Psych Time

I never expected a yellow bathtub duck to become one of my favorite psychological concepts. I was having an intense discussion on this topic with my friend over a phone call. I was familiar with the terminology of this rubber duck but what it actually was, I was unable to put forth in a psychological way. As a person, who spends 95% of his time alone inside the room, I decided to think on this topic and share my opinions or insights. So lets buckle up.

 Every Second Place Was a Declaration of War... Most people hate losing. I don't. Losing is simple. When you lose, the result is clear. You know where you stand, you know what went wrong, and you know how much work is left to do. What I hate is second place. There is something uniquely irritating about being close enough to victory to almost touch it, only to watch someone else walk away with it. Over the years, I have realized that second place affects me differently than it affects most people. It doesn't make me sad. It doesn't make me quit. It doesn't even make me angry for very long. Instead, it creates a permanent bookmark in my memory. Years later, I may forget what I ate that morning or what clothes I wore that day, but I will remember the feeling of standing one step away from the top. People often say that you should forgive, forget, and move on. I have never been wired that way. I don't carry hatred, but I do carry memory. Every time someone underestimate...

  "The pursuit of rewards often blinds us to the joy of the process. In games, as in life, the journey matters more than the destination." Looks like an interesting topic isn't it? Well, you are right. We must all love playing games on Mobile, Tablets, and PC Consoles. Have you noticed that nowadays, each and every game has an achievement section? This achievement section rewards you once you complete the subsequent quest. But little you may know, the role of this "achievement" bonanza is most like to keep you interested to carry forward. Imagine a person who loves collecting trophies—not because they enjoy the activity behind earning them (sports, academics, etc.) but solely for the sake of having a larger collection than others. They may no longer care about playing the game, learning the sport, or gaining the skill; the process becomes secondary to the reward. I am going to keep it as a case study for this blog. So let us decode, as I believe that you might n...