Fun. An enjoyable time away from the negatives of reality. Control with chaos. Your choices.
I do believe you are thinking about it a bit too deeply my friend.
The drive to play chess...
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I think you're spot on, kind sir. And I think this addiction feedback loop especially plays a role in blitz players.
Well this little lizard sees chess as an ever changing puzzle to be solved. ;)
Too scientific your note, Dr James….
I see it this way. . .
Ever since the beginning of the beginnings Nature (God) has imposed on us the “evolution” which implies the necessity of fighting for survival (or improving on every circumstance).
One of those “circumstances” could be chess. . . So, by “nature” you try to beat your opponent. Social agreements and living change things and some times you set aside that “winning drive”.
And so with the rest of life.
Jun 20, 2013
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#7
For me it's the same as the lottery... I know I'm going to lose but there's always the chance I might win.
Where does the drive to play chess come from? My theory is that it is primarily driven by a feedback loop between two parts of our brains, the R-complex and the limbic system, with the neocortex and other brain structures playing a supporting secondary role (more on the higher analytical and memory based side of the equation, that are somewhat separate from the underlying DRIVE to play chess). Specifically, my hypothesis is that the R-complex, or that early evolutionary "reptilian" component of our brains drives the competitive need to win, improve, be the best little lizards we can be.The limbic system, or "mammalian" brain (which evolved to significantly augment our emotions so we would take care of our helpless mammalian young) emotionally rewards each win with a release of pleasure that either reinforces the R-complex to continue winning, or, in the case of a loss, a release of negative emotions... anger... that drives our little lizard brains to work harder...