Poolosophy

The May PoolSynergy is a wrap. The general topic is Poolosophy, your philosophy about pool. Many of the best and most commited owner/operators of pool websites are contributors to PoolSynergy. You can find a complete list of all of the May posts at this month's host, p00lriah. You can check out PoolBum's submission HERE. 

Poolosophy. That’s this month's PoolSynergy topic. Let me start by saying that as with many things, I think pool is a microcosm of life. How we react under the pressure of a tight match and a tough shot is parallel to how we deal with a similarly high pressure situation in our “regular” lives. The same can be said of any moment in a pool match. Do we win or lose with a sense of perspective and grace or not. When we have a comfortable lead do we let up or drive to the final victory? When faced with a seemingly insurmountable deficit do we work hard, against all odds, to close the gap or just give up? When failure is a certainty, do we protect our fragile ego by making excuses or blaming some outside force or do we take responsibility for our shortcomings? Do we practice with intensity to achieve our stated goals or avoid structured practice and the discipline it entails?

Think about it, why can something that ultimately boils down to shooting little balls into holes evoke so much emotion? It drives the people with weak character to cheat, even if no money is at stake. It causes others to smash an expensive cue, or give it away in a flurry of despair to a more “deserving” person. It can cause someone to have recurring nightmares or “daymares” of a key missed shot. Surely, the vast majority of “serious” players have a family and another source of income. So, why is it so important to us? And maybe more significant, what can we learn from this about ourselves?

That pool is a microcosm of my life is one of the factors that keeps me playing, keeps me struggling, or fills me with satisfaction when it’s going well and regardless, keeps me coming back for more. Maybe it’s the main reason. Whether aware of it or not, I believe this is true for most pool players. This is also why people invest so much of their emotions, so much of themselves and so much of their sense-of-self into it. In our minds and hearts it is a reflection of who we are. “I’m a pool player.” I can hear myself proudly saying this, even in the face of all the misperceptions and negative background static.

So, what can we glean from this? I think it’s important to be aware of this phenomenon, be conscious of it as it happens in your pool playing life. Why? Because it’s not really true. Your essential self is not dependent on your performance as a player or your wins versus losses. You are very much more than a pool player or a dentist or construction worker or whatever. These things make up the circumstances of our life and not the essence of our Life, who we are at the core. Becoming fully conscious of this illusion allows us to “play” in our life and not take it all so seriously. With this awareness can you imagine ever succumbing to the pressure of any shot. Could anything keep you from giving 100% attention to a shot if you chose to? Besides, pool and the rest of your life would be so much more fun.