I'm a gamer and a car enthusiast. The compulsion to spend hours cleaning and detailing a vehicle PERFECTLY, despite knowing full well that it will soon get dusty and dirty, seems to be another example of the phenomenon that you describe.
I restore cast iron pans (basically just seasoning, maybe very minor metal abrasion stuff) and there's this difficulty I have stopping - you put on one coat of seasoning, so why not eight? And it's all for a use item that isn't going to stay looking perfect, So I absolutely get it.
I was never able to do it, but there's a Japanese art called Dorodango, which is basically making balls of compacted dirt that eventually get compacted enough that they can be buffed (google image search has some cool ones). I'm actually actively staying away from that at this point in my life, because probably the last thing I need is another obsessive "I can make this perfect" type of thing.
Man... I am right there with you. I had so much sympathy reading this, although I never played TOME (but I would recommend Synthetic if you start looking for another frustrating but wonderful game.) There is an awful lot to having some small things in life that you are just interested in and good at. Arguably that is one of the problems of being connected with people all over the world: we can't just be "Best in the town" at something and have it mean anything, we kind of feel like we need to compare ourselves to people all over. A bit harder to reach the top echelons.
I was talking to my son about this yesterday a bit, about how sometimes I see video of some ultra-isolated tribe somewhere who live in grass huts and wear clothing made of leaves, but who are essentially happy and don't seem poor. Then I compare that to some non-isolated places that technically have more, but also have enough media access to know what the first world is like. Those places tend to look really, really poor and the people in them seem to know. There's something memetic-hazard feeling about that.
I would have liked this better without all the pot-shots at me personally.
/s
When my daughter asked why boys play video-games so much (after the Jr. High all nighter) I told her it was the false sense of accomplishment. Not that it isn't actually a struggle and self-improvement, but that it is one that is unmoored from reality.
Good stuff, very well written. My daughter plays Super Meat Boy, one of the hardest platformers out there. Still trying to get through the last mode (dark, or hell, not sure.)
I went through some tough times this past year, and I found (still find) myself deriving tremendous value from playing Twilight Struggle. It’s different, because it’s human-vs-human, but the sense of *personal* value I feel when I make an excellent move or win a game is profound. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I've never played TOME, but I've been playing NetHack since about 1992 without ever ascending, or indeed even finding the amulet that is the game's main quest object. By far the most frustrating game I've ever played, but also the one I've doubtless spent more hours playing it than any other—bar one.
The exception is Kerbal Space Program. Landing on the Mün for the first time gave me a sense of achievement at a time in my life when, if I am honest, I was not really achieving very much else. I have mixed feelings about this: unlike you, my lack of achievement was not "not for want of trying", and KSP probably contributed to my delinquency. But boy am I absurdly proud of all the things I've done in that game over the years.
I have never played Kerbal but have always meant to; I know people love it and figure there must be a reason. How hard is it for a random, mostly qual-not-quant guy to get into?
I demonstrated my ability to throw together a ship, land on the Mun and return safely without planning anything and while drunk to my wife on our first date. She said she wasn't impressed but she did marry me, so I think she was lying.
Coming from ASX and very much enjoyed this. I've always had a penchant for really games.
According to Andrew Huberman, this kind of thing isn't too suprising. The randomness of dopamine release *is* addictive, so there's not too much difference between a hard unforgiving pursuit, and casino gambling.
Not a video game player, but this is the most beautiful ode to the pursuit of perfection that I have read in a long time. Thank you for writing it!
Thanks you!
Fantastic article!
I'm a gamer and a car enthusiast. The compulsion to spend hours cleaning and detailing a vehicle PERFECTLY, despite knowing full well that it will soon get dusty and dirty, seems to be another example of the phenomenon that you describe.
I restore cast iron pans (basically just seasoning, maybe very minor metal abrasion stuff) and there's this difficulty I have stopping - you put on one coat of seasoning, so why not eight? And it's all for a use item that isn't going to stay looking perfect, So I absolutely get it.
I was never able to do it, but there's a Japanese art called Dorodango, which is basically making balls of compacted dirt that eventually get compacted enough that they can be buffed (google image search has some cool ones). I'm actually actively staying away from that at this point in my life, because probably the last thing I need is another obsessive "I can make this perfect" type of thing.
Man... I am right there with you. I had so much sympathy reading this, although I never played TOME (but I would recommend Synthetic if you start looking for another frustrating but wonderful game.) There is an awful lot to having some small things in life that you are just interested in and good at. Arguably that is one of the problems of being connected with people all over the world: we can't just be "Best in the town" at something and have it mean anything, we kind of feel like we need to compare ourselves to people all over. A bit harder to reach the top echelons.
I was talking to my son about this yesterday a bit, about how sometimes I see video of some ultra-isolated tribe somewhere who live in grass huts and wear clothing made of leaves, but who are essentially happy and don't seem poor. Then I compare that to some non-isolated places that technically have more, but also have enough media access to know what the first world is like. Those places tend to look really, really poor and the people in them seem to know. There's something memetic-hazard feeling about that.
I would have liked this better without all the pot-shots at me personally.
/s
When my daughter asked why boys play video-games so much (after the Jr. High all nighter) I told her it was the false sense of accomplishment. Not that it isn't actually a struggle and self-improvement, but that it is one that is unmoored from reality.
This gave me the same vibes as 17776 - a story that has a lot of characters who are looking for one impossible challenge or another.
Isn't that from the same guy who wrote the Tim Tebow CFL stuff? If so I've been meaning to get to that.
Good stuff, very well written. My daughter plays Super Meat Boy, one of the hardest platformers out there. Still trying to get through the last mode (dark, or hell, not sure.)
And someday I'll beat Civ V at God level...
I went through some tough times this past year, and I found (still find) myself deriving tremendous value from playing Twilight Struggle. It’s different, because it’s human-vs-human, but the sense of *personal* value I feel when I make an excellent move or win a game is profound. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I've never played TOME, but I've been playing NetHack since about 1992 without ever ascending, or indeed even finding the amulet that is the game's main quest object. By far the most frustrating game I've ever played, but also the one I've doubtless spent more hours playing it than any other—bar one.
The exception is Kerbal Space Program. Landing on the Mün for the first time gave me a sense of achievement at a time in my life when, if I am honest, I was not really achieving very much else. I have mixed feelings about this: unlike you, my lack of achievement was not "not for want of trying", and KSP probably contributed to my delinquency. But boy am I absurdly proud of all the things I've done in that game over the years.
I have never played Kerbal but have always meant to; I know people love it and figure there must be a reason. How hard is it for a random, mostly qual-not-quant guy to get into?
I demonstrated my ability to throw together a ship, land on the Mun and return safely without planning anything and while drunk to my wife on our first date. She said she wasn't impressed but she did marry me, so I think she was lying.
Book rec : That's what the Humanists faction are all about in Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota!
I'll take a look!
I haven't played this but it looks great. I still play Nethack from time to time (with the original ascii graphics).
Coming from ASX and very much enjoyed this. I've always had a penchant for really games.
According to Andrew Huberman, this kind of thing isn't too suprising. The randomness of dopamine release *is* addictive, so there's not too much difference between a hard unforgiving pursuit, and casino gambling.