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On August 31 2012 07:16 rogzardo wrote:
Truth hurts? It IS a video game. No matter how significant it is to you doesn't change that.
I praised you for getting out of your apartment, being social, and generally living a healthy life. Obsessions and dreams are great, and we all watch ours fade as we get older and realize we won't attain them. The difference for you is, now you've also developed as a person, learned social skills, and experienced a broader view of life.
Think how shitty it would be if you hadn't done that, and had stayed home, alone, playing starcraft all day. Odds are you'd know a lot less about yourself, would have missed out on ever having a hope of having a healthy romantic relationship, and would be further behind on whatever career path you're currently on.
There is no inherent good in video games other than they are entertaining.
EDIT: And this is coming from somebody who plays a shit ton of starcraft.
Don't listen to this guy. Starcraft is what you make of it, and if he wants to make it a meaningless nothing that he wastes time on, let him.
You made it something more. You made a new sort of life out of it, and that is what stirred my emotions while reading. In the end, you were writing about a dream, not about a game. Don't worry about the people that have never dreamed the way you did. They don't know anything.
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United States1082 Posts
On August 31 2012 07:16 rogzardo wrote:
Truth hurts? It IS a video game. No matter how significant it is to you doesn't change that.
I praised you for getting out of your apartment, being social, and generally living a healthy life. Obsessions and dreams are great, and we all watch ours fade as we get older and realize we won't attain them. The difference for you is, now you've also developed as a person, learned social skills, and experienced a broader view of life.
Think how shitty it would be if you hadn't done that, and had stayed home, alone, playing starcraft all day. Odds are you'd know a lot less about yourself, would have missed out on ever having a hope of having a healthy romantic relationship, and would be further behind on whatever career path you're currently on.
There is no inherent good in video games other than they are entertaining.
EDIT: And this is coming from somebody who plays a shit ton of starcraft.
Who are you to decide what has any inherent good or bad?
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Hey man, I wish I could relate to you. Truth is, I cant. I have to say though that this was amazing. It's not everyday that you read a blog that is written well enough to think about your humanity. 5/5 sir. It's never too old to pursue your dreams. I can't see starcraft 2 going down. Only way to go is up. ;]
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It's almost drained me of mental energy not to respond directly to the evangelists of mediocrity above, but OP, you're the person whose thoughts deserve attention here.
I don't know if reading this will help, but someone knows.
Someone knows what it's like to have had a dream that no one in their "real" world could comprehend, let alone accept without judgement and condescension.
Someone understands the secret joy that comes from each incremental step taken towards the fulfillment of that dream, and the hidden anguish that lingers years after trading it for the life one ought to want, the point at which most people would have disregarded it as a childish fantasy.
I know that someone exists, because that someone is me. From my perspective, your post was evidence that someone else can fathom that feeling, and if someone like that exists, maybe there are sometwo, or even somethree. Don't get me wrong, this reply isn't an exposition of schadenfreude, rather, an expression of comfort in knowing that, even if the people I'm fortunate enough to call my friends can't empathize, I'm not alone. And neither are you.
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logged in just to comment, it takes balls of steels of a real man to speak up like this, and i give my respect to you for that.
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So powerful! Makes you question what you're doing with your own life...
GL to you in the future with whatever you may do.
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I really shead a tear on this, mate. Amazingly written. The thing is, I'm kind of in your position. I've had that dream forever.
Alas, a lot of people have. Just gotta say, I actually let a tear slip there at the end.
Cheers.
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On August 29 2012 10:59 rogzardo wrote:
I have lol'd myself to sleep that so many people are 'deeply moved' by this.
It's a god damn video game. This dude actually left his house to go meet girls and go to parties. He made the right decision. If he had stayed in his apartment, by himself, playing starcraft all day, then he'd have a real reason to lament broken dreams and a wasted youth.
If this was about WoW, then perhaps you were right. But when someone tries to compete and be the best, it is never a waste of time. But i guess, there are people who are competitive and those who are not..
If someone can climb to the top in starcraft, then this person can do the same in every other aspect of life. this is what western philosophy is all about, taking on new challenges and pushing your boundaries, doing this is NEVER bad.
ps: to the OP....its never to late. even if you can only play 1 hour each day...if you do this every day consitently you will still have more games played then the average high master leaguer.
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On September 03 2012 05:56 SupplyBlockedTV wrote:Show nested quote +On August 29 2012 10:59 rogzardo wrote:
I have lol'd myself to sleep that so many people are 'deeply moved' by this.
It's a god damn video game. This dude actually left his house to go meet girls and go to parties. He made the right decision. If he had stayed in his apartment, by himself, playing starcraft all day, then he'd have a real reason to lament broken dreams and a wasted youth. If this was about WoW, then perhaps you were right. But when someone tries to compete and be the best, it is never a waste of time. But i guess, there are people who are competitive and those who are not.. If someone can climb to the top in starcraft, then this person can do the same in every other aspect of life. this is what western philosophy is all about, taking on new challenges and pushing your boundaries, doing this is NEVER bad. ps: to the OP....its never to late. even if you can only play 1 hour each day...if you do this every day consitently you will still have more games played then the average high master leaguer.
It is bad if you sacrifice things that are important for an end result that has no benefit. Sacrificing relationships, work, and health for a shot to make a relatively small amount of money makes sense? There's a reason that almost nobody older than early 20's does this. It sucks.
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On September 01 2012 09:30 EdgeSC wrote:
logged in just to comment, it takes balls of steels of a real man to speak up like this, and i give my respect to you for that.
I wanted to second that and also:
I am nearly an adult (which I define as > 30), and I have put a number of dreams to rest in the past. Having regrets from time to time is fine and it is a beautiful way to articulate them in a way that people can share. But in general:
there are no real regrets, only memories. You had something special, find something special new. It is somewhere around you now 
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this was truly amazing, dont give up on your dream!
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A beautifully written piece, your story is both inspirational, and saddening at the same time. The best of luck to you in finding yourself and where you truly want to be in life.
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5/5, will read again. Very good.
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On August 31 2012 07:16 rogzardo wrote:
Truth hurts? It IS a video game. No matter how significant it is to you doesn't change that.
I praised you for getting out of your apartment, being social, and generally living a healthy life. Obsessions and dreams are great, and we all watch ours fade as we get older and realize we won't attain them. The difference for you is, now you've also developed as a person, learned social skills, and experienced a broader view of life.
Think how shitty it would be if you hadn't done that, and had stayed home, alone, playing starcraft all day. Odds are you'd know a lot less about yourself, would have missed out on ever having a hope of having a healthy romantic relationship, and would be further behind on whatever career path you're currently on.
There is no inherent good in video games other than they are entertaining.
EDIT: And this is coming from somebody who plays a shit ton of starcraft.
Don't be so fucking stupid.
This blog isn't just about BroodWar, it's about something more universal. It's about the balance between giving up your life to achieve your dreams or letting that dream slip to fit in with everyone else and 'socialise' whilst living an inevitably normal and perhaps unfulfilling life. The regret comes from knowing that you could have achieved something that other people won't be able to, and the question that stems is: was the normal life worth it?
Would you say that sportsmen, or indeed almost anyone who has achieved success, 'wasted their youth' because instead of going out partying they worked to achieve their dream. No, me neither. In fact, that's probably the reason why sportsmen are revered - normal people realise they didn't have the dedication to get there, instead, they are sat on their sofas wishing they could swap lifes.
In this way, your view is very narrow and frustrating. It doesn't matter whether your dream is about becoming a progamer, an astronaut or to appear in the olympics. They all require sacrifice, and I know for me personally that if in the end I don't achieve my dreams, I will always have a bit of bitterness because like the OP I would realise that I would only be doing whatever I'm doing because I wasn't where I actually wanted to be. This is why the blog has such an emotional impact on a lot of readers - they've reached an age where they can no longer achieve certain dreams, and can only reflect on the what could have been.
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On September 05 2012 05:08 Ma wrote:Show nested quote +On August 31 2012 07:16 rogzardo wrote:
Truth hurts? It IS a video game. No matter how significant it is to you doesn't change that.
I praised you for getting out of your apartment, being social, and generally living a healthy life. Obsessions and dreams are great, and we all watch ours fade as we get older and realize we won't attain them. The difference for you is, now you've also developed as a person, learned social skills, and experienced a broader view of life.
Think how shitty it would be if you hadn't done that, and had stayed home, alone, playing starcraft all day. Odds are you'd know a lot less about yourself, would have missed out on ever having a hope of having a healthy romantic relationship, and would be further behind on whatever career path you're currently on.
There is no inherent good in video games other than they are entertaining.
EDIT: And this is coming from somebody who plays a shit ton of starcraft. Don't be so fucking stupid. This blog isn't just about BroodWar, it's about something more universal. It's about the balance between giving up your life to achieve your dreams or letting that dream slip to fit in with everyone else and 'socialise' whilst living an inevitably normal and perhaps unfulfilling life. The regret comes from knowing that you could have achieved something that other people won't be able to, and the question that stems is: was the normal life worth it? Would you say that sportsmen, or indeed almost anyone who has achieved success, 'wasted their youth' because instead of going out partying they worked to achieve their dream. No, me neither. In fact, that's probably the reason why sportsmen are revered - normal people realise they didn't have the dedication to get there, instead, they are sat on their sofas wishing they could swap lifes. In this way, your view is very narrow and frustrating. It doesn't matter whether your dream is about becoming a progamer, an astronaut or to appear in the olympics. They all require sacrifice, and I know for me personally that if in the end I don't achieve my dreams, I will always have a bit of bitterness because like the OP I would realise that I would only be doing whatever I'm doing because I wasn't where I actually wanted to be. This is why the blog has such an emotional impact on a lot of readers - they've reached an age where they can no longer achieve certain dreams, and can only reflect on the what could have been.
Except here the dream is to sit by yourself in an apartment clicking away on your comptuer for 16 hours a day. Inspiring.
Of course, thats if you're lucky, and made it out of your parent's basement.
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On September 05 2012 05:54 mynameisgreat11 wrote:Show nested quote +On September 05 2012 05:08 Ma wrote:On August 31 2012 07:16 rogzardo wrote:
Truth hurts? It IS a video game. No matter how significant it is to you doesn't change that.
I praised you for getting out of your apartment, being social, and generally living a healthy life. Obsessions and dreams are great, and we all watch ours fade as we get older and realize we won't attain them. The difference for you is, now you've also developed as a person, learned social skills, and experienced a broader view of life.
Think how shitty it would be if you hadn't done that, and had stayed home, alone, playing starcraft all day. Odds are you'd know a lot less about yourself, would have missed out on ever having a hope of having a healthy romantic relationship, and would be further behind on whatever career path you're currently on.
There is no inherent good in video games other than they are entertaining.
EDIT: And this is coming from somebody who plays a shit ton of starcraft. Don't be so fucking stupid. This blog isn't just about BroodWar, it's about something more universal. It's about the balance between giving up your life to achieve your dreams or letting that dream slip to fit in with everyone else and 'socialise' whilst living an inevitably normal and perhaps unfulfilling life. The regret comes from knowing that you could have achieved something that other people won't be able to, and the question that stems is: was the normal life worth it? Would you say that sportsmen, or indeed almost anyone who has achieved success, 'wasted their youth' because instead of going out partying they worked to achieve their dream. No, me neither. In fact, that's probably the reason why sportsmen are revered - normal people realise they didn't have the dedication to get there, instead, they are sat on their sofas wishing they could swap lifes. In this way, your view is very narrow and frustrating. It doesn't matter whether your dream is about becoming a progamer, an astronaut or to appear in the olympics. They all require sacrifice, and I know for me personally that if in the end I don't achieve my dreams, I will always have a bit of bitterness because like the OP I would realise that I would only be doing whatever I'm doing because I wasn't where I actually wanted to be. This is why the blog has such an emotional impact on a lot of readers - they've reached an age where they can no longer achieve certain dreams, and can only reflect on the what could have been. Except here the dream is to sit by yourself in an apartment clicking away on your comptuer for 16 hours a day. Inspiring.
Irrelevant.
I'm also banning you.
Edit: And since some of you are idiots, I guess you need it spelled out for you: the point is that we're all happier when we have a dream/goal/aim in life. Doesn't matter what it is.
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Man this was heartbreaking. I admire what you did and for sharing your story. Keep finding new goals.
"we're all happier when we have a dream/goal/aim in life." is so true.
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EPT
