Final reply to NJ

Please visit the post below for the rest of the series.

Dear NJ

I want to thank you for your expression of concern. Read here. And here.

Final lesson.

Joining the dots. Lets join a few dots here. Remember that this site was started to disseminate an alternative idea. Anchor that in your mind. That is the primary purpose of this blog.

Now try to remember what I said on imagined fears. You are now holding 2 sets of ideas in your mind. I know you can do that because I know your style of play in chess. You can see complex ideas on the board. Your problem is holding them together when the pressure goes up. And the cause of that lie outside the board. So try this exercise. Extend that gift to what I am saying here. Are you trying to do that? You are now joining the dots from what you have learned in chess to dots outside the board but hold on, I am now going to ask more from you.

Now ponder this. Chess is a game where your thoughts are challenged on each move. We are asked to defend our ideas and to refute the opponents move by move. And to do that successfully our ideas need to become more and more sophisticated. Remember this also. You now have a direction.

But it is getting harder to hold them all. Joining the dots require energy and the consideration of new ideas. So you need to synthesise before you join another dot. So do it slowly. (And before a tournament)

Now try to apply what you have learned so far to why I need to answer the nastier comments on this blog. My ideas are being challenged. But note this also. My answers are not necessarily directed to the writer of the comments. I have other readers too who may be confused by all that noise.

Now go back to what I said in the top links. I hope that it demonstrates that not all arguments are bad. In what Dato said to me there were important lessons there. But I couldnt understand it then. However the lessons were implanted in my mind all the same. Angry words were exchanged then. But the truth was said. The intention was never to tear down but to build. But the truth is almost always hard to hear. But sometimes it needs to be said. Many dots now right? But try to hold them all. Dont drop one or you will miss the picture.

Can you now see that in order to fulfil the rationale of this blog, sometimes it will piss some people off? But more importantly is that the less sophisticated readers will learn to see for themselves the type of arguments that is non beneficial. Read here.

My arguments were not refuted. It was sidestepped.

The big picture will slowly form if you can keep all the dots joined. The idea is to keep stretching, finding new ideas. If you shrink back and start to defend useless ideas that have been proven not to work then you are not growing in the right direction.

Can you now see that some arguments are initiated to build and some are to tear down? Learn to tell the difference. This is important. So I encourage you to keep questioning. Chess is a mind sport. To ask and to find answers is the nature of the game. Build not destroy. That is the right direction.

Now back to imagined fears. Consider this. If my freedom to express my ideas are curbed, then what example am I showing to Mark? See the example of Mr Yan. He was a tailor and see what he achieved. If you can be intimidated into silence then you not only wont become a GM but you will never be anyone of substance. That is the real fear. If your spirit is intact you cannot be stopped. If not GM then a successful businessman or anyone else of substance. Can you see that? Remember this. Keep this dot joined as you journey in life.

In fact if you see this, then its the same challenge on the chess board. If you can be intimidated then you wont make GM. Can you see that too?

Go back to my earlier postings. Try and slowly join more dots there.

I thank you again for writing. It has encouraged me. If even one person has learned something from my sharing then the mission of this blog is fulfilled.