Regarding Connection
It was a twinkly, star-filled night. I ran along the riverside with the running team. There was a gentle wind in my face. The fact that the running team are all out with me now warms my heart.
I could run the full 5.4km without hesitation. Although the pace is a lot faster than my usual one, everyone was feeling exhilarated; it was a true joy. I’ve not known the running crew for long. To be honest, I only have loose ties with them. I ponder as to why this connection gives me this powerful energy.
I could never ever run this much on my own before. In fact, running never gave me a sense of pleasure until now.
So, what are these interactions between people, what’s the true meaning of these so-called ‘human bonds’? It makes me pause and wonder. I know that a human being is inherently sociable by nature, so does this mean that we can only feel true happiness within society?
In my personal experience, I do feel touched more often when I’m in other people’s company. I know that this is also good for mine — and everyone else’s mental health — so I’m going to start working on my mental health, helped by my favorite game, GO, of course.
#Borrowing wisdom from GO
A stone itself in a GO game doesn’t have much value alone. It only becomes a stroke when the stones are connected.
We say that knowing how to connect stones beats most of your opponents for low level players. But GO pursues extreme efficacy with ways to connect stones.
For example, stones are connected yet the density is high. It’s said not to yield synergy because the generated value is not high compared to the invested stones.
The only way to win GO is having a larger territory and you should invest wisely to do so. The higher the density of the stones, the less efficient it is to expand territory.
Meanwhile, if the stones are too loosely connected, it’s easy to be a target and get cut off by opponents who attack. Thus, you should connect tightly, and not over-invest.
This must be your first mantra when connecting stones. You will be able to internalize this mantra’s aftermath from all failures during the games. When it comes to your realization on how to connect adequately, you learn to realize the sweet spot to connect between stones. Once it comes naturally, your level of GO is upgraded.
Thinking of all this, I find myself finding the sweet spots of human connection. I can do this naturally since I also have been through a lot of hurt and the vacuity of social life. I can say that I realize why this running crew gives me this joy. Perhaps, this is because I connect wonderfully with them.
