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25-05-2001 Can You Take Losing?
Why do you play a game where it's so easy to lose? Magic is called a
social game where we get together as a community of players, but most
of our decks are made for duels; where the other guy is left in the
dust. To continue playing again and again, you must have a special
strength. You must be able to lose well.
What Makes A Good Loser?
Magic is full of decks that have blinding speed, special combos, and
creatures that kick ass all over. Any beginner who played an
experienced player can certainly give you horror stories. I have given
quite a few people some bad days. I regret those days...
Those who can't take these experiences either give up or decide to become
better. Very nasty people call the lower-level players all sorts of
derogatory names. I call this attitude a prime example of bad
sportsmanship.
I truly resent the hypocrites. The players who smirk about their
degenerate decks that totally overwhelm the other person. They always
try to hide the smirk, but you can see it in their eyes. This person
is a real loser. This person has lost sight of the game indeed.
A good loser is special. He or she analyses what went wrong with
their decks or playing style. They ask many questions. Learning
is a characteristic of advanced life forms. Those who survived
did so from experience.
A good loser goes through many changes. They add to their outlook on
the game. They keep their emotional control while struggling to win.
I admire the person who keeps coming back for more punishment. I see
the great player starting to form like the caterpillar becoming the
butterfly. Struggle creates beauty beyond the obvious.
Hard To Get A Grasp
How do you tell a "good" loser from a "bad" one? Most folks will say
that a bad one doesn't lose graciously. They don't shake hands after
the match. Loss of temperament is a bad sign. Can it be helped?
It's hard to grasp a profile outlining a progressive loser from a
non-evolving loser. Notice my careful labeling -- progressive or
non-evolved. Change is the key. The loser who does his / her best
to make the situation better is the preferred choice.
Sometimes The Movie Is Better Than Reality
Are you a movie watcher? Have you seen the Rocky series or the Karate
Kid series? Both sets star losers. Rocky Balboa was a terrible boxer;
a nobody indeed. Someone you'd never notice at all. Daniel, the kid
who would learn karate, was not a heroic person at all. Just someone
trying to get along. Being small is the beginning of something big.
Chance or Divine Intervention grants everyone opportunities to bring
out the greatness inside. Rocky gained the chance to fight the
Heavyweight Champion. Mr. Miyagi, Daniel's karate guru, just
happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Now in reality, how many times does a loser get special help;
a catalyst to spark them, at just the right time? All day long
to tell the truth. Nobody would go to these movies repeatedly
unless they or somebody they knew had such a life-altering
experience. We watch videos of folks surviving hardship almost
every day. Truth comes in many forms. Can you look at the truth?
Personal Testimony
I have a fairly good reputation as a Magic player. Quite a few
players like my style as a winner or loser. I became a winner
because I deliberately chose to be a LOSER FIRST. Honestly...
Although this isn't a religious article, I must quote one of
Jesus Christ's teachings. "The one who would be first must be
last. The greatest among you must first be servant to the rest."
Read this again, okay? I assume you can trust the words of a God.
My parents were informed during my childhood years that I had true
genius intelligence. The testing was pretty thorough. Everybody
wanted me to excel at everything. Which I could have if I wanted
to be an idiot in reality. Brains do not make better people...
My folks and teachers attempted to place me in several advanced
placement programs. etc. etc. I deliberately sabotaged them every
chance I could. Why would someone throw away advantages? I saw the
people in those programs. They were very proud of themselves. Very
gifted and accomplished. Once they were marked as special, they did
all they could to keep the recognition, awards, and advantages
coming. It's a vicious cycle that goes on and on...
A genius in truth is someone who has vision about a subject to their
liking. Musicians or painters live to hear notes play or see colours
intertwine. The vision inside is a true part of them. They see the
vision much better than the average person. This is the only real
difference. This rule applies to everybody's talents.
I realised this early on and decided to learn about what really
interested me. The development of everyone's abilities. That's my
vision - to clearly recognise and develop anyone's talents including
my own. A more positive cycle. The one everybody gets to enjoy...
Applying Genius To Losing
No one plays Magic non-professionally just to win. We play for
the RECOGNITION from our peers. Why else do we write articles?
Just to spread the word about the latest broken cards? I think not.
Every LOSER is in truth a WINNER. When you look up in the sky, you
see the stars because there's a black sky allowing the shining stars
to be unique. If the sky was illuminated, how would the stars be
seen as special? Those losers make stars special. They're the sky!
So in some ways I am a star. I shine forth because of those around me
who don't write. I was given a chance to be a voice for all those kept
silent. Many good players I know who can stare down anyone across the
table during a match are afraid to write one single page to be seen
around the world.
I deliberately in my last article let Crystal Vein be in a 7th Edition
deck listing. It belongs in 6th Edition. So many readers wrote me
about my mistake in one hour compared to nice commentary I usually
receive in a week. It was a staggering realisation to me.
PEOPLE KEEP SILENT ABOUT THE POSITIVE BUT WILL POUR OUT THEIR HEARTS
ABOUT THE NEGATIVE. That is twisted indeed... My intelligence spoke
out to my consciousness simply to say -- WAKE UP OUT THERE. Write
something meaningful. Use that Common Sense you're so proud of as
your banner. Help someone out there today.
The Wrap Up
I always implore the readers to give me feedback and I have gotten
some great letters in the last few days. Thank you all. Really.
I love my readers! The major consensus is that I write more about
Type 2 decks. Australians and New Zealanders don't do much Type 1
stuff. So I will start a slant towards 2 now. But I will keep
Type 1 ideas for anyone interested.
One thing I'll rant about. Two sentence letters. Someone wrote one
saying that I don't create good decks and that I have a lot to learn.
This person didn't include any examples of my supposed flaws or his
own improvements. Please, my critics, actually take the time to
write a true letter! I take the time to write, spell-check, and
edit my words before my editor looks it over. So far so good...
A TRUE LOSER IS SOMEONE THAT DOES NOT PARTICIPATE AT ALL. THEY JUST
TALK TRASH. I cannot tolerate such a person for long. Forgive me.
Guess that's all folks. See you next time. Write please.
Sincerely, Kahana... |
