Playing versus Winning

Playing Versus Winning

                Playing is a one kind of joy, winning is another kind. The problem is we identify joy exclusively with winning. I cannot escape the feeling that equating joy with winning reduces the scope of joy altogether. Playing becomes a chore, a job, not an expression of one’s talents, not a celebration of one’s athleticism. I do not want detract the joy and sense of fulfillment one gets from winning, but an exclusive concern with winning sucks the life out of games and sports.

                You may have a desire. Put it in your best effort to fulfill it. But make sure that you enjoy the effort rather than its fruits. There are those who make the effort grumbling and are happy only when desire is achieved. Others exhaust themselves making the effort so that they have no strength or enthusiasm left to enjoy the fruits of their labour. A third method seems superior. Enjoy the efforts no matter what the effect.

                I see nothing wrong with having a desire, even gods have desires, but if you are using fulfillment of desire as a condition for contentment, you may be reducing your chances of happiness altogether. For example, you decide that you will be happy only when you clear IAS exam you are preparing for. Now you are postponing the moment of your happiness to a point in the future. You will be happy only when you clear that exam.

                The third way celebrates the march towards the destination. If the destination reached, we will be happy. Even if it is not reached, nobody can take away the sense of thrill at having run the race, the delicious fatigue felt in the process. My happiness is derived not from reaching a goal, but from the struggle I wage as part of my attempt at reaching it.

                But don’t just listen to me and work yourself to death saying that is what I meant. Ensure that you will be working smart, not just hard. Set and evaluate your goals, estimate the quantum and quality of effort to be invested in attaining the goals. That is smart work, intelligent effort.

                Failure is the fact of life. In all competition contexts, as in sports, one side has to lose. I insist on the need to enjoy the effort rather than the joy of success because I do not want the losers to feel that they have nothing to feel happy about.