As it manifests itself in the sporting life of today, this propensity may not appear to be an economic factor of grave consequence.

Taken simply by itself it does not count for a great deal in its direct effects on the industrial efficiency or the consumption of any given individual; but the prevalence and the growth of the type of human nature of which this propensity is a characteristic feature is a matter of some consequence.
It affects the economic life of the collectivity both as regards the rate of economic development and as regards the character of the results attained by the development.

For better or worse, the fact that the popular habits of thought are in any degree dominated by this type of character can not but greatly affect the scope, direction, standards, and ideals of the collective economic life, as well as the degree of adjustment of the collective life to the environment.
Something to a like effect is to be said of other traits that go to make up the barbarian character.

For the purposes of economic theory, these further barbarian traits may be taken as concomitant variations of that predaceous temper of which prowess is an expression.

In great measure they are not primarily of an economic character, nor do they have much direct economic bearing.