The reasoning behind "Don't win". Hunter×Hunter and Essays in Idleness.

Shibuya Psychosomatic Medicine・You Mental Clinic Secret Column "Studying Hunter×Hunter and Essays in Idleness, the reasoning behind 'Don't win.'" 



Now, are you familiar with the Weekly Shonen Jump manga "Hunter×Hunter," which is highly praised and currently on hiatus?

This is a manga where characters use a supernatural power called Nen, and they "Hunt" various things.

　

Among them, there is an enemy character called Pariston.

(c)Shueisha/Yoshihiro Togashi (Same below)

Although his full name "Pariston Hill" is without a doubt a reference to a certain hotel celebrity.

Personally, I find this character quite intriguing.

　

He certainly isn't a character strong at fighting.

However, at the same time, as a villain, and as a person, I think he may be a character with the greatest kind of strength.

 

Then what specifically is the kind of strength he has?

To sum it up briefly, it's not trying to win.

　

There is a character called "Cheadle" written to be a contrasted to him.

 

She says this,

"How can I win against him?"

　

And this is then explained to her,

 

"That guy isn't trying to win."
"He isn't trying to lose either."

　

"That's why he's strong."

　

Seeing this, I thought, "Ah, I understand."

But do you understand the meaning?

　

Actually, the 110th passage in the classic "Essays in Idleness" has this kind of content.

———————————–

双六の上手といひし人に、その手立を問ひ侍りしかば、

「勝たんと打つべからず。負けじと打つべきなり。いづれの手か疾く負けぬべきと案じて、その手を使はずして、一目なりともおそく負くべき手につくべし」と言ふ。

道を知れる教、身を治め、国を保たん道も、またしかなり。

———————————–

 

If translated into broken modern dialect, it looks like this.

 

———————————–

When a person good at sugoroku was asked how they did it, they answered

"You can't play to win. You must play to avoid losing.
Never play a move that makes you think 'I might lose if I play there...!',
but play moves that push losing just a little further away."

                                                        

You can tell they're the words of someone who's mastered their craft.
This may even work as a way to improve yourself, or rule a country.

———————————–

 

I think "You can't play to win. You must play to avoid losing." is very deep. What do you think?

"Sugoroku" is mentioned here.

It's not the modern day game of throwing dice to move toward the goal.

 

It uses dice, but since it's a battle of wits, it may be best to consider it similar to shogi or go.

Well, in other words, you can consider "双六の上手" to mean a "Pro at the game."

According to this person, the secret of this game ends up being

"Don't try to win. Make it so you don't lose"

                                                           

 

In short, the philosophy of Hunter×Hunter's "Pariston" is also written in Essays in Idleness, and is the greatest trick in a match.

I wonder if this is a coincidence.
I wonder if Essays in Idleness will be known as "Idle×Essay" in the near future. Probably not.

　
Nothing is written in Essays in Idleness concerning the reasoning behind "You can't play to win. You must play to avoid losing."

However, if I were to apply my own reasoning, it would look like this.

 

◆　What does it mean to want to win...?

First of all before anything else, the more you want to win, the more weaknesses appear.
In kendo, you're torso is defenseless the moment you prepare a large swing, and if it's in boxing, you'd be targeted by counter punches.

Also, trying to win is also the same as underestimating your opponent by that much.

"If I play something like this, my opponent probably won't realize my true objective...! Rather, I don't want them to...!"

This flow causes you to stop thinking.

In addition, you can start to wish "there's no doubt my opponent is a low-level person."

There's even a danger of your opponent pulling the rug out from under you from that carelessness.

Also, from your thought process stopping, you will gradually become a low-level person yourself. You won't grow.

In contrast, the person who tries to avoid losing always highly estimates their opponent's ability.

"If I play this, what if they play something even better...?"

"There might be a better play I'm not seeing...!"

 

Continuing to think like that results in your own level increasing.

By repeating this, the one who ends up getting stronger in the end is of course the latter person.

　

Cheadle, who is in fact a rival, says this a lot.

"It's impossible for you now."
"It's useless!"

In other words, this character is only thinking about winning, and is underestimating their opponent.
As a result, she stops thinking about the plays her opponent could make, and ends up losing.

 

◆　To win means to dislike the battle.

Furthermore, looking at "I want to win!" from a different perspective, it reveals feelings of "I want to hurry up and win so the match can be over, and I can take it easy!"

In other words, they're thinking, "This match is hard on me."

 

However, "I want to make it so I don't lose" is a measure of how much resolve you have to endure a long-term match.

As a result, you may even be able to proactively think, "Let's have fun."

A person who thinks, "I want to hurry up and get out of the water," and a person who thinks, "I love the water! I love being underwater!"

When competing at "Who can stay underwater the longest," the winner would probably be the latter.

　

It's even said about him in the manga that "He just wants to have a good time."

 

Compared to that, Cheadle is impatient, and can't enjoy any of it.
As a result, she ends up losing.

 

◆　Winning is momentary. What about "Not losing"...?

Furthermore, when thinking about your entire life...

An even bigger difference arises.

Winning is only momentary.

It's accomplished if you say, "I won!" even once.

Taken to the extreme, if you try your best for just a day, or a period of time, it is possible to win.

However, not losing is a long-term state.

In order to avoid losing even once, you have to continue to exert effort over your entire life.

　
For example,
"I was responsible for some pretty amazing jobs, back in my day."
"I was hot stuff too, back in my day."
Are people like that attractive? People who say that all the time, but are currently doing nothing?

You would probably answer no.

But people who work their hardest every day to avoid losing, they must be plenty attractive just from that alone.

Winning just once at something is actually not that impressive.
What's important is to always stay not losing.

This character Pariston ends up controlling the match in the end.

He explains the reason for his victory like this.

In his head, he thought, "I thought there was no way I could win."

He's always thinking of the worst-case scenario, and taking steps to prevent it.

 

He even has lines like this.

Regarding an enemy character to him called Ging, he says he "Trusts him as an enemy."

　

That's why he trusts his enemy to always take the best path.

　

On top of that expectation, he took the maximum specialized countermeasures for them, so victory fell into his hands.

　

It's refreshing in a way.

"Believe in the power of your friends" is line that often appears in your typical battle manga.
However, starting to think like this leads to a bad way of thinking.
It's because you aren't thinking of "What if the power of my friends is less than I anticipated?" So if that happens, of course you'll lose.

In that way, I think "Believing in the power of your enemy" is a much more praiseworthy and wonderful way of thinking.
　

◆　It's actually more fun to "Avoid losing."

Now, have you understood that compared to Winning, making it so you don't lose is much harder and more important?

However, there's no need to worry that "I can't do something that difficult."

Depending on your way of thinking, it's much more interesting, and you might be able to last longer.

Comparing it to a game, it's like a minigame that you repeat every day.

 

In the past there was a game called "Space Invaders."

It's a game where you fight off invaders that slowly move down, assailing you.

You clear each stage by defeating all of its enemies, but the stages endlessly continue.

 

There is no defeating a boss to clear the game.

In the end, it's a defensive battle, but even so, there was a huge boom.

 

Actually, most of the popular phone games are mini games.

On the other hand, a huge game that was popular recently in which you "Spend weeks and months trying to find and defeat the demon lord, who you don't know the location of" currently doesn't have too many players.

Because rather than a large victory someday, it's much more simple and fun to succeed in a defensive battle every day.

You can also think of it like that.

This Pariston is also constantly grinning...

 

In order to avoid losing, he proactively makes proposals that make it hard on himself, and enjoys it.

　

To avoid losing is something that makes people lively more than anything else...
That kind of message may be hiding here.

 

◆　What are methods to avoid losing...?

In any case, it's important to avoid losing.

As long as you don't lose, your rival may make a bad play during the match.

They may inadvertently show a weakness from exhaustion, or give up.

It may seem like the long way around at first glance, but it's the best way to play a match above anything else.

 

Then, what do you have to do to "Avoid losing"?

 

Broadly speaking, there are two methods.

 

◆　What to do when things are hard for you...?

Method one.

Think, "If it's hard for me, it must also be hard for my opponent."

 

The fact that you're still continuing the match actually means that you're on the same level as your opponent.

If your strength were completely different, you would be defeated in an instant, without even having time to think, "I'll try not to lose."

Thinking right now that "I'll try not to lose!" means you're fighting at the same level.

That's why, at any rate, just remember, "It's not just hard for me" and relax.

 

◆　Stand for just another 30 minutes.

And the other method.

On the premise that "It's also hard for my opponent" as a base, think "I'll keep standing here for just another 30 minutes."

No matter what is said to you, or what kind of attack you receive, never accept defeat.

Making any kind of a counterargument is good; it's even fine if you ignore it.

 

Never running away or surrendering, just think "Stand for just another 30 minutes" on the battlefield.

 

If you're in negotiations, continue negotiating for another 30 minutes, without giving up.

Before long, you may see an opening, or a silver lining.
 

It's the same even in love.

It's this way with any kind of date, but it's pretty hard to come by "One line that will make anyone fall for me."

That is truly a method for winning.

Searching too much for those kinds of lines puts the match at risk.

Rather than that, what's important is to just gradually express your affection while continuing the date.

 

Along the way, various things may happen like,

"It turns out they already have a lover"

"I didn't really like their attitude"

"Even though I confessed, I didn't get a good response"

Which would lower your excitement.

 

However!

Even then, you shouldn't lose.

Even during those times, just think, "I'll continue the date another 30 minutes, and continue flirting."

If you can do this, affection may even bloom in your partner, and you'll ultimately be more popular.

 

 

◆　No matter what kind of fight it is.

It's the same even for fights that aren't one on one.

Even if you're competing against every other person in the world.

After all, if you're thinking it's hard on you, then everyone else will be thinking it's hard on them.

 

At that time, just think, "I'll stand just 30 minutes longer than the person next to me."

You may be able to fight more easily in 30 minutes compared to right now.

You may even find some kind of new discovery.

And if 30 minutes passes and it seems like you're about to lose, please think, "Just 30 minutes longer."
Of course, there may be a limit to how much you can do this, but you will be able to avoid defeat much longer compared to people who don't know about the "Just 30 minutes more" way of thinking.
 

Once more, this is what the greatest trick in a match is.

 

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
◆　This time's summary.
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

○　You can't play to win. You must play to avoid losing.

○　More than winning, trying to avoid losing is much more difficult and fun.

○　What's important to not losing is thinking, "I'll stand for just another 30 minutes."

 

 

◆　In closing.

In life, what is the number one biggest defeat?

It goes without saying.

It's "Dying."

 

Once you die, there's no coming back.

No matter what kind of situation you're in, please just don't choose to die.

 

That's right.
As long as you're alive, you "Haven't lost."

The fact that you're alive here today means that you haven't lost up until yesterday.

So, please be at ease.

 

Then what's the second largest defeat?

It is losing by default.

Doing nothing, even though you wanted to do something. Putting it off to later.

And eternally never even making it to the game board.

This is losing by default, the second largest defeat.

 

 

It's fine even if you don't win.

Even if you fail, you can just try again, making course changes as many times as it takes.

As long as you keep repeating that, you haven't lost.

I'll say it again.

 

"You can't play to win. You must play to avoid losing."

 

Not losing is much more important than winning.

 

(End)

By the way, about Hunter×Hunter.

It has drama greater than the action of a shonen magazine; I think it's really an amazing manga.

If only the author wasn't on hiatus.

In any case, I highly recommend it, give it a try.

 

Thank you very much for reading this far.

(c)Shueisha/Yoshihiro Togashi    This site uses parts of images for the purpose of introduction and quotation.

Translated from: http://yusb.net/col/777.html

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