Who Shook the Jar

Introduction

There is a story that is wrongfully attributed on the internet, that goes something like this:

If you put 100 black ants and 100 red ants in a jar, nothing will happen. But if you shake the jar, the ants will start killing each other. Red ants will believe black is the enemy while black ants will believe red is the enemy, but the real enemy is the person who shook the jar. The same is true in our society. Before we fight each other, we must ask ourselves: Who shook the jar?

Possibly nobody knows who said it first and, as is the norm with internet culture, a likeness is attached or a name inscribed and, just like that, some ordinary information starts to trend and becomes popular. And we find ourselves sharing this joke, picture, or quote on our social media channels and platforms. And overnight a meme is born.

Now it is said that once we realize that wars are won in the minds of men, we should make greater efforts for peace of mind. Think about how many feuds and conflicts we could avoid if we took a minute to say “Now before we fight each other…”. On a world level, stories of campaigns and confrontations are rampant. Rivalries and contests for survival and influence go as far back as the beginning of time. Who Shook the Jar is a story of the history and development of sport.

Did you ever think that modern day sport was shaped by a complex narrative of mysterious twists and turns?

At first, even though the word “sport” wasn’t yet invented, sport was used as a tool for survival. The prehistoric man had to run quickly and throw great distances to avoid getting too close and to protect himself from predators. Then, sport became a form of celebration and recreation with dancing activities and running games. Soon, there was a shift as sport and fitness trends were used to train soldiers in preparation for war. This was very quickly followed by Heads of Government using international Games as a way to unite countries and prevent wars. We realize here that there are moments in history when the black ants and the red ants co-existed, so, who really shook the jar?