Post about EGO from CGP
(My response to the typical "higher rated players don't have a life, they don't have fun" comment)
"P.S. Does anyone playing in division 1 look like they're having fun? How often do you see a smile or hear laughter? "
DISCLAIMER part-satire part-serious generalization commentary below:
The statement above is a defense mechanism designed to protect the ego... same with "I don't study because I have a life." Yea, spending a week playing Scrabble away from your loved ones constitutes having a life but studying at home with the presense of your loved ones means you don't have a life. Spending hours on end playing ISC means you have a life as long as you don't spend any time studying. Scrabble is mostly a high ego game, regardless of division. High ego does not mean "mean spirited" or heartless. The egos at the lower divisions are just as big as the highest division. You can see it in the CGP posts.
The pure joy I get from crushing my opponents doesn't require smiling or laughing, just sLAUGHtering. It is not about money, it is about dominating my fellow human. Then bragging to my friends and relatives so I can find a niche in our status-driven society, where we are culturally taught we must be good at something, or be rich, good looking, etc., to justify our existance. The "Personality Ethic" at its finest.
Even Nigel showed some ego last year... after the ceremony Sam K made a statement about regions of the country doing better than another region. I made one of my semi-serious and airheaded sounding comments, designed to get a response, and said "it must be the time zone difference" because Nigel was sitting near us. He perked up immediatly, made a "harumph" sound and exclaimed "That is feeble! My time zone is much farther away than yours!" with distain in his voice. The Zen Master fell into my trap.
"P.S. Does anyone playing in division 1 look like they're having fun? How often do you see a smile or hear laughter? "
DISCLAIMER part-satire part-serious generalization commentary below:
The statement above is a defense mechanism designed to protect the ego... same with "I don't study because I have a life." Yea, spending a week playing Scrabble away from your loved ones constitutes having a life but studying at home with the presense of your loved ones means you don't have a life. Spending hours on end playing ISC means you have a life as long as you don't spend any time studying. Scrabble is mostly a high ego game, regardless of division. High ego does not mean "mean spirited" or heartless. The egos at the lower divisions are just as big as the highest division. You can see it in the CGP posts.
The pure joy I get from crushing my opponents doesn't require smiling or laughing, just sLAUGHtering. It is not about money, it is about dominating my fellow human. Then bragging to my friends and relatives so I can find a niche in our status-driven society, where we are culturally taught we must be good at something, or be rich, good looking, etc., to justify our existance. The "Personality Ethic" at its finest.
Even Nigel showed some ego last year... after the ceremony Sam K made a statement about regions of the country doing better than another region. I made one of my semi-serious and airheaded sounding comments, designed to get a response, and said "it must be the time zone difference" because Nigel was sitting near us. He perked up immediatly, made a "harumph" sound and exclaimed "That is feeble! My time zone is much farther away than yours!" with distain in his voice. The Zen Master fell into my trap.