As we approach the 10th day of the 2016 Rio Olympics, history has been made over and over again, records have been shattered, and team USA is leading in medal count. Interestingly, one Olympic truth that has been proved true each four years has resurfaced.
The silver medal. The second best athlete in their respective field in the world. Many times, the silver medal winner is just milliseconds or points away from gold. During medal ceremonies, the silver medal winner stands at --almost-- the same height as that of the bronze medal winner, but significantly lower than the gold medal winner.
While qualifying for the Olympics is an international honor, many silver medalists are reportedly unsatisfied with their performances. In fact, a widely cited study conducted at the 1992 Olympics which observed both silver and bronze medalists directly after their events and on the medal stand, showed that bronze medalists tend to be happier than silver medalists. This study attributes this phenomena to the “what might have been” mentality. In other words, while bronze medalists feel honored to have even made it to the medal stand, silver medalists are consumed with the feeling that they could have won gold.
But why is second place so unsatisfactory? Why is the silver medal is the middle child on the Olympic podium? Shouldn’t satisfaction in accomplishment follow the linear line of placement? 
A recent article published by NPR examined the importance of a bronze medal. Silver and gold are metals that can be found in the ground, while bronze is man-made and is a stronger alloy of two weaker metals. This is important because it represents what the bronze medalist stands for. If this athlete would have placed even one position lower than they did, their name would be unknown. The bronze medalist fought for just a spot, even if it is the lowest.
In this case, less may be more. This counterfactual thinking, or “what could have been” mentality, is also prevalent in our daily lives, even if we can’t vault like Simone Biles or swim like Michael Phelps. While we are sometimes disappointed in what we didn’t accomplish compared to what we could have, maybe a lesson can be taken from these bronze medalists. Thinking about what we have done, compared to what we could have skimped out on, could lead to greater satisfaction in our accomplishments.
This lifestyle compares to that of a ‘glass half full’ mentality. We can beat ourselves up for things that we cannot change, or we can pat ourselves on the back for what we have accomplished. We can reward ourselves for things that we’ve done that only months ago we couldn’t do. Just as these bronze medalists are proud to even bring home a medal for their country, we can smile about the ways that we have positively represented ourselves to our peers, superiors, and our communities. Be a bronze medalist.
