Famous Figures

His exuberant self-proclamation, his poetry, his public personality that treated boxing as theatre, and his documented capacity to energise everyone in his vicinity, reflect a Vitality orientation applied to athletic and public life simultaneously.

Ruth's documented physical exuberance - the eating, the drinking, the playing, the home runs that were events even before they landed - and his documented effect on baseball crowds as a source of joy that went beyond athletic achievement, reflect a Vitality orientation applied to sport.

O'Neal's documented commitment to making basketball fun - his documented goofing in practice, his DJ career, his film work, his consistent priority of entertainment over grim professionalism - reflect a Vitality orientation in which the joy of participation is a legitimate reason for doing anything.