About Gambles

Post 78:

            I might go and play a little blackjack in a few days. Gambling is a lawful thing in my new home, so there is the nuance of doing something not usually at your fingertips.

            What’s the allure, though? There are giant edifices built around the idea of people thinking that they’re going to win it big: tonight’s the night, etc.

            For me, I just want a change of scenery and an experience. A few drinks, maybe I win, maybe I don’t—whatever.

            But as much as I want to perch myself above the fray, it’s not entirely true. There’s something in the act of taking a plunge into the world of risk that is intoxicating. Besides the obvious, the idea of making big bucks, there’s something else at play.

            Here’s an idea. People roll through life too safe. I’m not throwing stones on this one, because I fall victim to the safety-first mentality all the time. That aside, what’s at work in our psyche’s when we show up to the table?

            Fantasy. We all have fantasies, whether it be the life we might lead or the dream we just woke up from. That’s all it is. We don’t long for the win; we long for the story of how we won.

            This is a bit complex on a psychological level so I won’t bother to bore. I’ll only put forth the idea that it is the excitement, not the supposed result, that gets us amped up.

            Chance is at play in everything and everything we do in life. A controlled environment where we can literally address chance on its face is something that is interesting and enrapturing at the same time. Life’s out of our hands. Go to a casino; it’s your chance to confront that lack of control right to its face.

            It’s an interesting thought experiment. Thought I’d let you in on what I’m cooking up in the lab. I’ll probably be poorer next time we talk.

            Play on, players. See you after.