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In 2010, DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win” became an anthem, echoing in arenas worldwide. You’ve probably already heard it this football season. We love victory songs, especially when they celebrate overcoming opponents. But our cultural sense of victory can ring shallow and violent—as in sports, where we talk about “crushing” competitors. Human victory songs—whether in stadiums or on battlefields—testify to domination and annihilation. There can only be one champion, and everyone else is a loser.
