DISQUS

DISQUS Hello! dmiessler.com | grep understanding is using DISQUS, a powerful comment system, to manage its comments. Learn more.

Community Page

dmiessler.com | grep understanding

dmiessler.com/about/
Jump to original thread »
Author

Student vs. Competitor

Started by Daniel Miessler · 7 months ago

I realized something about myself tonight that’s worth noting.

It seems that when I approach a skill (say Table Tennis) I focus so much on being a student of the discipline that I almost ignore the element of competition altogether. That may not sound bad, but it is.
Essent ... Continue reading »

3 comments

  • Dave

    3 years ago

    I would argue that you are focusing on what is most important. You're understanding of the task. I commend your integrity. By the way, fuck winners, they just make the losers feel like shit so they can feel good for a second, all the while doing something that matters to nobody.
    reply
  • Daniel Miessler

    3 years ago

    Ah, but some people (my friend included) do both. They learn the techniques, but do so in a focused manner designed for results.

    This makes sense to me. If I like to compete, then shouldn't I like to win also? It's like I'm not even playing with another person when I compete. I treat them like they're a wall and I'm trying to get good enough to go through it.

    If I were to pay attention to the fact that it's a person over there, and that they have weaknesses, I'd be able to capitalize and win a lot more matches. Again, I don't want to focus *too* much on winning -- but perhaps more than I do.

    Oh, the other place I noticed this was in Warcraft III. I was invited to get on a team and play against others. My response was, "no." I don't want to focus on how to win. I had a tactic I liked to do -- making certain units and using a certain combination in a certain way.

    My measure of success was how well I pulled off that tactic. If I win then great, but I sort of refused to do something different even if it would give me a much greater chance of winning. It's really weird.

    Anyway, thanks for the comment. I'm glad someone appreciates my warped approach to things. :)
    reply
  • Dave

    3 years ago

    I think the two are different parts of the equation though. There's mastering the skill and then mastering the game. Many people win the game but never master the skill. That's almost always due to them competing against other non-skilled people. They end up being the most skilled of the un-skilled.

    I think focusing on the skill shows dedication, and once you master the skill, the game becomes trivial. Just like computing and everything else.
    reply

Add New Comment

Returning? Login