Althoughitisnotobsoleteintheaverageofthem，oreveninanyappreciablenumberofindividuals，yetthepredilectionforsportsinthecommonplaceindustrialclassesisofthenatureofareminiscence，moreorlessdivertingasanoccasionalinterest，ratherthanavitalandpermanentinterestthatcountsasadominantfactorinshapingtheorganiccomplexofhabitsofthoughtintowhichitenters。
Asitmanifestsitselfinthesportinglifeoftoday，thispropensitymaynotappeartobeaneconomicfactorofgraveconsequence。Takensimplybyitselfitdoesnotcountforagreatdealinitsdirecteffectsontheindustrialefficiencyortheconsumptionofanygivenindividual；buttheprevalenceandthegrowthofthetypeofhumannatureofwhichthispropensityisacharacteristicfeatureisamatterofsomeconsequence。Itaffectstheeconomiclifeofthecollectivitybothasregardstherateofeconomicdevelopmentandasregardsthecharacteroftheresultsattainedbythedevelopment。Forbetterorworse，thefactthatthepopularhabitsofthoughtareinanydegreedominatedbythistypeofcharactercannotbutgreatlyaffectthescope，direction，standards，andidealsofthecollectiveeconomiclife，aswellasthedegreeofadjustmentofthecollectivelifetotheenvironment。
Somethingtoalikeeffectistobesaidofothertraitsthatgotomakeupthebarbariancharacter。Forthepurposesofeconomictheory，thesefurtherbarbariantraitsmaybetakenasconcomitantvariationsofthatpredaceoustemperofwhichprowessisanexpression。Ingreatmeasuretheyarenotprimarilyofaneconomiccharacter，nordotheyhavemuchdirecteconomicbearing。Theyservetoindicatethestageofeconomicevolutiontowhichtheindividualpossessedofthemisadapted。Theyareofimportance，therefore，asextraneoustestsofthedegreeofadaptationofthecharacterinwhichtheyarecomprisedtotheeconomicexigenciesoftoday，buttheyarealsotosomeextentimportantasbeingaptitudeswhichthemselvesgotoincreaseordiminishtheeconomicserviceabilityoftheindividual。
Asitfindsexpressioninthelifeofthebarbarian，prowessmanifestsitselfintwomaindirections——forceandfraud。Invaryingdegreesthesetwoformsofexpressionaresimilarlypresentinmodernwarfare，inthepecuniaryoccupations，andinsportsandgames。Bothlinesofaptitudesarecultivatedandstrengthenedbythelifeofsportaswellasbythemoreseriousformsofemulativelife。Strategyorcunningisanelementinvariablypresentingames，asalsoinwarlikepursuitsandinthechase。Inalloftheseemploymentsstrategytendstodevelopintofinesseandchicanery。Chicanery，falsehood，browbeating，holdawell-securedplaceinthemethodofprocedureofanyathleticcontestandingamesgenerally。Thehabitualemploymentofanumpire，andtheminutetechnicalregulationsgoverningthelimitsanddetailsofpermissiblefraudandstrategicadvantage，sufficientlyattestthefactthatfraudulentpracticesandattemptstooverreachone’sopponentsarenotadventitiousfeaturesofthegame。Inthenatureofthecasehabituationtosportsshouldconducetoafullerdevelopmentoftheaptitudeforfraud；andtheprevalenceinthecommunityofthatpredatorytemperamentwhichinclinesmentosportsconnotesaprevalenceofsharppracticeandcallousdisregardoftheinterestsofothers，inDividuallyandcollectively。Resorttofraud，inanyguiseandunderanylegitimationoflaworcustom，isanexpressionofanarrowlyself-regardinghabitofmind。Itisneedlesstodwellatanylengthontheeconomicvalueofthisfeatureofthesportingcharacter。
InthisconnectionitistobenoteDthatthemostobviouscharacteristicofthephysiognomyaffectedbyathleticandothersportingmenisthatofanextremeastuteness。ThegiftsandexploitsofUlyssesarescarcelysecondtothoseofAchilles，eitherintheirsubstantialfurtheranceofthegameorinthe閏latwhichtheygivetheastutesportingmanamonghisassociates。Thepantomimeofastutenessiscommonlythefirststepinthatassimilationtotheprofessionalsportingmanwhichayouthundergoesaftermatriculationinanyreputableschool，ofthesecondaryorthehighereducation，asthecasemaybe。Andthephysiognomyofastuteness，asadecorativefeature，neverceasestoreceivethethoughtfulattentionofmenwhoseseriousinterestliesinathleticgames，races，orothercontestsofasimilaremulativenature。Asafurtherindicationoftheirspiritualkinship，itmaybepointedoutthatthemembersofthelowerdelinquentclassusuallyshowthisphysiognomyofastutenessinamarkeddegree，andthattheyverycommonlyshowthesamehistrionicexaggerationofitthatisoftenseenintheyoungcandidateforathletichonors。This，bytheway，isthemostlegiblemarkofwhatisvulgarlycalled“toughness“inyouthfulaspirantsforabadname。