Cup was suspended for four months for biting an opponent — defender Giorgio Chiellini — in a match with the Italian team. The episode itself does not climb into any goal (not only football). But this is not enough: Suarez turned out to be a “recidivist”. It’s not the first time he’s bitten an opponent. In 2010, while playing for the Dutch side Ajax, Suarez bit PSV midfielder Othman Bakkal. In 2013, while playing for English Liverpool, he bit Chelsea midfielder Branislav Ivanovic. And now Giorgio Chiellini.
Impulse of cannibalism
Sébastien Bohler, a journalist for the respected French publication Cerveau & Psycho («Brain and Psychology»), is trying to find an explanation for Suarez’s behavior in the classic work of American psychologist and forensic expert Richard Walter. Back in 1984, he analyzed the reasons that motivate criminals to bite their victims in the article «An examination of the psychological aspects of bite marks» («An examination of the psychological aspects of bite marks»). Walter identified three main reasons. The first connects bites with the impulse of cannibalism — an unconscious desire for complete destruction, absorption of the victim. But to judge how much this desire is characteristic of Suarez, football reporting is clearly not enough.
The second reason is the uncontrolled impulse of aggression. Most often, it is noted in situations where the offender (and Walter considered criminal cases) is unable to impose his will on the victim and feels helpless in front of her. To some extent, all this can be attributed to the case of Luis Suarez — the match with the Italians was nearing completion, and the striker did not manage to show his talents.
The third reason is sadistic pleasure. Such a bite is a symbol of dominance, control over the victim. Interestingly, the first two types of bites are well known to child psychologists. They are characteristic of children up to 3-4 years old and are considered as a completely normal phenomenon — as the frontal lobes of the brain responsible for rational behavior form, the desire to bite disappears. To suggest that Luis Suarez stopped developing at the stage of a three-year-old child would perhaps be too bold.
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Infantilism
Nevertheless, the infantile behavior of a football player is noted by many experts. British clinical psychologist Abigael San points out that Suarez exhibits the inability to control his emotions that most adults have. In her opinion, the forward should have gone through a deep psychotherapeutic course in anger management.
However, Dr. San’s colleague Saima Latif isn’t convinced that anger management is the best option. From her point of view, it would be more correct to arrange for Suarez to have several interviews with victims of physical violence. Being able to look at the situation through the eyes of people who have experienced severe pain and humiliation can be much more effective, says Dr. Lateef.
The cost of a quick response
Finally, psychologist Ian Robertson, in an article on Psychology Today, links Luis Suarez’s nasty habit to his football prowess. He notes that at the key moments of the game, the Uruguayan demonstrates a fantastic reaction, making the only right decisions in a split second. Such speed requires the activation of specific areas of the brain, in particular the striatum and cerebellum, responsible for instantaneous actions. However, their full activation is compensated by the oppression of other areas — responsible just for rational, rational actions. These include the idea that biting is not good.
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If Robertson’s guess is correct, then by weaning Luis Suarez to use his teeth, psychologists will deprive world football of an outstanding player. The choice, to be sure, is not easy. However, in the Catalan «Barcelona» — one of the greatest football clubs in the world — are clearly more optimistic. Barcelona have just announced the signing of Suarez from Liverpool. The Catalans were not stopped by either the four-month suspension of the football player or the astronomical 70 million euros that the British requested for his transfer. Perhaps the Catalan psychologists managed to secretly make some important discovery?