A few years ago, there was a famous boxer named Zab Judah who was a regular contender for various boxing belts but was not considered to be quite on the same level as the best boxers in his division like Mayweather, Cotto, or Khan. Without question, though, he fought well and fought hard, and was known for putting on a good show, which meant that he was seen as somewhat of a gatekeeper in his division that continually got scheduled good fights because of his willingness to fight. Of course, as a child I got into a great deal of fights, and since I was a small kid and generally outnumbered and not expected to win, I got to the point where I fought with nothing to lose, and eventually won often enough that others stopped fighting because I actually stood a fair chance at winning.

Although the stakes are thankfully not as high in pinochle, I started playing pretty aggressively today and for the most part it paid off. I’m not a great pinochle player at this point, but when there is no downside, since the only ones who win a prize are the first and last place players, and when the alternative is being stuck at the same table all night because one is unwilling to make any daring bids, well, one’s inner gambler tends to come out in such circumstances and the risk becomes rather amusing. When one is not playing people who are overly competitive and when no money is at stake, sometimes it is better to take a set than to let someone get even more points by sweeping the table. On the last hand of the night I was one trick (the last trick) shy of shooting the moon. Coming so close was definitely enjoyable, even if it would have been better to win it all.

The question for me is, does this sort of recklessness carry over into other areas of life. Can one determine what circumstances where one can behave with a high degree of aggression because there is really no downside and the upside is greater fun and the chance of spectacular success as one gains enough victories to have even more confidence? The goal, of course, is simple–to have a good time in a fun activity with other people, and to find, hopefully, that one’s success in one realm can be used to give a more general sense of confidence and courage that may bring success in other areas of life. Also, one wants to avoid putting oneself in harm’s way. It is one thing to be aggressive at a card game where no money is at stake, and where even one’s teammates do not mind seeing an aggressive gambit that has a fair chance of success. It is another thing for that aggression to be taken to realms where it is less safe, but still beneficial if a certain sense of confidence can translate into other realms, especially where one knows one has at least some backup and is having fun. This will definitely be a matter to think on further.