Josh Waitzkin

You're learning how each chess principle connects to every other art you could ever study. Then this web of interconnectedness is forming in your mind. Then when you take on something else, you're able to cross the level over really naturally. In many ways, that's a big part of my life's work is the study of that interconnectedness.

You're learning how each chess principle connects to every other art you could ever study. Then this web of interconnectedness is forming in your mind. Then when you take on something else, you're able to cross the level over really naturally. In many ways, that's a big part of my life's work is the study of that interconnectedness.

You're learning how each chess principle connects to every other art you could ever study. Then this web of interconnectedness is forming in your mind. Then when you take on something else, you're able to cross the level over really naturally. In many ways, that's a big part of my life's work is the study of that interconnectedness.

Yeah, a language I use for this is the passage from the pre-conscious to the post-conscious competitor or artist. And up until 15, I would relate to myself as the pre-conscious competitor. I love chess. It was free-flowing. I love the battle. I love the competition. I love the ass-kicking and the kicking ass. I just love the fucking battle of the thing.

Yeah, a language I use for this is the passage from the pre-conscious to the post-conscious competitor or artist. And up until 15, I would relate to myself as the pre-conscious competitor. I love chess. It was free-flowing. I love the battle. I love the competition. I love the ass-kicking and the kicking ass. I just love the fucking battle of the thing.

Yeah, a language I use for this is the passage from the pre-conscious to the post-conscious competitor or artist. And up until 15, I would relate to myself as the pre-conscious competitor. I love chess. It was free-flowing. I love the battle. I love the competition. I love the ass-kicking and the kicking ass. I just love the fucking battle of the thing.

And then I fell in love for the first time when I was 15. The movie came out after that. And I started studying existentialist literature. I started reflecting on the absurdity of it all. I started to become present to the fact that these were just 64 squares and 32 pieces. Like I was spending my life studying this fucking box, wooden box.

And then I fell in love for the first time when I was 15. The movie came out after that. And I started studying existentialist literature. I started reflecting on the absurdity of it all. I started to become present to the fact that these were just 64 squares and 32 pieces. Like I was spending my life studying this fucking box, wooden box.

And then I fell in love for the first time when I was 15. The movie came out after that. And I started studying existentialist literature. I started reflecting on the absurdity of it all. I started to become present to the fact that these were just 64 squares and 32 pieces. Like I was spending my life studying this fucking box, wooden box.

Like the construct, the absurdity of being stuck in that construct became clear to me. And then I was... becoming more and more self-conscious about how what I was doing was perceived by others. And I got lost in all of that. And in many ways, the journey, some people don't run into that for a long time.

Like the construct, the absurdity of being stuck in that construct became clear to me. And then I was... becoming more and more self-conscious about how what I was doing was perceived by others. And I got lost in all of that. And in many ways, the journey, some people don't run into that for a long time.

Like the construct, the absurdity of being stuck in that construct became clear to me. And then I was... becoming more and more self-conscious about how what I was doing was perceived by others. And I got lost in all of that. And in many ways, the journey, some people don't run into that for a long time.

There are some chess players that just become insanely strong without ever reflecting on the absurdity of the fact that they're just playing chess. And that's a great liberation. The moment you become aware of the fact that you're mortal, that you can get your ass kicked, that your arm can break, that you can die, That what you're doing is absurd. Like you get locked up by that knowledge. Right.

There are some chess players that just become insanely strong without ever reflecting on the absurdity of the fact that they're just playing chess. And that's a great liberation. The moment you become aware of the fact that you're mortal, that you can get your ass kicked, that your arm can break, that you can die, That what you're doing is absurd. Like you get locked up by that knowledge. Right.

There are some chess players that just become insanely strong without ever reflecting on the absurdity of the fact that they're just playing chess. And that's a great liberation. The moment you become aware of the fact that you're mortal, that you can get your ass kicked, that your arm can break, that you can die, That what you're doing is absurd. Like you get locked up by that knowledge. Right.

And there's so many different forms that can take or the moment you like, for example, Boston Celtics, like they like you're hungering to win a world championship and then you win the NBA finals. Suddenly everything changes. Your relationship, your motivation changes, all the reasons you're doing it.

And there's so many different forms that can take or the moment you like, for example, Boston Celtics, like they like you're hungering to win a world championship and then you win the NBA finals. Suddenly everything changes. Your relationship, your motivation changes, all the reasons you're doing it.

And there's so many different forms that can take or the moment you like, for example, Boston Celtics, like they like you're hungering to win a world championship and then you win the NBA finals. Suddenly everything changes. Your relationship, your motivation changes, all the reasons you're doing it.

are no longer valid in some ways because now you've accomplished the thing you always dreamed of and you have to discover. It's true in any form of competition or art, in my experience, is that there comes a moment where someone's consciousness becomes more complicated and they can't just return to the innocence they had before because you can't do that. You can't put it back in the box. It's out.

are no longer valid in some ways because now you've accomplished the thing you always dreamed of and you have to discover. It's true in any form of competition or art, in my experience, is that there comes a moment where someone's consciousness becomes more complicated and they can't just return to the innocence they had before because you can't do that. You can't put it back in the box. It's out.