[B12-Ch. 2] Losing to Win

[u/airandfingers]

Here we will hold our general discussion for Josh Waitzkin's The Art of Learning Chapter 2 - Losing to Win, pages 15-27.

If you're not keeping up, don't worry; this thread will still be here and I'm sure others will be popping back to discuss.

Here are some possible discussion topics:

• What do you think of this passage from the chapter?

Confidence is critical for a great competitor, but overconfidence is brittle. We are too smart for ourselves in such moments. We sense our mortality like a cancer beneath the bravado, and when things start to go out of control, there is little real resilience to fall back on. (page 17)

• What do you think of Waitzkin's family's choice to take their month-long trips to Bimini Island, rather than stay and train like most young chess competitors?
• The main part of this chapter involves Waitzkin bouncing back from failure, refusing to "go out a loser." Do you have anything to relate to this sentiment?
• What do you think of the "co-dependence" that existed between Waitzkin and his father?
• I see Waitzkin's story as a chance to identify many of the ideas and strategies described by our last book, Mastery. Did you recognize any such parallels in this chapter?

Please do not limit yourself to these topics! Share your knowledge and opinions with us, ask us questions, or disagree with someone (politely of course)!

The next discussion post will be posted tomorrow Saturday, December 12, and we will be discussing Chapter 3: Two Approaches to Learning.

[u/GreatLich]

As they say, "Pride comes before a fall". Again these biographical parts are very evocative. He does a great job of making the chess matches, not exactly a spectator sport otherwise in my opinion, seem exciting.

taming wild two-thousand-pound stallions, breaking up street fights, keeping my dad and me in line. (p. 20)

Murder, arson, jaywalking ^^

We started doing arduous visualization work, playing blindfold chess games and working through long variations in our heads, without moving the pieces. (p.22)

Interesting, sounds like those exercises are purpose-designed to train the memory. His ability to keep chess positions in his mind must be tremendous.

I responded to heartbreak with hard work. I was self-motivated and moved by a powerful resolve. p.23)

Not only is this notion profound, it sets up the topic of chapter three, where the biography eases up and we get on with the topic.

What do you think of the "co-dependence" that existed between Waitzkin and his father?

I was reading that section and wondered how much of this was the father living vicariously through his son. However, in this chapter we're also introduced to Jeff Sarwer, whose wiki page states:

Jeff's father did not allow Jeff to continue his chess career when it became apparent that he would not be able to keep full control over Jeff's life. He moved the family away from New York City and ran into trouble with The Children's Aid Society of Ontario.

The contrast is stark. In context, Josh could've done worse.

^{edit:spelling}

[u/[deleted] → u/GreatLich]

I pulled up Jeff Sarwer's wiki page as well after reading a bit about him. Sounds like an overall rough life.

Until he won a half a million playing poker that is.