Playing chess bad?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Glorificamuste
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Glorificamuste

Guest
Hi all,

I frequently play a chinese game of strategy called Go, sortof like chess. I have played over 1000 games online, but usually like 5 games a week or so. I am unable to determine if this is a beneficial ritual in my life. Is it ok to enjoy the thrill of victory in spite of another’s loss? Would Jesus support this habit?
 
Please get some spiritual guidance from your priest. It sounds like you may have some issues surrounding proper balance in your life, and also in how to properly form your conscience on matters.
 
Wow

I spoke with him earlier today, and was not able to ask him about chess…
 
If anything, playing Go is likely just as beneficial as playing chess: it helps with problem solving and it’s good for your hand-eye coordination.

The only harm I could see is playing it excessively, ie. hours and hours and hours and hours on end, to the detriment of your duties in life. But five games a week doesn’t sound excessive at all.
 
We all have our hobbies, I don’t see the harm as it seems like a game of wits and thus both participants realize one will either win or lose. As long as it is not interfering with your spiritual life then I see no harm in playing the game.
 
Nope and I say this as someone who suffers from rather… unfriendly crowd of gamers. So long as you enjoy the game and not be a jerk (same applies to your opponent), then you should be fine.
 
Glorificamuste said:
Hi all,

I frequently play a chinese game of strategy called Go, sortof like chess. I have played over 1000 games online, but usually like 5 games a week or so. I am unable to determine if this is a beneficial ritual in my life. Is it ok to enjoy the thrill of victory in spite of another’s loss? Would Jesus support this habit?
Click to expand...
5 games a week or so? that’s fine, and quite frankly a much healthier activity(for the mind) than what most spend their free time on.
i’ve played GO myself quite a bit, it’s my brothers favorite game, and it’s good recreation, so i would encourage it…but if you have to ask something like this, then i would agree with the others and recommend you speak with a priest, only because you seem a bit confused about what’s right or wrong.
 
Ok, I will ask him about it. However, maybe I can clarify my situation for you: When defeating an opponent; I sympathize with thier struggle. When I am defeated I feel deflated. I play because it is challenging and thrilling.
 
Glorificamuste said:
Ok, maybe i can clarify my situation: When defeating an opponent; I sympathize with thier anxiety. When I am defeated I feel deflated. I play because it is challenging and thrilling.
Click to expand...
Are you saying you’re a poor sport?
 
Glorificamuste said:
Ok, maybe i can clarify my situation: When defeating an opponent; I sympathize with thier anxiety. When i am defeated I feel deflated. I play because it is challenging and thrilling.
Click to expand...
Sounds like good ol’fashion competition. You’re not reveling in someone’s disappointment or rubbing it in, so I really can’t imagine why this would be a sin!
 
Glorificamuste said:
Ok, I will ask him about it. However, maybe I can clarify my situation for you: When defeating an opponent; I sympathize with thier struggle. When I am defeated I feel deflated. I play because it is challenging and thrilling.
Click to expand...
you really can’t always control your feelings, which also means that our feelings are not sins, although they may temp you to sin(such as pride or lust or anger, etc.)
it’s possible you’re giving these feelings to much attention, but i would simply recommend praying on it(asking God to show you what’s right in this regard and helping you through it).

i do have similar feelings when playing against someone in a game, but it depends on the person…if it’s someone who is very good at (whatever game), then i’m entirely competitive and i don’t really like to lose…although i’m not a sore loser, but when i play with someone who is not good, i feel bad for winning…
but i don’t let those things bother me, it’s just a game, people need to accept winning or losing no matter how good or bad they are at a game, if they become overly sad or overly proud…well then they have other issues which have nothing to do with board games…and that’s just something you really can’t help in others…although you can help it in yourself(if that’s the case…which it doesn’t seem to be).
 
Yes, thank you, I will pray about it. Does good ol’ fashioned competition align with the values of the church?
 
Surely, in a competition one individual’s success is the failure of his opponent.
 
Glorificamuste said:
Surely, in a competition one individual’s success is the failure of his opponent.
Click to expand...
OK, and so you think that you are “taking” something from someone by besting them in a competition?

You are, for example, “injuring” their pride?

Anyone is free to react to a defeat in any way they choose, and indeed, I’m sure that some do feel their pride hurt by being bested at something.

Perhaps it would help you to look at this from a different perspective:

When you outperform someone at a task, you are also teaching them how to get better at that task. Isn’t that nice?

If someone does become distraught at losing in a contest, it can be a growing experience. In life, things don’t always go our way. Sometimes, we learn to move on. After all, not everyone is talented at everything they try!

So if someone is particularly terrible at Go for example, then maybe their talents would best be served in a different type of game. Maybe by beating them you are persuading them to try a new hobby or game or experience that they would be better suited for?

Or perhaps, just perhaps, they could end up being the “Michael Jordan” of Go, and failure can drive their success! Did you know that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team? Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But it’s true! But he didn’t give up, he went ahead and became one of the greatest basketball players the world has ever seen! (much to my chagrin, as a Knicks fan!)

OK, so I know that example is over the top. There probably won’t ever end up being a “Michael Jordan” of Go. With that said, this story did teach me one lesson and that is, adversity is what we make of it. It is often thought of a foe, but it can be a great friend, as it was for MJ. In his words,

“I think that not making the Varsity team drove me to really work at my game, and also taught me that if you set goals, and work hard to achieve them—the hard work can pay off.”

If you want an example more close to home: I tried to make a career in marketing. I was a terrible failure at that! But you know what? I’m so thankful that I failed! Why? Because I found a career that, for my particular personality, is so much more rewarding! If I could do it all over again, I would be glad to fail at that once more!
 
Glorificamuste said:
Surely, in a competition one individual’s success is the failure of his opponent.
Click to expand...
failure is not a bad thing in the first place, even in the spiritual life, as long as you get back up and learn from your failures, they become good for you,
and in a simple game, which has no real importance, success or failure is all fair,

look at it this way, once someone consents to play a game, they have to accept winning or losing, if they don’t want to lose, they shouldn’t play, it’s that simple.
 
EmeraldWings said:
you really can’t always control your feelings, which also means that our feelings are not sins, although they may temp you to sin(such as pride or lust or anger, etc.)
it’s possible you’re giving these feelings to much attention, but i would simply recommend praying on it(asking God to show you what’s right in this regard and helping you through it).

i do have similar feelings when playing against someone in a game, but it depends on the person…if it’s someone who is very good at (whatever game), then i’m entirely competitive and i don’t really like to lose…although i’m not a sore loser, but when i play with someone who is not good, i feel bad for winning…
but i don’t let those things bother me, it’s just a game, people need to accept winning or losing no matter how good or bad they are at a game, if they become overly sad or overly proud…well then they have other issues which have nothing to do with board games…and that’s just something you really can’t help in others…although you can help it in yourself(if that’s the case…which it doesn’t seem to be).
Click to expand...
Thank you for the bit I’ve highlighted because you’ve helped me now to understand why I got told at my last confession my sins are not really sins. I didn’t understand and was too busy trying hard not to argue back as such an just tried hard to concentrate what the priest was saying to me but you have given the answer there.
 
Thank you for clarifying EmeraldWings,

So we can learn from our failures and know that competition can foster a teacher/student relationship that can strengthen and purify our communities. Overcoming is also teaching.

I wonder what fueled Michael Jordan’s desire to win?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top