Defeat and Consolation

Each team eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will receive roughly US$9 million in prize money from FIFA. Teams reaching the Round of 32 will earn US$11 million, the Round of 16 US$15 million, the quarterfinals US$19 million, fourth place US$27 million, third place US$29 million, runners-up US$33 million, and the champions US$50 million.

So why do we see grown men on the football pitch in tears when they are forced to accept defeat and elimination? Clearly, they are not mourning the loss of prize money. Nor are they simply worried about losing their jobs, as around twenty World Cup players secured new contracts before the tournament even ended. They are striving for something far greater and more valuable than money, yet they fall short of attaining it.

From my perspective as a football fan, those tears are not merely the result of physical exhaustion after ninety relentless minutes on the pitch. They come from a deep sense of disappointment, knowing they must begin again from scratch over the next four years: preparing, rebuilding squads and coaching staff, qualifying once more, and repeating the entire journey. 

Illustration: An evening on the Cor Jesu's yard.

"Every Storm Passes"

People who follow indigenous belief systems often lead simple daily lives, and they apply the same outlook when facing defeat, loss, hardship, or misfortune. Followers of Siberian Indigenous Faith see such experiences as temporary rather than permanent, encouraging people to move beyond discomfort instead of remaining trapped within it.

The offerings they present while recovering from the shock of failure are meant to bring their awareness back to the present moment. They are not intended to persuade unseen spirits or mysterious forces to perform miracles that instantly reverse their circumstances. After all, human beings are not passive entities; they possess the freedom to shape and make use of the natural world.

For Siberian communities that have survived generations in a harsh environment, failure and adversity are integral to their spirituality. Returning home without meat or fish is not interpreted as nature's punishment, but as an ordinary possibility that can happen to anyone.

An excessive emotional reaction is not considered a solution, nor is making offerings while one's heart is unsettled. Spiritual confusion is believed to arise easily in such moments, so individuals are expected to resolve their inner turmoil before engaging in acts of worship. Ultimately, no one else can heal that inner wound for them.

Consolation is around the corner

In football, as in many other sports, the cure for the sadness of defeat is to rise, try again, and keep going until success comes. Of course, many athletes and footballers eventually accept their circumstances, retiring because age catches up with them before the achievements they dreamed of ever arrive. Yet many others move beyond disappointment and discover new opportunities they never expected.

Social media has opened entirely new careers for many legendary footballers from the 1990s and early 2000s. Ironically, rivals who once battled fiercely on the pitch often become close friends later in life, enjoying renewed popularity through podcasts where they laugh together at the youthful antics that once defined them. (dswas).

How to Put Out the Flames of Conflict

When two stones rub against each other, they can produce tiny sparks. In much the same way, a disagreement can grow into a major conflict when two stubborn people refuse to give ground. We don't have to look far to find examples. Situations like this are all around us, even as news from battlefields across the world streams to our phones around the clock.

With no clear end in sight to the global inflation crisis, many people have been left feeling defeated, as though they have lost the stability and comfort they once took for granted. At the same time, the shift from communal living toward a more individualistic way of life has left many facing their anxieties alone, an experience that is both deeply uncomfortable and emotionally draining.

In response, many seek relief by trying to win smaller, more manageable battles. It is not because they see themselves as warriors destined for victory, but because they hope that winning one conflict might somehow make up for losses suffered elsewhere, even when those situations have nothing to do with each other.

This is why even the smallest disagreements can be so difficult to extinguish. There always seem to be people nursing a sense of defeat who return to fan the embers of a fading conflict until it flares up once again. We may not be able to change people like this, but we can reduce the damage caused by their constant need to find victory in every circumstance.

Illustration: One afternoon in Singosari, Malang.

Letting Go of Personal Ambition Is Never Easy

Today, being part of a close-knit community is often seen as giving up personal freedom. Living together requires us to restrain many of our impulses in order to preserve balance, between ourselves and nature, within our own communities, and between different communities. Yet the one thing that should be freed is our ability to govern ourselves and work together, even without a central authority standing above everyone else.

Among followers of the Tuvan Indigenous Faith believers in Southern Siberia, happiness is not viewed as the pursuit of personal ambition. Instead, it is understood as the result of continually nurturing harmony and balance within the community. Ritual offerings made to trees, mountains, the sea, and animals are not merely acts of worship. They are a way of recognizing the humanity of the natural world, a tradition established by their ancestors to teach future generations to care for the environment with respect and responsibility.

Leaders within Tuvan communities step forward only when their guidance is needed. Unless they are asked to intervene, they tend to observe quietly rather than interfere. Excessive involvement discourages people from taking initiative and learning to make decisions that allow both the community and the surrounding environment to exist in harmony. A true leader does not seek wealth or public recognition, because hidden motives inevitably reveal themselves when the community they lead fails to achieve well-being and happiness.

Perfection Is Only a Myth

No matter who makes the claim, we should be skeptical of anything presented as perfect. Nothing in this world is perfect, whether we like it or not. An idea deserves to be called "right" only if it genuinely contributes to the well-being and happiness of society as a whole.

When we stop measuring ourselves against impossible standards of perfection, our sense of inadequacy begins to fade, even if we cannot yet confidently say that we are truly happy.

Conflicts, along with the small sparks that can ignite them, will eventually die out on their own when we no longer feel the need to prove to others that our arguments are the only ones that are right. (dswas)

How to Deal with Malicious Intent

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” This proverb can also be interpreted more freely: people with bad intentions often hide their true motives behind smiles, sweet words, praise, charm, and apparent kindness. They smile to your face while holding a dagger behind their back. This is not meant to frighten you, but it is always wise to stay aware and vigilant.

In today’s global, multidimensional crisis, many people try to soothe the pain of economic hardship by indulging in beauty that offers immediate sensory pleasure. That beauty is often artificial and does not always reflect reality. For example, we are usually more drawn to someone who speaks eloquently than to someone who is reserved, even if the latter is more genuine.

Most of us have experienced the bitter irony of being deceived by someone we considered close: a friend, a trusted colleague, or a confidant. As one of my friends once said, nothing compares to the pain of being stabbed in the back by someone you trusted. However, seeking revenge or wishing hell upon them does nothing to ease the disappointment. 

Illustration: Mulyoagung, Dau, Malang. 

Keeping the Mind Clean

Kendedes Swimming Pool in Singosari, Malang, is where my children practically grew up. One day I noticed a banner encouraging visitors to maintain cleanliness hanging near a shrine area on the western side of the complex, a place that is also a little-known historical site.

For followers of the Indigenous Siberian Faith, keeping the mind clean is just as important as maintaining personal hygiene and caring for the environment. In the harsh Siberian climate, survival depends on cooperation. If even one member harbors jealousy, resentment, anger, greed, or other destructive emotions, the entire community may suffer.

Because mental cleanliness is a personal responsibility, believers are expected to remain aware of their own emotional state. The first signs of malicious intent are seen as evidence that the soul is weakening. When such thoughts arise, they symbolically sacrifice a small offering by putting it into a fire.

The offering represents negative emotions, which are destroyed before they have the chance to grow into harmful intentions. Siberian Indigenous Faith children are taught to eliminate unkind thoughts as early as possible because recurring malicious intent is regarded as a sign of a spiritually unhealthy mind.

Malicious Intent Is 'Normal'

Every human being has experienced malicious thoughts at some point, myself included. Sometimes they are trivial, such as planning to arrive late for school or work, or pretending to forget to return a borrowed book we enjoyed.

Not everyone is strong enough to face today's global challenges with patience and perseverance. Some choose shortcuts to achieve their ambitions because they no longer believe that their community can help ease their suffering.

So we should not be overly shocked when we discover a friend's bad intentions. Such behavior reflects an imbalance within that person. Ultimately, only they can correct it by changing those negative tendencies before they become self-destructive.

My advice is simple: wasting time nursing resentment over people like this serves no purpose. We each have only twenty-four hours in a day. (dswas).