Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Lance Armstrong: Case of a Moral Dilemma

Lance Armstrong: Case of a Moral Dilemma

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Jan 15, 2013

No Comments

hi-res-88788699_crop_exact

By now we all know Lance Armstrong has admitted to using performance enhancing supplements (his Oprah interview will air Thursday), and while many fans have written off Armstrong as a sneak and a cheat, many other fans (many of whom are cancer survivors) are seemingly still in support of Armstrong in light of his admissions.  Just today on Mike & Mike (ESPN) the two hosts struggled with sorting out whether Armstrong’s work in raising cancer awareness somehow off-sets the lies, cheating, and threats to others who previously called Armstrong out as a cheater.

I have written many times in the past about the psychological theory of cognitive dissonance, and how sports figures often put us in perplexing positions when they mess up.  On one hand, we admire their great talents and abilities, but on the other hand we must sort out in our minds that they are the same people who sometimes screw up — and screw up badly, as Lance Armstrong did.  Cancer survivors who feel Live Strong gave them the support to press on and beat cancer are especially vulnerable to the cognitive dissonance currently associated with Lance Armstrong, as they must now accept the fact that Live Strong really only existed because of Armstrong’s fame — fame that was built entirely upon a house of lies.  Still, to each their own when it comes to whether or not to continue being a fan of Lance Armstrong.

In an attempt to minimize cognitive dissonance, people are offering various excuses, alibis, and rationalizations about what Armstrong did.  Some of the things I’m regularly hearing today include:

  • So what, he cheated in bike racing just like everyone else did
  • I don’t care if he cheated, his contributions toward helping people with cancer easily offset the ways in which he achieved these goals
  • He’s not such a bad guy since he is now coming clean with the truth

Cheating is an interesting topic to discuss (Lance Armstrong aside for a moment).  Some people are absolute in the evaluation of cheaters (if you cheated you are wrong, period), while others take into account the good intentions of a person who cheats, steals, or lies.  For example, this past weekend I watched a special on television about the infamous bank robber John Dillinger, a man with such charisma and supposed good intent (taking from the banks who were the real thieves in Dillinger’s mind) that he was viewed as a “Robin Hood” type persona!  As Dillinger and his gang ransacked banks across the country, some cities even brokered deals with him in a “see no evil, hear no evil” type of way (Minnesota is an example).  Yes, it’s almost impossible to predict how people will react to others with poor morals and judgement.

While none of us know how Armstrong responded to Oprah’s questions (we won’t know until the show airs Thursday), it will be interesting to see his level of genuineness, and if he really “gets it,” or if he is still delusional in thinking that somehow his 10+ years of rampant cheating was offset because he helped people with cancer.  If you buy what Armstrong is selling – and it’s your right to do so – just remember there are tens of thousands of prisoners in jails across the country today that would proudly tell you that their own bad decisions were justified because they had mouths to feed at home (or other important reasons).  My point is it’s a slippery slope when you begin to evaluate intent as it applies to cheating.

There’s a great moral dilemma psychologists often use when teaching students about the complexities of making sound moral decisions – it’s called the “Heinz dilemma” by Lawrence Kohlberg.  Would you steal a drug if you didn’t have the money but by stealing it you would save your spouse’s life?  That is, in essence, the main question pertaining to the Heinz dilemma.  In the case of Lance Armstrong, perhaps he will tell Oprah that he was precisely in that kind of position, leaving it up to you, the viewer, to decide if his actions were justified.

www.drstankovich.com

 

armstrong, cancer, cheat, drugs, lance, live, psychology, steroids, strong

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Latest Blog Posts

  • March 1, 2021 Important Team Building Success Tips for Coaches
  • February 16, 2021 Help Kids Overcome Pandemic Anxiety as they Head Back to School
  • February 10, 2021 Is Mark Cuban’s Remedy for National Anthem Protests the Right Move?
  • February 4, 2021 Former NFL Star Warns of Potential Problems Dealing with Sport Retirement
  • February 1, 2021 Lacking Social Interaction is Hitting Kids Hard through Pandemic

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

Quick Tips for Coaches to Minimize Coach Burnout

NEXT POST

What’s Happening to Our Sports Heroes?

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Coaching , Fan Behavior , Leadership , Leadership and Role Modeling , Life , Off Field Issues , Pro and College Sports , Social Responsibility , Social Responsibility , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Administrators , Sports Culture and Society , Sports Leadership , Sports Marketing , Sports Media , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Youth and Interscholastic Sports

Tags

armstrong, cancer, cheat, drugs, lance, live, psychology, steroids, strong

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Important Team Building Success Tips for Coaches
  • Help Kids Overcome Pandemic Anxiety as they Head Back to School
  • Is Mark Cuban's Remedy for National Anthem Protests the Right Move?
  • Former NFL Star Warns of Potential Problems Dealing with Sport Retirement
  • Lacking Social Interaction is Hitting Kids Hard through Pandemic
  • Parent Sports Pressure Can Leave Kids with Overwhelming Expectations
  • Overcome Adversity by Using this Important Mental Toughness Strategy
  • Challenges Endure for Student Athletes Managing Pandemic Stress & Related Concerns
  • Maximize the Strength of Your Team through Care, Concern, & Compassion
  • Lacking Social Interaction is Hitting Kids Hard through Pandemic
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2021 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓