I spend hours playing chess because I find it so much fun. The day it stops being fun is the day I give up.
Interpretation
Finding joy in an activity is crucial for continued engagement.
This quote by Magnus Carlsen emphasizes that the enjoyment derived from playing chess is what motivates him to dedicate hours to it. It suggests that when the joy fades, so does his commitment, highlighting the importance of happiness in pursuing a passion.
In practice
Use this quote to inspire students before a school chess tournament.
There wasn't any particular player I modeled my game after. I tried to learn from everyone and create my own style. I studied past players... Truth be told I never had a favorite player. It's just not my nature to go around idolizing people. I just go try to learn.
Maybe if I didn't have the talent in chess I'd find the talent in something else. The only thing I know is that I have talent in chess, and I'm satisfied with that.
Self-confidence is very important. If you don't think you can win, you will take cowardly decisions in the crucial moments, out of sheer respect for your opponent. You see the opportunity but also greater limitations than you should. I have always believed in what I do on the chessboard, even when I had no objective reason to. It is better to overestimate your prospects than underestimate them.
Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything.
Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it's okay to lose. I don't. You have to be merciless.
For me right now I think being the world number one is a bigger deal than being the world champion because I think it shows better who plays the best chess. That sounds self-serving but I think it's also right.
Some of my battles with weight have been very public. But most of them have been internal. Even at my thinnest, when my body was being praised, I wasn't happy with what I saw in the mirror or how I felt about myself.
Things and conditions can give you pleasure but they cannot give you joy- joy arises from within.
Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies. they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
my lips never know my problem they just always smile
I am not happy, and the quest for happiness as a principal objective is not part of my world. Of course, ever since I can remember, I have done what I felt like doing.
We have to recognize that we can help increase happiness of other people by reaching out, and building connections. People have done that for me in my life. There have been many times that my family and friends have reached out to help support me and contributed to my emotional wellbeing, and ultimately to my health.
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