Jun 1, 2023
0
#1
For generations, chess has been extolled as a game of kings, a true test of intellect and strategy. Yet upon closer scrutiny, the façade of chess as a worthy endeavor crumbles, revealing it to be nothing more than a colossal waste of precious time, as agreed with by the greatest geniuses in Human History:
I did as a child, but found it to be too simple to be useful in real life: a mere 8 by 8 grid, no fog of war, no technology tree, no random map or spawn position, only 2 players, both sides exact same pieces, etc. Polytopia addresses these limitations.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2022
Elon Musk, the visionary polymath behind SpaceX and Tesla, never ceases to amaze wit…
Jun 1, 2023
0
#1
For generations, chess has been extolled as a game of kings, a true test of intellect and strategy. Yet upon closer scrutiny, the façade of chess as a worthy endeavor crumbles, revealing it to be nothing more than a colossal waste of precious time, as agreed with by the greatest geniuses in Human History:
I did as a child, but found it to be too simple to be useful in real life: a mere 8 by 8 grid, no fog of war, no technology tree, no random map or spawn position, only 2 players, both sides exact same pieces, etc. Polytopia addresses these limitations.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2022
Elon Musk, the visionary polymath behind SpaceX and Tesla, never ceases to amaze with his insights. Chess, in Musk’s view, fails to capture the dynamism of real-world problem-solving and strategic planning. It’s this ability to see the world differently, to question accepted norms and seek more complex and enriching engagements, that makes Elon Musk a true icon of our time. His critique of chess serves as yet another reminder of his extraordinary, disruptive thought process. Bravo, Elon!
Albert Einstein, the greatest genius, also held little regard for chess. His alleged assertion, "An hour spent on chess is an hour robbed from the universe’s grand equation," speaks volumes about the game’s true value. He saw chess not as a treasure trove of wisdom, but as a distractor from the cosmos’ grand mysteries that deserved our true attention and intellectual curiosity.
But the condemnation of chess extends beyond the scientific sphere and into the realm of spiritual enlightenment. The Buddha, in the Vinaya Pitaka, explicitly warned of the potential negligence born from certain games. He admonished, "Whereas some honorable recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, indulge in the following games that are a basis for negligence: aṭṭhapada (a game played on an eight-row chess-board); dasapada (a game played on a ten-row chess-board)."
In essence, Buddha recognized games like chess as distractions, as snares that ensnare the mind and divert it from the path of spiritual growth and mindfulness. He understood these games to be impediments to achieving a higher state of spiritual consciousness.
Chess is not just a harmless game. It cultivates an unhealthy obsession with winning and losing, breeding egocentricity instead of intellectual growth. Furthermore, despite chess’s purported complexity, its static rules and predictable outcomes raise significant doubts about its real-world applicability and value for dynamic problem-solving.
The countless hours devoted to memorizing openings, analyzing tactics, and mastering endgames could be better spent: learning a new language, exploring the limitless wonders of the natural world, perfecting a musical instrument, or delving into the serenity of meditation.
Chess, stripped bare of its unwarranted glamour, stands revealed as an empty, self-indulgent pastime. Its allure is an illusion, a mirage in the intellectual desert. The critiques—from both the realms of science and spirituality—leave no room for doubt: chess is not an enriching endeavor. It is, in its totality, an exercise in futility, a grand waste of time.
Buddha found the game a breeding ground for craving, ego-boosting, and mind-distracting nonsense. Chess was essentially a ticket to Spiritual Snoozeville, not Enlightenment Express. Then you’ve got Einstein, the universe’s handyman, who thought chess was a sterile intellectual dead-end. It’s no expanding universe or quantum field, it’s just a rigid 8x8 grid with some carved figurines. He probably would’ve said chess is like trying to understand the cosmos by staring at a checkerboard. So, my dear pawn-pushers, instead of wasting your time on a glorified board game, why not meditate on the universe’s wonders or decode the mysteries of the quantum world? Now that’s what I call an OUTSTANDING move!
Jun 2, 2023
0
#2
long_quach wrote:
@EggmanHamScrambleton
What is the origin of Chess? You don’t know.
I will tell you.
Chess is a war game. Chess came from war.
"War is the father of all things." Some ancient Greek philosopher.
Well, well, a war enthusiast! Let’s remember this: Chess may have been born from war, but it’s certainly not the same as a real-life battlefield. Yes, war has indeed spurred many technological advancements, but don’t be so quick to idolize it. War brings destruction and misery; it’s hardly the paradigm we should aspire to. The ancient Greek who said "War is the father of all things" was Heraclitus, by the way. He also said, "Character is destiny," which seems more applicable to personal growth than deploying pawns on an 8x8 grid.
But does the origin of something validate its current worth? Hardly. Slavery, after all, has roots as old as civilization itself, but that does not legitimize it in the modern world, does it?
As for your love for Sun Tzu, cool! But he was discussing actual life-and-death scenarios, not pushing wooden pieces on a board. A real general wouldn’t confuse a game with the true perils and complexities of war. But does a deep understanding of warfare also confer wisdom about the merits of a board game? It’s like asking a fish about the quality of a bicycle, it’s simply out of its realm.
Buddha, Einstein, and Musk may not have been soldiers, but they were warriors in their fields, fighting their battles in the realms of spirituality, science, and technology. They changed the world without firing a shot or moving a rook. Just because they didn’t don armor doesn’t invalidate their insights. Should we dismiss the views of all who have not fought in wars or brawled in the streets?
Sure, chess is considered a classic art in ancient China. But so is foot-binding, which was pretty harmful. Just because something is "classic" doesn’t make it valuable or worthwhile. The classification merely highlights its cultural relevance, not its inherent value. A relic can still be an artifact of a bygone era without bearing practical importance today.
In essence, dear, your fervent attempt to glorify chess falls short. Its origins in war and its historical significance neither validate its usefulness nor challenge its triviality in the grander scheme of intellectual and spiritual pursuits. The very premise of your argument, therefore, remains as checkmated as ever.
Jun 2, 2023
0
#3
I doubt chess is biblical or connected to the philosophy of life and death, but it is without a doubt one very large time suck
Jun 2, 2023
0
#4
long_quach wrote:
Snorkeljoe wrote:
I doubt
chess is . . . life and death,
What is there to doubt about it?
Well unless one of the players strokes out during the game or gets hit by a drive by stray bullet - both players leave the game ALIVE -LOL.
Of this there is no doubt.
2 men enter, one man leaves..
Jun 2, 2023
0
#5
There’s truth to that
Jun 2, 2023
0
#6
I find it hilarious putting Elon Musk and Einstein at the same level.
You know Elon Musk is not a genius, right? The ones who investigate, design and create for SpaceX, and his other endeavours, are his teams of scientists and engineers. He just puts the money.
On the other hand, it’s not like Einstein was a rich guy who hired a team of John Does to come up with ideas, and then he paid them off to claim their ideas were his, when he himself had absolutely no clue about the subject. He actually truly was a genius in his field.
I mean, Elon Musk did not even create Tesla, he just stole it from his original founders. And he’s clearly not a rocket scientist in SpaceX, so who’s doing all the research there? Elon Musk? I think not. He just manipulates people, quite dishonest, and all the easily influentiable people just fold and can’t see through it. It’s like when he said AI is a danger, and now he’s founded an AI company. He just wants a piece of the $$$ cake.
So I’d not be very concerned about Musk opinion on chess. Sure it’s one opinion, just like any other, but then again, just like any other opinion ... should not particularly stand out because it’s been uttered by Elon Musk.
Jun 2, 2023
0
#7
Einstein, Budda and Elon Musk walk into a bar...
Jun 2, 2023
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#8
long_quach wrote:
Snorkeljoe wrote:
long_quach wrote:
Snorkeljoe wrote:
I doubt
chess is . . . life and death,
What is there to doubt about it?
Well unless one of the players strokes out during the game or gets hit by a drive by stray bullet - both players leave the game ALIVE -LOL.
Of this there is no doubt.
2 men enter, one man leaves..
Chess is a game, but it is very real.
Just like in the Olympics. The one who wins the Gold Medal gets millions of dollars being on Wheaties box. The Silver medalist gets nothing.
The stakes are very high, the closest thing to life and death stakes.
Jun 2, 2023
0
#9
Remember these type of questions from grade school?
Which one of these does NOT belong?
A) Front line soldier in a war
B) Organ donor
C) Space walking astronaut
D) Two people playing chess
connect the dots here genius
Jun 2, 2023
0
#10
This Eggman guy needs to chill. Come on, I could say that Cull of Duty or Mario Kart or Splatoon is useless. But I don’t. Why? Because I enjoy them. (I don’t play nor watch Cull of Duty but I respect it) I also know that the economy would actually suffer if these products would be discontinued. The economy is like a game of Janga. If you pull the wrong block, the whole tower falls. While none of these may not be that block, the tower is a lot less stable. The same is true with chess. I also looked at Eggman’s games. I think that you are really good at chess. We all waste time. It’s our nature. Just about every human who ever lived wasted time. You most likely are wasting time just reading this. If we all did something worthwhile every moment every day, what would be enjoyable? Would there be time to have fun and goof off? I don’t care what Elon Musk says. He’s probably wasting time as I write this. But what is wasted time? I think that like most things, it is a blessing, and a curse. Even time itself is like this. So, what do you have to say to that? Go ahead, waste more time writing an angry response. But I think I can say firmly, that I think what I have you in is indeed.... Checkmate!
Jun 2, 2023
0
#11
In the long run, EVERYTHING is a waste of time.
Making lots of money? What difference will it make 250 years from now whether you died penniless or with lots of toys?
Jun 2, 2023
0
#12
Also, Elon Musk needs to look at my personal variants. I BET he’ll LOVE my Patzer maze.
Jun 2, 2023
0
#13
blueemu wrote:
Einstein, Budda and Elon Musk walk into a bar...
A crowbar.
That’s what reading this topic felt like.
Jun 2, 2023
0
#14
why the hell would you post this on a chess forum?
Jun 2, 2023
0
#15
JadeCleanMaid wrote:
why the hell would you post this on a chess forum?
Sometimes grapes get sour just from staring
Jun 2, 2023
0
#16
Lets all stop posting on this forum, and use time against the creator to make this conversation lost to time. Who’s with me?
Jun 2, 2023
0
#17
Buddha had a lot of free time to achieve divinity.
Not everyone has the knowledge of Einstein to unlock the secrets of the universe (which he himself couldn’t).
Elon is just a plain moron who should not be lumped in with Einstein and Buddha (plus I saw the interview, he was making stuff up just to promote Polytopia).
Jun 2, 2023
0
#18
I’m legitimately disgusted that you put Elon Musk next to the names of Einstein and Buddha. Seriously shame on you & I’m not even joking.
Jun 2, 2023
0
#19
EggmanHamScrambleton wrote:
For generations, chess has been extolled as a game of kings, a true test of intellect and strategy. Yet upon closer scrutiny, the façade of chess as a worthy endeavor crumbles, revealing it to be nothing more than a colossal waste of precious time, as agreed with by the greatest geniuses in Human History:
I did as a child, but found it to be too simple to be useful in real life: a mere 8 by 8 grid, no fog of war, no technology tree, no random map or spawn position, only 2 players, both sides exact same pieces, etc. Polytopia addresses these limitations.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2022
Elon Musk, the visionary polymath behind SpaceX and Tesla, never ceases to amaze with his insights. Chess, in Musk’s view, fails to capture the dynamism of real-world problem-solving and strategic planning. It’s this ability to see the world differently, to question accepted norms and seek more complex and enriching engagements, that makes Elon Musk a true icon of our time. His critique of chess serves as yet another reminder of his extraordinary, disruptive thought process. Bravo, Elon!
Albert Einstein, the greatest genius, also held little regard for chess. His alleged assertion, "An hour spent on chess is an hour robbed from the universe’s grand equation," speaks volumes about the game’s true value. He saw chess not as a treasure trove of wisdom, but as a distractor from the cosmos’ grand mysteries that deserved our true attention and intellectual curiosity.
But the condemnation of chess extends beyond the scientific sphere and into the realm of spiritual enlightenment. The Buddha, in the Vinaya Pitaka, explicitly warned of the potential negligence born from certain games. He admonished, "Whereas some honorable recluses and brahmins, while living on food offered by the faithful, indulge in the following games that are a basis for negligence: aṭṭhapada (a game played on an eight-row chess-board); dasapada (a game played on a ten-row chess-board)."
In essence, Buddha recognized games like chess as distractions, as snares that ensnare the mind and divert it from the path of spiritual growth and mindfulness. He understood these games to be impediments to achieving a higher state of spiritual consciousness.
Chess is not just a harmless game. It cultivates an unhealthy obsession with winning and losing, breeding egocentricity instead of intellectual growth. Furthermore, despite chess’s purported complexity, its static rules and predictable outcomes raise significant doubts about its real-world applicability and value for dynamic problem-solving.
The countless hours devoted to memorizing openings, analyzing tactics, and mastering endgames could be better spent: learning a new language, exploring the limitless wonders of the natural world, perfecting a musical instrument, or delving into the serenity of meditation.
Chess, stripped bare of its unwarranted glamour, stands revealed as an empty, self-indulgent pastime. Its allure is an illusion, a mirage in the intellectual desert. The critiques—from both the realms of science and spirituality—leave no room for doubt: chess is not an enriching endeavor. It is, in its totality, an exercise in futility, a grand waste of time.
Buddha found the game a breeding ground for craving, ego-boosting, and mind-distracting nonsense. Chess was essentially a ticket to Spiritual Snoozeville, not Enlightenment Express. Then you’ve got Einstein, the universe’s handyman, who thought chess was a sterile intellectual dead-end. It’s no expanding universe or quantum field, it’s just a rigid 8x8 grid with some carved figurines. He probably would’ve said chess is like trying to understand the cosmos by staring at a checkerboard. So, my dear pawn-pushers, instead of wasting your time on a glorified board game, why not meditate on the universe’s wonders or decode the mysteries of the quantum world? Now that’s what I call an OUTSTANDING move!
I don’t think Chess is a waste of time at all.
I think the time you took to write all this WAS a waste of time.
Jun 2, 2023
0
#20
All hobbies or games are a waste of time.