The many faces of chess

Sometimes chess seems to me to be a nobel sport.

Other times it seems to be such a waste of time and energy, given all the problems in the world that fester due to apathy.

Sometimes it seems fun.

Sometimes it seems like just a bunch of pieces on a board having no real significance.

How can we dedicate so much energy, so many hours to such an odd little pastime?

Are we deluding ourselves about what chess really is in the grand scheme of things?

'the game is the game'

It's all subjective -- a value judgement each of us make on our own, just as any other decision we make about how to divide our time.

Perhaps, but a rose by any other name is still a rose, or arose, or arrows.

But how can anyone really project so much subjective meaning onto a bunch of pieces on squares and move them around and become so absorbed in it to the exclusion of so much else and build a whole world of thought and paradigm around it, and not find that rather odd, nor retain the ongoing objectivity to see it for what it really is?

Edit:  I play a lot of blitz.  I'm not being holier than thou, I'm just trying to understand and put it in perspective.  I just find it strange and almost laughable.  I can see it from the standpoint of all the the meaning I project on the game, and the enjoyment I derive from it, and the objective absurdity of it as well.

How does anyone justify or rationalize their obsessive behaviour?  You'd have to ask them.

meaning isn't the only thing being preojected on the pieces.

Nihilism....

I mean, say what you want about the tenets of national socialism, dude. At least it's an ethos

It depends how serious you are about it.  You can take a game seriously, as shown by professional sports.  Yet, it is carefree, like kids playing in the yard.  Chess is serious, as shown by masters, yet it is carefree, such as people playing in the park.  Like TheGrobe said, chess is subjective.

"Everything is futile, nothing maters" is nihilism.

Had you considered that perhaps death is only transcending into a higher form, or that there may be some sort of afterlife?

Considered it, yes, subscribe to it not so much.

Given that view, is everything really futile then?

You're confusing death and acid.

Not an uncommon mistake, especially while on acid.

1.) Nihilism is the only thing that matters. hyuck-hyuck.

2.) I was gonna explain how death is not quite so final, but I figure why bother...doesn't matter to these nihilists anyways.

chess is a strong obsession, it is like a drug. everytime you move a knight to a good square some dopamine is fired in your brain. everytime there is a bishop sacrifice, adrenaline is released into our system. when we lose, our selves collapse, when we win, our egos fatten.

Classic!

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