The rudimentary argument for why chess isn’t in the Olympics is because it doesn’t require overt physical exertion. It is a mental sport, not a physical one.

So what? I want to watch chess.

The distinction of the body and mind, the physical and mental, originates with Rene Descartes’ formulation of Dualism in his book Meditations. He argues that the body and mind are separate substances, with different essential elements. The mind is non-spatial, and can initiate free choice, whereas the body is governed by the laws of nature.

However, his work has disseminated in a culture of bifurcation that has pervaded our society to the point of dogmatism. The need to compartmentalize as a means to comprehend ourselves is nothing new. Compartmentalization works as a defense mechanism in which people mentally separate conflicting thoughts, emotions, or experiences to avoid the discomfort of contradiction.

Is there anything wrong with contradiction? Some of the largest schools of thought are built on the basis of contradiction. When we compartmentalize, we sometimes suppress the mental turmoil that is intrinsic to the human experience. If you smoke, and you know that smoking is unhealthy, that’s a contradiction. But who cares? You only live once, smoke away.

Dualism affects us in unknowing ways. In the movie Rocky, Rocky says “My ol’ man, he was never too smart. He says to me, ‘You weren’t born with much of a brain, ya know, so uh, ya better start using your body, right?’ So I become a fighter.” He dogmatically bases his entire career on the premise of this principle.

Rocky could’ve been anything to his heart’s content. But instead, he let his distinction of the body and mind govern his actions. Given, he did become one of the greatest boxers of all-time, but still.

Would Rocky ever participate in Chess Boxing? Chess Boxing was invented to “combine the two disciplines -one demanding mentally, the other physically—into a merger sport that demands the most of its competitors.” But come on now, why is chess boxing even a thing? Because of an arbitrary distinction between the physical and mental that we as humans find ourselves dominated by? Just allow chess in the Olympics and stop this madness.

The preponderance of the dualism between the body and mind can breed mental health issues.

Depression, the most common mental disorder in the United States, can directly affect the immune system by suppressing T cell responses to viruses and bacteria. Or conversely where a compromised immune system can induce depression. By disclaiming this notion, you are therefore contributing to the stigma that surrounds mental health.

But Descartes does admit that the mind can affect the body, and vise-versa. His explanation of “the body-mind problem” was dualist interactionism, which suggests there is a point in the pineal gland in the base of the brain where body and mind interact. This answer did not satisfy subsequent philosophers, who came up with alternative theories.

Am I suggesting that we usher in a monism theory, such as physicalism, which substantiates the mind as matter? No. I am suggesting that because society conforms to the dualism approach, and because the mind does not exhibit an objective reality, we humans allot priority to “physical” concepts over “mental” ones.

And I am suggesting that we as humans allow our self-perceived infallibility to dominate our lives. It’s okay to be imperfect, to live with contradictions. Therefore, chess should be classified as an Olympic sport. A “mental” sport among “physical” ones is the type of contradiction that authentically characterizes the human experience.