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Skills - What Muscle Memory Really Means

By Michael Shanks

What does it mean to Juke somebody out? To Juke another player is often provides the highest level of Joy (see gives me great joy) that a soccer player can attain. So, what is so exhilarating about faking someone out?

One perspective might see it as proving that we are “better” than our opponents, at least in that individual instance. This plays to the view that we are immensely competitive creatures and are always looking for ways to assert ourselves as #1. One player is literally able to outsmart another, by moving his body in such a way that gives the defender the wrong impression as to where the player will dribble. In that way, a physical dominance, as well as a mental dominance, is asserted.

Maybe the enjoyment of a Juke has largely to do with an offender taking joy in watching another player be affected by something he has done. This relates to an innate happiness that all humans can experience, simply of feeling connected to the universe. The phrase that so many people say when referring to something they enjoy “it really makes me feel alive”, has more meaning than just on the surface level. By seeing that one’s actions do have an effect on others, the individual feels connected with humans in general. According to many a philosopher, a sense of community among other humans is a necessity for happiness and a content existence. Hence, the simple act of Juking someone out really does make us feel alive.