Why “Magic: The Gathering” Matters

[DragoFireheart]

Most things that children do nourish social skills and all that. Sporting, hanging out, taking drugs. Not that they're all equal, but since socializing is present in most activities it does no good to commend one for something that's so common. That's how you end up praising druggies for their tight social circles.

As for the rest, mathematical reasoning and such, those aren't terribly important skills. Nerds wish they were, but they're not. Most kids, by the age of twelve, have only one challenging desire, and that is the desire for female flesh. Any healthy childhood should include kisses, hand holding, and other early flirtations. Save the learning for university, if then, for it does no ordinary child any good to be a math wiz (not that M:tG would be enough to make one a math wiz -- that is yet another strike against it). For special cases, like asexuals and autists, sure, math and other activities could be a necessary surrogate. But that article doesn't mention them.

As for the females, M:tG is a repellent to them. I'm sure there are M:tG players who have kissed a girl in spite of their hobby, but most are not so lucky. If I had kids, I would make some effort keep them away from this kind of stuff, because I would want them to grow up having experienced puppy love and all that. I would urge them to try sports or photography or painting or some other intriguing hobby instead, as girls respond better to those things. Not to mention they are beneficial in many other ways. They could eventually be turned into careers, for starters.

So I don't think this article is any good. It's some guy defending something he likes to do, because he likes to do it. Not because he's wise and has considered all things equally and determined M:tG to be at the top. Don't get me wrong, I have guilty pleasures, but I am not so deluded that I would defend them. Defending unhealthy habits does no one any good.

"Don't do stuff you like, be a drone and chase the girls and enjoy your minimum wage job etc"

This is probably the worst advice I have ever seen. Chasing girls as the primary goal at that age is the pinnacle of waste of time.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

Build up your skillset, bank account, and independence during your 20s
Cradle rob during your 30s

 

[DragoFireheart]

Build up your skillset, bank account, and independence during your 20s
Cradle rob during your 30s

This man has it figured out.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Most things that children do nourish social skills and all that. Sporting, hanging out, taking drugs. Not that they're all equal, but since socializing is present in most activities it does no good to commend one for something that's so common. That's how you end up praising druggies for their tight social circles.

As for the rest, mathematical reasoning and such, those aren't terribly important skills. Nerds wish they were, but they're not. Most kids, by the age of twelve, have only one challenging desire, and that is the desire for female flesh. Any healthy childhood should include kisses, hand holding, and other early flirtations. Save the learning for university, if then, for it does no ordinary child any good to be a math wiz (not that M:tG would be enough to make one a math wiz -- that is yet another strike against it). For special cases, like asexuals and autists, sure, math and other activities could be a necessary surrogate. But that article doesn't mention them.

Because these are totally mutually exclusive, right? If you are intelligent getting maximum scores from maths in primary school is pretty banal as long as you don't have problems with writing or with focus.

You sound like someone who have spent too much time studying and not enough socializing and now regrets it. Speaking from position of someone who spent too much time socializing and not enough time studying, I can tell you that not being accustomed to studying a lot and not having developed tools for studying is a huge disadvantage on university.

 

[Machocruz]

Of course, nerds don't understand balance or how to achieve it. Either socially inept bookworm or dim-witted womanizer. Brain in a jar or body with no brain. No wonder there are so many empty pricks walking around who are utterly useless outside of their chosen pre-occupation.

 

[Zeriel]

Dear fucking lord I can't tell if that's trolling or not. Which is the true hallmark of an incredibly, exquisitely stupid post, I guess.

 

[Zeriel]

It's not my lifestyle. I couldn't give two shits about M:TG. Your posts just ooze either rampant stupidity, or dedication to trolling. I'm not sure which, because the two can often resemble each other. If it is serious, though, I really feel bad for you. You're missing out on a lot in life with such a ridiculously judgemental personality.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Wow, all of you quoting me have terrible reading comprehension skills. In one paragraph I trashed mathematics, yes, but in the next I espoused the virtues of athletics and arts. My thinking was that giving a child a dry subject like mathematics to study would be detrimental to the child, as it would make them into a dull person, who would probably delay his first kiss until age 31. Not to mention that, in the tradition of Monkeyfinger, the lucky girl would likely be a single mom. Some catch!

Arts and athletics are a healthier route. From my observations, people who pursue those things turn out well-rounded, with happy childhoods, and fulfilling careers. All academics I've known, seen or read about have been boring people. Usually awkward, too.

Wow, I'm shocked how much more I know about life than you.

Again, I don't know how the hell mathematics are somehow excluding art and athletics, besides the cases where the smart guy is inherently weaker due to genetics/lack of proper nutrition/bad instruction during P.E. lessons.
The ideal primary/high school student is a well rounded person - a renaissance man who is strong and smart and can hold an interesting conversation.

The academics that you've seen are like that usually due to genetics/poor instruction in other subjects at school, not because they are academics.

I know which path I'd want my kids to take. And no, it's not autistic to think these things. It's autistic to play Magic the Gathering well into adulthood, as it's a childish hobby for idiots. Even being a despised intellectual is better than playing that game. Yes I am pig headed about this stuff, but I can't help it. The people I've known who've played that game have all been greasy bastards.

Here most of guys who play such games - MtG, Warhammer 40k and PnP cRPGs are much more well rounded than stereotypical western "nerds".
Also, boardgames, card games, etc. are nice entertainment.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

I don't know much about attackfighter, does he throw these tantrums and threaten to leave the codex on a regular basis, or did I strike a nerve?

 

[FeelTheRads]

Wow, all of you quoting me have terrible reading comprehension skills.

Correct. You sound like someone butthurt that he got his ass kicked at MTG.

It's autistic to play Magic the Gathering well into adulthood, as it's a childish hobby for idiots.

Until this post I hadn't quite expressed enough disdain for M:tG player.

It's about time you left a website dedicated to videogames, not to mention playing videogames at all. Time to "kiss girls".

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I've heard of those renaissance men. Those steel pumping professors who look like they're carved out of stone. They're versed in philosophy, art, science. They spend free time commanding track teams.

Impressive. But not the lifestyle I'd care for.

Why such hyperbole? I mean being good from all school subjects (including p.e.) and having some interesting hobby like art. It's not a rocket science.

As far as conversations go, I look up to humorous people. I don't care whether someone's able to discuss high brow stuff. It's not impressive to me.

There were lots of humorous people when I was studying computer science. On the other hand there was a class of artfags studying computer graphics and they barely talked to each other.

As for my hypothetical kids, again, I wouldn't expect them to be great or anything. I wouldn't care whether or not they grew up to become renaissance men. I'd only expect them to pick an interest that would be of benefit. For most, arts or athletics would be ideal. Dry subjects are better left to genetic obscurities. Forcing, or even just encouraging, a normal kid to go into a dry, academic field would not be wise. I see a lot of parents who do that to their kids. Middle class, white collar parents who see such fun prospects in things like accounting and lawyering. Mathematics, too.

There's this real obsession, over here, with being smart. Being smart doesn't do much good, as far as I can tell. What's good and beneficial is learning an art or sport and going somewhere with it. That gets you a hobby. That gets you a career. That gets you women. I don't give a shit about anything else.

What's the probability of making a career out of art or sports? Also, being smart means that you spend much less time getting good at dry subjects than a non-smart person, which leaves much more time for other stuff.

 

[Scruffy]

YOU EITHER STUDY MATHS OR BECOME AN ATHLETE THAT'S HOW IT WORKS IN REAL LIFE

wow, what a moron

you are stupid attackfighter/whysoserious/pan

 

[Serious_Business]

Søren Kierkegaard

So how much Kierkegaard have you actually read

This social / intellectual antagonism is only true in so far as you evolve in an environment where intellectuality is disvalued. There is no necessary connection between social awkwardness and the development of consciousness - I get where you're getting this feeling, it comes from the idea that all intellectual endeavour is "dry" and "lifeless", but I'd urge you to question why you're seeing things that way in the first place.

I somewhat agree with your stance but ultimately the poison in your wisdom makes it childish and immature. It's not by abandoning rationality and throwing yourself into empty and "energetic" activities that one will come out an accomplished individual. Ultimately what you defend is a kind of boorish conformism ; you're the guy who will decry anyone introverted because you see these problems in yourself, because you see introversion and the refusal to adapt as something that will stunt an individual's growth. That's fine, but I don't think you should look down on all introversion as undesirable ; your dichotomies are too harsh and inflexible.

Refusal to adapt are representative of internal forces that can be cultivated internally rather than externally ; I'm not saying introverted individuals are "geniuses" but to preconize something as contact with women as early as possible seems puerile to me. Individuals that are quick to adapt are also quick to have weak personalities, to develop weak egos ; there's nothing inherently wrong with trying to be "marginal" and to refuse the authority of "happiness" - happiness is not the end of all life. I get that people can fall into pathological states by being too closed on themselves but this is a health issue, not a question of lifestyle choices.

Anyway I don't really give a shit, it's just your pathetic mention of philosophers that got on my nerves. Being an ascetic individual is not a "psychological" problem, it's a prerequisite for rational endeavour. I agree that the fact that it's taught in public education agaisnt all else is often problematic, but this is more of a social problem than anything else - we need people who shut up and get to work, not people who are happy.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Anyway I don't really give a shit, it's just your pathetic mention of philosophers that got on my nerves. Being an ascetic individual is not a "psychological" problem, it's a prerequisite for rational endeavour. I agree that the fact that it's taught in public education agaisnt all else is often problematic, but this is more of a social problem than anything else - we need people who shut up and get to work, not people who are happy.

The sound of getting work done is curses, complaints and moans, not silence. Silence is the sound of fagbook being browsed.

 

[DragoFireheart]

You're just mad that I criticize your lifestyle.

If you would take my post less personally, you might find some of it funny. I had a blast writing it, at least.

Do ban me though. This site is wasting my time and I want out.

Troll/10

 

[AngryEddy]

I want out.