Drop the Ego

As I’m getting older (nearly 30, yikes), I’m maturing.  A core part of this is dropping ego and deferring to superior knowledge.

This is helpful in Yugioh.  Or in any game.  Or in any life pursuit you choose to put your heart into.

Looking at a few of my posts from 5+ years ago, I’ve confidently said some opinions about Yugioh which I was under-qualified to give, given my limited knowledge of the game.  I apologize.  Dunning-Kruger fallacy is something, ain’t it?  Why take my opinion on the meta when you can take it from the best players?

Now more than ever, I’m able to admit areas where I lack knowledge. 

“I don’t know the answer to X question, but I’m willing to direct you to a qualified person who does.”

First and foremost, for any game you want to get better at, expose yourself to the very best players.  They may be on YouTube or Twitch, though keep in mind, the most popular personalities on these platforms aren’t necessarily the best; find players with successful tournament results.  The better players sometimes have less views because they focus more on practicing the game than on marketing.

Try to find discussion boards with competitive players on it.  If you’re on a board with less competitive players, it doesn’t hurt to ask people where you can find the more competitive players.  Someone might know.

And then there are Discord servers.  The ones with the most knowledgeable players may be smaller and more private communities that are invite only.  You may start by going to a bigger Discord server about yugioh (or whatever game) and then asking around where you can find servers with more competitive players.  In 5-10 years from now, what social media platforms we use will change but the concept is the same.

Forming your own opinions is good, but it’s best to be informed and hear the arguments of the best players before making judgments.