Tango obsession/addiction

[Be Present]

I have noticed that Tango seems to attract people where it can become a lifestyle. It can at any given time be taking up a lot of mental real estate.

Tango has the ability to become a real obsession/addiction. It also has a tendency to attract people who already have perfectionistic and obsessive type personalities.

Just curious as to how much time people spend on tango in an average week? Are all of your youtube videos on tango? Has it ever caused problems in your relationships?

Does anyone feel uncomfortable with It? How hard would it be to give it up, even for a few months?

Just curious

 

[ArbeeNYC]

I have noticed that Tango seems to attract people where it can become a lifestyle. It can at any given time be taking up a lot of mental real estate.

Tango has the ability to become a real obsession/addiction. It also has a tendency to attract people who already have perfectionistic and obsessive type personalities.

Just curious as to how much time people spend on tango in an average week? Are all of your youtube videos on tango? Has it ever caused problems in your relationships?

Does anyone feel uncomfortable with It? How hard would it be to give it up, even for a few months?

Just curious

Yeah, that's what lots of people say. I'm not sure it's addictive but it is somewhat habit forming. Time? I don't really know. Two or three milongas a week. I used to spend more time in the beginning (first five years) because I went to classes and practicas, but not many milongas. Also read a lot. Watched videos. Practiced at home. Yes, most of my YouTube videos are about tango. And that's a lot of videos.

 

[Brummbaer]

Just curious as to how much time people spend on tango in an average week?

Milongas/week - usually one. Sometimes 2-3. Exceptionally 5.

Also, maybe, part of an evening or more for practice.

Videos - I have a searchable database of them for reference.

Addictive? No. I have other roles to play. Sometimes higher priority. If travelling, we may find an accessible milonga, but sometimes not. Always have shoes for some catch-up. Not thought yet about giving up, but sometimes need to step back when illness, or other interrupts, occur.

 

[Be Present]

Have you seen this??

This is EXACTLY what i am talking about . How many people relate to this??

I was trying to think of Tango names for my puppy . Luckily i did not name her ocho.

 

[Bailango]

I have noticed that Tango seems to attract people where it can become a lifestyle. It can at any given time be taking up a lot of mental real estate.

Tango has the ability to become a real obsession/addiction. It also has a tendency to attract people who already have perfectionistic and obsessive type personalities.

Just curious as to how much time people spend on tango in an average week? Are all of your youtube videos on tango? Has it ever caused problems in your relationships?

Does anyone feel uncomfortable with It? How hard would it be to give it up, even for a few months?

Just curious

I am a near perfectionist.

Over a long time my only tango activity outside of the milongas is posting here. I average about half a dozen classes/workshops a year for the past 8 or 9 years. I think in all these years I have been to less than half a dozen festivals of any type.

There have been multiple stretches when I haven’t danced for a few months. In the stretches when I am dancing a lot, I average between one to two milongas a week.

I have danced in many different cities and towns as a visitor in mainland Europe, Asia and North America.

Almost no tango videos in my YouTube activity.

 

[TTanguero]

My obsessive phase was very early, when I peaked at 11 events in one week (milongas, classes, workshops) and probably averaged 5-7.

These days, I'm very relaxed about it. Typically one milonga a week and half a dozen festivals per year ... but, er, also a month or so in Buenos Aires ...

 

[opendoor]

...Tango ...can become a lifestyle..

Absolutely, I went through that phase of life. I was out every evening. Everything changed and was tailored to the tango: the furnishings of my apartment, my clothing style, my music system, my vacation destinations, my music instruments, my literature.

It can ..be taking up a lot of mental real estate.

Otherway round, you get so much mental capacities for free. The volume of my balance center has definitely doubled, not to mention the music tracks I have learned in my cortex. And I had neglected the cerebellum all my life before, but through tango it began to flourish.

Tango has the ability...to attract people who already have perfectionistic and obsessive type personalities.

I for once, I can agree with you on this point. My peer group confirms that I was manically driven, stubborn and ambitious for over 13 years.

..Just curious as to how much time people spend on tango in an average week?

Back then, physically 5-6 hours daily, but felt permanently.

Are all of your youtube videos on tango?

No, on salsa and lindy hop.

Has it ever caused problems in your relationships?

Never, because I found all of my relationships in my community.

How hard would it be to give it up..

Terribly hard. A torn cruciate ligament put an end to my career in 2013. Wrong medical decisions and four surgeries changed everything. My purpose in life fell away. But I didn't break with tango. I continued to attend milongas. In 2018 I danced for the first time again. The first vals followed in 2022. I have fought my way back to 5 tandas every other week in 2023. This year I attended my first marathon again: 5 tandas every day! Nowadays I dance more Lindy than Tango, because Lindy is not as harmful for the knees as Tango.

 

[opendoor]

..I have danced.. in mainland Europe..

Why did not you call me?

 

[Bailango]

Why did not you call me?

I did, you were busy dancing than answering the phone

P.S. It was all before Covid put an end to my traveling days.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Absolutely, I went through that phase of life. I was out every evening. Everything changed and was tailored to the tango: the furnishings of my apartment, my clothing style, my music system, my vacation destinations, my music instruments, my literature.

Well, that is somewhat extreme.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Tango has the ability to become a real obsession/addiction. It also has a tendency to attract people who already have perfectionistic and obsessive type personalities.

Maybe you're overlooking one of the key elements of the dance--that it acts as an emotional restorative for many people. We often discuss the negatives but the positive benefits can be significant. The ability to wash away life's worries during a tanda is iimportant. It's why so many people stick with it.

 

[Rabbit]

Tango has the ability to become a real obsession/addiction. It also has a tendency to attract people who already have perfectionistic and obsessive type personalities.

This seems to be true of most other dances too

Just curious as to how much time people spend on tango in an average week? Are all of your youtube videos on tango? Has it ever caused problems in your relationships?

I dance 4-5 times a week, watch nothing, but think about theoretical concepts sometimes especially since the reset

Does anyone feel uncomfortable with It? How hard would it be to give it up, even for a few months?

I'd probably find some other addictive activity, honestly this one is probably one of the less unhealthy options

 

[opendoor]

Well, that is somewhat extreme.

But it was the right thing to do, I think in retrospect. I only had a limited time window. I made the most of it. I still draw on the knowledge and experience I gained back then.

 

[Gssh]

Tango has the ability to become a real obsession/addiction. It also has a tendency to attract people who already have perfectionistic and obsessive type personalities.

Does anyone feel uncomfortable with It?

I think it depends on the way people manage their obsessions - though i think that in the grand scheme of things Tango is one of the more benign and sustainable hobbies to get obsessive about. It seems to have fewer people disconnecting from standard society than ocean related hobbies do - the people i have met who are into yachting and surfing are really into it. A friend of mine is really into dog sports, and having several dogs, training them and going to competitions takes up a huge amount of her life. Tango is also quite cheap compared to a lot of other hobbies. Obsessive people will obsess, and i don't think tango is more or less likely to attract obsessive people than any other hobby - actually when thinking about people obsessing over their hobby the first person that comes to my mind is somebody who crochets - google "temperature blanket" and "crocheting injuries" to get an idea what serious crocheters get up to.

 

[daisy_r]

Yeah, I think it can get to the point of being addictive.

It's a safer and healthier addiction than many others, because it gets us out of the house doing something physical and social, but it can also act as an escape.

But if you're using tango as an escape, is tango really the problem? Ot is it a sign that there is something missing from other areas of your life?

I think like any other activity, it depends on how you use it, what you're getting from it, whether you're able to balance it in a healthy way.