This famous poem by Rudyard Kipling from 1895 incorporates an unusual amount of Asian wisdom

(with a zen-like embrace of paradox) for something written by a Westerner, but Kipling did work and
travel extensively in India and Asia. It can be used as a source of aphorisms useful as Go metaproverbs.
[edit]
If
by Rudyard Kipling
1 If you can keep your head when all about you
2 Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
3 If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
4 But make allowance for their doubting too,
5 If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
6 Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
7 Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
8 And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
9 If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master,
10 If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim;
11 If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
12 And treat those two impostors just the same;
13 If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
14 Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
15 Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
16 And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
17 If you can make one heap of all your winnings
18 And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
19 And lose, and start again at your beginnings
20 And never breath a word about your loss;
21 If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
22 To serve your turn long after they are gone,
23 And so hold on when there is nothing in you
24 Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
25 If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
26 Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch,
27 If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
28 If all men count with you, but none too much,
29 If you can fill the unforgiving minute
30 With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
31 Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
32 And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son!

Go Analysis
Lines 1 to 4 concern the importance of self-confidence but not at the expense of over-confidence.
Internal psychology and mental discipline are important components of Go play and improvement in
those areas is sometimes a benefit derived from playing.
Line 5 reminds us of the importance of patience. For example, in a handicap game, White must
patiently accumulate territory when possible.
Line 9 applies to moyos (among other things) which should be expected to beinvaded.

Line 10 reminds us to avoid Go addiction.

Lines 11 and 12 form the two most famous lines of the poem. It is inscribed above the entry way at the
Wimbledon center tennis court. A quote by Nakayama Noriyukiis a propos: "Winning is enjoyable, but
losing does not detract from the pleasure of playing." So is one by Cho Hun-hyeon: "Instead of trying to
win every game, I think one should try their best to make good plays and thus create game records
that one can be proud of."
Lines 15 and 16 advise us to continue fighting if a group we thought was living dies.
Lines 17-20 have application to behavior in Go server chat rooms and club rooms. Repeated whining
about losses is not respected.
Lines 21-24 show up in Go as a stylistic attitude sometimes epitomize by Korean fighting style or play
by TheCaptain on KGS. If it is taken to an extreme, beyond the point of an obvious defeat, it leads to
annoying time-wasting moves: Stubborn Playand Wasting Time in a Lost Game and Continue while
Dozens of Points Behind.
Lines 25 and 26 remind us that daring and imaginative moves seen in professionalgames should not
be misapplied at the expense of the fundamental principles of Go. Also, players should not only play
stronger players, but should also play weaker players to help the community that helps them.
Line 27 deals with the social aspect of Go.
Line 28 counsels us to not slavishly follow the advice of stronger players, but to take charge of one's
own role in finding a way in Go.
Line 29 and 30 deal with time management in games, including thinking on your opponent's time. One
must also fill the wider life with time well spent. Carpe diem! Seize the day (and the night).
posted by bexterkane at 01:07 - Email this item