Complacency and Competition: The breaking of a hard and fast rule

Today's entry will deal with a chess quote, said by a very famous player, and how it relates to our real lives. Bobby Fischer, probably the most well known player even today, said a virtual shit ton of good things during his career, but today we'll concentrate on the following:

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"My opponents make good moves too. Sometimes I don't take these things into consideration."

Haven't we all been there, chess players or not? In the office, in the family circle, in crowds, on the freeways, in any sort of competition. It is very, very easy to get wrapped up in our own ideology, our own plans, and our own heads. Thus, we become blinded to what others are doing/will do/have done and the like and so on and so forth.

The boxer spreads out to deliver one hell of a haymaker, but he forgets that his opponent isn’t a slouch and can take advantage of this huge, if temporary, softening of the guard and strike a devastating blow of his own. The arguer forgets that the other side has a dog in the fight, too, and so refuses to listen and therefore, never solves the issue or comes to an agreement. The employee is dishonest or fucks off all day or commits some other work infraction, completely forgetting and/or ignoring that their boss is likely the boss for a very good reason. The hare completely forgets that the tortoise won't quit and is trying to win, no matter how handicapped he is for the battle at hand.

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Remember, as we go through life, other people, stupid as they may seem a lot of the time, actually live their own lives and feed themselves and have family issues and the occasional good and smart thought or idea. I think it's smart to keep this in mind because being caught by that haymaker is not only dangerous but wholly embarrassing. All the technique and training in the world can't stop a knock out if one isn't putting those techniques and training to use.

Complacency. It should be a swear word. Don't assume you're better than someone else and that by that merit alone you'll move forward. You must prove your worth, always fighting, always staying keen, and always keeping in mind that the other guy or gal wants to win as much as you do. I'm sure you've seen clips of the fighter who has his opponent dead to rights and takes a few seconds to peacock around the ring, eliciting roars from the crowd and making a good show of it. Problem is, the other guy sees that too and if the peacocking fighter isn't careful, wham! Down he goes.

Don't be that fighter. Be as disciplined as you can, don't blab your mouth to anyone who'll listen, be observant, collect data, and make good moves.  Because whether on the chess board or at the office or in a crowd, someone else wants to fucking get you and the only person who can stop that from happening is you.

Go out there and fuck some shit up. 


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