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Why Are We Trying to Improve?

@DreamLearnBe

thank you if you read until the end and I would, as always, love to hear your thoughts. Let's start a conversation!

Thanks for the blog and the thoughtful insightful reasoning.

I have a crazy dream to write a book. A chess book.
(I have an outline and about 8000 words so far)
if I do actually finish this book

The book will be complete.

8000 words means it's too late to turn back! :0 ;)

This is the ultimate ego-trap: you identify with -actually embody and become - your rating. The struggle against your ego begins all over again.

Sometimes I wonder about playing chess.

Rationally, I believe that playing a beautiful game will give me more long-lasting joy than reaching a rating goal ever could.....but try telling my ego!

Brains certainly do require some work to get in line.

The best I think we can do is reach some sort of uneasy truce with our egos.

Meditation seems to be the answer.

@DreamLearnBe >thank you if you read until the end and I would, as always, love to hear your thoughts. Let's start a conversation! Thanks for the blog and the thoughtful insightful reasoning. >I have a crazy dream to write a book. A chess book. >(I have an outline and about 8000 words so far) >if I do actually finish this book The book will be complete. 8000 words means it's too late to turn back! :0 ;) > This is the ultimate ego-trap: you identify with -actually embody and become - your rating. The struggle against your ego begins all over again. Sometimes I wonder about playing chess. >Rationally, I believe that playing a beautiful game will give me more long-lasting joy than reaching a rating goal ever could.....but try telling my ego! Brains certainly do require some work to get in line. >The best I think we can do is reach some sort of uneasy truce with our egos. Meditation seems to be the answer.

@RuyLopez1000, thank you for the conversational reply. A great twist. I think you are right about meditation!

@RuyLopez1000, thank you for the conversational reply. A great twist. I think you are right about meditation!

I have two thoughts: could it be possible that younger players are better in chess because the training methods are developed for them? Or is it because the brain functions different and a better condition. Could psychedelics like mushrooms help to make the brain flexible again? Or is flexibility trainable?
2: I don't think meditation will help with the ego. Ego is a mindconstruct and trying to manage it strengthens the believe that it exists. Ofcourse people can find other things than they expected during meditation but I think the intention stays intact. I'm trying to compose music and recognise a lot of your dilemma's where I'm not sure of the answer either. What I try to do now is find out what I really want and why I want it so I will be less distracted by things I don't really care about like my rating or compliments for what I create if I'm really listening to what I feel. By the way, feel free to meditate, it's just a thougt ;).

I have two thoughts: could it be possible that younger players are better in chess because the training methods are developed for them? Or is it because the brain functions different and a better condition. Could psychedelics like mushrooms help to make the brain flexible again? Or is flexibility trainable? 2: I don't think meditation will help with the ego. Ego is a mindconstruct and trying to manage it strengthens the believe that it exists. Ofcourse people can find other things than they expected during meditation but I think the intention stays intact. I'm trying to compose music and recognise a lot of your dilemma's where I'm not sure of the answer either. What I try to do now is find out what I really want and why I want it so I will be less distracted by things I don't really care about like my rating or compliments for what I create if I'm really listening to what I feel. By the way, feel free to meditate, it's just a thougt ;).

i go to a lot of age category tournaments and it is definitely harder than open age category if you see strength vs rating vise comparison

i go to a lot of age category tournaments and it is definitely harder than open age category if you see strength vs rating vise comparison

The reason for children performing better is that they have abundant of time to play tournaments than adults improver but adults have one plus point their brain has already developed quite enough to handle pressure as well as grasping knowledge faster than children so I think both have some imbalances

The reason for children performing better is that they have abundant of time to play tournaments than adults improver but adults have one plus point their brain has already developed quite enough to handle pressure as well as grasping knowledge faster than children so I think both have some imbalances

I enjoying playing online chess in my spare time. When I would start to train hard and learn openings I would still win on average half of the games. Only I would play against higher rated players.

So what is the point to trade enjoying the game to work the game?

I enjoying playing online chess in my spare time. When I would start to train hard and learn openings I would still win on average half of the games. Only I would play against higher rated players. So what is the point to trade enjoying the game to work the game?

@diskursiv said ^

I enjoying playing online chess in my spare time. When I would start to train hard and learn openings I would still win on average half of the games. Only I would play against higher rated players.

So what is the point to trade enjoying the game to work the game?

I think this is a completely valid take, and probably dependent on where you derive your joy from playing chess. You could either 1) find joy in defeating an opponent and winning the game or 2) see your rating rise and find joy in "defeating" your old self. Both are good sources of fun, and not mutually exclusive, but depending on which side people lean on, they'll take different takes.

Tennis player Rafael Nadal says "El éxito no es la victoria, sino todo lo que has peleado por ganar", which roughly means "Success is not the victory, but everything you have fought to win.". For him, the more important part is getting better, than to actually win. Some people find it more worthwhile to go through painful workouts to be better, while some people enjoy playing light-hearted tennis with their friends -- both completely valid ways to live life!

@diskursiv said [^](/forum/redirect/post/C2x74mgH) > I enjoying playing online chess in my spare time. When I would start to train hard and learn openings I would still win on average half of the games. Only I would play against higher rated players. > > So what is the point to trade enjoying the game to work the game? I think this is a completely valid take, and probably dependent on where you derive your joy from playing chess. You could either 1) find joy in defeating an opponent and winning the game or 2) see your rating rise and find joy in "defeating" your old self. Both are good sources of fun, and not mutually exclusive, but depending on which side people lean on, they'll take different takes. Tennis player Rafael Nadal says "El éxito no es la victoria, sino todo lo que has peleado por ganar", which roughly means "Success is not the victory, but everything you have fought to win.". For him, the more important part is getting better, than to actually win. Some people find it more worthwhile to go through painful workouts to be better, while some people enjoy playing light-hearted tennis with their friends -- both completely valid ways to live life!

Interesting questions... sometimes I think that the striving to get better is the equivalent of doing it yourself for any kind of art. When we play, it might feel like we are doing it, but actually maybe we are simply enjoying it—more like looking at a painting. The doing is maybe more located in the studying, the getting better—that's the picking up of a brush.

I don't know if other people share this view...

Interesting questions... sometimes I think that the striving to get better is the equivalent of doing it yourself for any kind of art. When we play, it might feel like we are doing it, but actually maybe we are simply enjoying it—more like looking at a painting. The doing is maybe more located in the studying, the getting better—that's the picking up of a brush. I don't know if other people share this view...
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