Why Do We Play Baduk?

To be fair, the article is about the underlying reasons that we play Games. Go doesn’t get much coverage here. It is the mechanism by which you make a completely different point: that humans are moved by stories and that we are social creatures. I agree that Seth Godin is an interesting man :nerd_face:.

I play Go because I love puzzles. I shy away from the competitive elements as much as I can. However, I do love the social aspect of studying Go with other players. I find study games to be fun and educational. I absolutely love learning and there is so much to learn about in the wide world of Go.

Whether you track players like athletes, follow the major tournaments, throw yourself into theory, learn a new subset of language (go terms in various tongues), read Go literature, study the authors behind Go literature and their journeys (I’m a big fan of John Tromp and Robert Jasiek), memorize patterns, geek out trying to become an armchair general of Go strategies and tactics, collect Go equipment, take joy in introducing as many people as you can to the hobby, find analyzing endless variations akin to playing solitaire while relaxing in a personal sanctuary, as a way to test yourself, as a way to grow, as a fun conduit for drawing parallels between lessons that Go teaches us that are also equally relevant or reflective of living life, etc…

The list can go on and on and on, because Go is truly a deep and rewarding hobby. Much like book nerds and reading, you’ll find no end of Go enthusiasts talking poetically about their beloved hobby and the opportunities that it presents them and others. Go has expanded my mind, brought me joy, taught me lessons, shown me ugly and beautiful parts of myself, helped me make friends, given me a community, helped me travel the entire spectrum of human emotion, and given me a way to quickly leave an angry mindset, because I find the exercise of playing to calm my soul. Go is a blessing and I am eternally grateful to have found it :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

12 Likes