I wouldn't want my son to go through all this, if he didn't want to do this a onehundred percent. This affords a one hundred percent of commitment.
I agree 100%. I wasn't advocating the system as what I would want to happen.
I do think, in China parents want it, because of the potential fame and wealth.
But that doesn't mean it is good for anyone as a human being. It is just why nobody can really compete with China.
I was talking with a friend yesterday and I was telling him he was a better player than I am. He referred to all these things I did better than he did. I said, "I look good in practice and I am happy with that. But you want to win more and you play to win."
We played a best of 5. He won 3-0. In all three games I was up by at least 2 or 3 when I had 8 points. But he pulled out all three games.
I said, "see. And you see how, when you lose a point you get really mad. And when I lose a point I don't. If I mess up, I might yell for second. But then it's forgotten."
He said: "But you don't go home and lose sleep over loses, do you!" And I said, "exactly!"
There is a price, even for this friend, who can't stand losing, that goes with competitive play. I am happy just playing because I love to. I don't do it for some other reason.
Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia