I have come to the realization that as much as I like winning, I like being unpredictable even better. And perhaps that’s because I’ve never really been a winner before (much to the chagrin of Charlie Sheen). I mean, I’ve experienced it but not consistently enough… maybe I’m just not in win-or-lose situations often enough.
I used to play chess when I was young. I don’t remember how serious I was back then; I probably learned enough to know how to play but not enough to know all the strategies that more serious chess players employ. So when my new chess partner pointed out a couple of strategies of beginning moves, I instinctively railed against them. I thought how boring if we each knew exactly what move we needed to make in response to our opponent’s move. As I played more, I realized how much I loved making a move that completely perplexed the other player. Since chess is such a mental game, it’s easy to make a move with no serious intentions behind it but that causes deep concern in my opponent. And that to me is the fun of playing chess. But maybe that’s because I’m not expecting to win, so why not at least make it challenging?
Since then, I’ve been contemplating whether or not unpredictability is a necessary component of success. Or if it’s a downfall when it comes to playing games, sports, etc. My partners in jiu jitsu have told me that when I make unexpected moves, it throws them off guard. The same is true in tennis. But obviously, I’m not good enough yet to take advantage of those weakened moments. I suppose I’ve got to learn the games fully and get really good at them before I can successfully throw in wild moves, so then I can use both strategy and unpredictability. But I hope to not lose my unpredictabe-ness in the process of getting good at something.
“Once you become predictable, no one’s interested anymore. ” — Chet Atkins
