Do you have a "learning style"? Maybe not

[Imac007]

In theory, maybe it's sad, but happiness is never sadness, so if someone's happy, that's what matters.

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, would call it self delusion, when we let Heuristics and Biases, skew our decisions.
To quote the Beatles, Happiness is a Warm Gun, isn’t a metaphor for shooting a hot stick.
In a pop psychology and newest fad universe, a fool and his money are soon parted, happiness oriented or not.
An ad for carbon fiber recently was extolling how their latest offering had a hit like real wood???
$500 or so for a shaft that’s easy to wipe clean and doesn’t dent like wood, not saying it isn’t an advancement but, “a hit that feels like wood” as a decision criteria???
PT Barnum stuff.
Making bad decisions is likely part of the problem for magic bullet seekers not part of the solution.
Shuffling the context deck so “happiness“ is the top card used for judging coaching efficacy, seems extreme.
I’m guessing from your tone, which is hard to hear here, you view the happy pill effect, as a consolation prize.

 

[gerryf]

I don't have a basement - but I'm sure u are apart of the underground cowards - cower in yr media'awchrety - 1984. Last two times he competed against me - he got pulverized on the tight equip - I see no need to beat a fake record horse. See if yer pal schmidtty would like to play me here in MO one on one - on a tight Diamond table - he is probly still having nightmares from his last two attempts i.e. (TAR). u may find he chooses to stick to his theater show and the 5" pockets tournaments. u lost yer luster - long ago. I see u choose a fake avatar name, makes sense - many cowards find it to be fun to hide - kinda like j.s/c.w/ and bca with their 626 proof - or I should say lack there of. Have a good day doin' yer satellite imagery - proceed wit caution as the honest pipes are calling yer real name.

Danny! There you are! Your avatar proclaims yourself "One of the best in 14.1", but you don't seem to show up in any tournaments. I understand you beat John Schmidt about 15 years ago in a 'split-decision'. Done anything lately?

 

[FranCrimi]

Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, would call it self delusion, when we let Heuristics and Biases, skew our decisions.
To quote the Beatles, Happiness is a Warm Gun, isn’t a metaphor for shooting a hot stick.
In a pop psychology and newest fad universe, a fool and his money are soon parted, happiness oriented or not.
An ad for carbon fiber recently was extolling how their latest offering had a hit like real wood???
$500 or so for a shaft that’s easy to wipe clean and doesn’t dent like wood, not saying it isn’t an advancement but, “a hit that feels like wood” as a decision criteria???
PT Barnum stuff.
Making bad decisions is likely part of the problem for magic bullet seekers not part of the solution.
Shuffling the context deck so “happiness“ is the top card used for judging coaching efficacy, seems extreme.
I’m guessing from your tone, which is hard to hear here, you view the happy pill effect, as a consolation prize.

You can't suddenly make someone smarter or more aware. People are who they are. Even if you were to take them aside and try to explain to them that they're getting bad advice, they will continue to be who they are. Of course there are exceptions, but as a teacher, you should be a good judge of character and know which ones you can approach and which ones you should leave alone.

People who fall for bad advice are usually sucked in by the friendly personality of the person teaching them. They feel comfortable with that person. I'm not a psychologist, but I studied this stuff a bit. It satisfies a need within them that goes beyond the information they're receiving.

So for those players who won't change --- at least they're happy.

 

[Pin]

People who fall for bad advice are usually sucked in by the friendly personality of the person teaching them. They feel comfortable with that person. I'm not a psychologist, but I studied this stuff a bit. It satisfies a need within them that goes beyond the information they're receiving.

As a bit of a magic bulleter in the past, I'd say that when you really *want* to believe you've found the answer, you're very susceptible to anyone / anything that presents itself as an answer.

I think the magic bulleter is looking for the fast improvement (s)he experienced as a beginner, and doesn't fully understand that the long path of improvement feels like plateaus going nowhere. (This is basically reiterating Leonard's Mastery.)

In pool the problem is worse because if you don't have your own table and finances / other commitments / practicalities mean you can't spend much time at a table, the 'correct' path of improvement isn't even open to you.

 

[Pin]

Shuffling the context deck so “happiness“ is the top card used for judging coaching efficacy, seems extreme.
I’m guessing from your tone, which is hard to hear here, you view the happy pill effect, as a consolation prize.

I know this forum has some exceptional players, Fran (and possibly Imac) included.
But most students, we're never going above shortstop level, and even that's a big ask for most.

Seeking greater meaning in pool is madness anyway. But if the best you're going to get to is shortstop, there's not much meaning beyond happiness.

Honestly I think I'm having an existential mid-life crisis anyway.

 

[Dan White]

I know this forum has some exceptional players, Fran (and possibly Imac) included.
But most students, we're never going above shortstop level, and even that's a big ask for most.

Seeking greater meaning in pool is madness anyway. But if the best you're going to get to is shortstop, there's not much meaning beyond happiness.

Honestly I think I'm having an existential mid-life crisis anyway.

Why don't you put that thing in your avatar on your head and maybe you'll feel better?

 

[Pin]

Why don't you put that thing in your avatar on your head and maybe you'll feel better?

He does look pretty happy

 

[Imac007]

I know this forum has some exceptional players, Fran (and possibly Imac) included.
But most students, we're never going above shortstop level, and even that's a big ask for most.

Seeking greater meaning in pool is madness anyway. But if the best you're going to get to is shortstop, there's not much meaning beyond happiness.

Honestly I think I'm having an existential mid-life crisis anyway.

I repeat, consolation prize.

 

[Dan Harriman]

That's hardly the point. Win or lose, he's out there competing against the best in the world while you're writing countless posts all saying basically the same thing. By now, everyone and their brother knows you hate JS. So what, nobody cares. The only way you can gain any credibility is going out and playing in some big events. Maybe not the American 14.1, the field there is a little too tough.

It would seem ur uh little upset about me defeating yer buddy js or volaria (what ever his real name is) the last two times. Any tournament promoter that would allow a player to compete in their event - who is in the market for stealing American Sports History records - without providing genuine proof to Open Public - well lets just say I would not choose to be in that crooked company. I asked you in my 'is 626 legit thread' if u thought The Smithsonian Institute would accept a chopped video as legit evidence - I received no reply from u. I guess that question was too tough for u to reply to, keep betting against me when I play yer paper champ js (as u probly did the last two times) - lol u'll' continue to walk lighter. I notice like many coward sales people u use the nomenclatures 'everyone in their brother' and 'nobody cares' - these are loser terms for people who go through life with excuses for being a failure "Natural Born Loser - u r". The tar event where I defeated js was a 'Big Event' on respectable equip. the north american 14.1 = pool hall tournament (huge pockets for losers ie u and js should love that format) no thanks - if Peter Burrows event was too tough for me - how come I have won it twice already? So I will ask u the same question again (funny it did not seem to a loaded question). Do u think The Smithsonian Institute will recognize js's and easy street's chopped 626 video as genuine evidence? If u choose to continue to correlate wit me - u'll have to answer that pertinent question. U and js r indeed shortstop playas' in my view. The easy street phony 626 is nothing more than click bait i.e. deception. If u can not answer why The Smithsonian will not accept a chopped video as definitive evidence - u have no point.

 

[Dan Harriman]

Any learning style is good - as long as it is an honest attempt. as for the dishonest attempts - they eventuallee' learn bout the school of hard knocks. It goes without saying that Martial Arts - is not based off of deception.

 

[Fatboy]

I’m a slow learner

 

[Dan Harriman]

Seeking greater meaning in pool is madness anyway.

This is not accurate, I think the forum can tell yer depressed or in crisis mode pin#. Correction - greater meaning IS achievable through Billiards.

 

[Imac007]

Any learning style is good - as long as it is an honest attempt. as for the dishonest attempts - they eventuallee' learn bout the school of hard knocks. It goes without saying that Martial Arts - is not based off of deception.

There is no meaning without context.
Learning is a context.
All contexts have evaluative criteria through which choices are made.
Priorities are set with a larger framework which includes the constraints we put on the process.
I can‘t generate a possible scenario in which “learning” can be labeled honest or dishonest.
Lifelong learning is a standard that should benefit all players.

 

[Pin]

This is not accurate, I think the forum can tell yer depressed or in crisis mode pin#. Correction - greater meaning IS achievable through Billiards.

Let's not get carried away, I'm managing!
Coming at greater meaning from a philosophical perspective, I'm with Camus - there's none, at least none that we can know right now, and the best we can do is make meaning for ourselves. But I think the people who get existentially morbid about it are probably inherently prone to depressed attitudes, and the lack of greater meaning just seems to fit with how they feel. If you feel happy and there's no greater meaning, what do you do? Carry on with your life.

I don't mean to dismiss 'Man's Search for Meaning' and the effect of purpose. It's very valuable, but I don't think that long-term it would make the difference between an existential depressive and a happy person.

As an aside, I've been talking to a couple of people whose hobbies are hand-crafting things recently, and it occurs to me that most people doing sports really only please themselves (and even for the pro-level elite, if Joe X wasn't the top player, Billy Y would be instead, so there's no real loss to the fans). Whereas if your hobby is making something beautiful, or performing music or something, it maybe contributes to both your own pleasure and someone else's.
Oh well.

 

[evergruven]

As an aside, I've been talking to a couple of people whose hobbies are hand-crafting things recently, and it occurs to me that most people doing sports really only please themselves (and even for the pro-level elite, if Joe X wasn't the top player, Billy Y would be instead, so there's no real loss to the fans). Whereas if your hobby is making something beautiful, or performing music or something, it maybe contributes to both your own pleasure and someone else's.
Oh well.

personally, I often find fine athletes akin to fine musicians- what instrument would efren play? anyway, a pool cue seems to work well enough.
to serious fans, not sure I agree with the narrative that joe x and billy y are exchangeable. casual is of course another story, and not just in sports.
otherwise, and as ever, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. but that's exactly why it's good that people do what calls to them. "wage beauty"-

 

[gerryf]

It would seem ur uh little upset about me defeating yer buddy js or volaria (what ever his real name is) the last two times. Any tournament promoter that would allow a player to compete in their event - who is in the market for stealing American Sports History records - without providing genuine proof to Open Public - well lets just say I would not choose to be in that crooked company. I asked you in my 'is 626 legit thread' if u thought The Smithsonian Institute would accept a chopped video as legit evidence - I received no reply from u. I guess that question was too tough for u to reply to, keep betting against me when I play yer paper champ js (as u probly did the last two times) - lol u'll' continue to walk lighter. I notice like many coward sales people u use the nomenclatures 'everyone in their brother' and 'nobody cares' - these are loser terms for people who go through life with excuses for being a failure "Natural Born Loser - u r". The tar event where I defeated js was a 'Big Event' on respectable equip. the north american 14.1 = pool hall tournament (huge pockets for losers ie u and js should love that format) no thanks - if Peter Burrows event was too tough for me - how come I have won it twice already? So I will ask u the same question again (funny it did not seem to a loaded question). Do u think The Smithsonian Institute will recognize js's and easy street's chopped 626 video as genuine evidence? If u choose to continue to correlate wit me - u'll have to answer that pertinent question. U and js r indeed shortstop playas' in my view. The easy street phony 626 is nothing more than click bait i.e. deception. If u can not answer why The Smithsonian will not accept a chopped video as definitive evidence - u have no point.

Danny! You're still at it!! It's good that you're motivated but your spelling is getting worse.

But to answer your question, which has been answered many times before, the Smithsonian doesn't certify records. They have the 'cultural artifacts' that Willie Mosconi donated to them, and they display them. You can see them online - the Smithsonian has pictures!!

If you're looking for straight-pool records you have to go to the BCA that does sanction records.

I think you'll understand this eventually, but you have to keep trying, and repeat it to yourself over and over - "The BCA has certified John Schmidt's 626 run as the world record".

See?

 

[FranCrimi]

personally, I often find fine athletes akin to fine musicians- what instrument would efren play? anyway, a pool cue seems to work well enough.
to serious fans, not sure I agree with the narrative that joe x and billy y are exchangeable. casual is of course another story, and not just in sports.
otherwise, and as ever, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. but that's exactly why it's good that people do what calls to them. "wage beauty"-

I like that! What instrument would pool players play if they were musicians? I think Efren would be a violinist. What would you be?

 

[FranCrimi]

.....As an aside, I've been talking to a couple of people whose hobbies are hand-crafting things recently, and it occurs to me that most people doing sports really only please themselves (and even for the pro-level elite, if Joe X wasn't the top player, Billy Y would be instead, so there's no real loss to the fans). Whereas if your hobby is making something beautiful, or performing music or something, it maybe contributes to both your own pleasure and someone else's.
Oh well.

I struggled with this too and it hurt me in a lot of ways because I felt guilty about my selfishness from time-to-time as I worked on my game and pretty much ignored things that were going on around me. Then I'd stop and give myself a reality check, and it would immediately hurt my game.

So, is there such a thing as finding balance when you're striving for excellence? The answer is no. Not if you're truly striving for excellence, and it doesn't matter what it is. The process is a selfish process while you are going through it. If the person struggles with it and is unwilling to accept it, then they will achieve something less than excellence in the end. Your comment is about the end result, but there's a whole lot the comes before that.

It's rare, but some people can go it alone, but most people can't. They need at least one person in their corner, protecting them from being affected by things around them, removing all sense of guilt, so that they can achieve excellence. For me, the times when there was someone in my corner and when I was protected, were the times when I soared the most.

 

[evergruven]

I like that! What instrument would pool players play if they were musicians? I think Efren would be a violinist. What would you be?

hi fran, I can also picture efren with a violin- an instrument capable of both great strength as well as impressive fragility
it's also an instrument that requires deceptive precision/feel to play well..it looks easy to control, but it's not (I've tried)
I think of efren that way..he nearly always makes it looks easy, he makes it look like there should be no other way to play
but once in awhile, the balls just don't cooperate..one thing I love about effie tho, is that even his misses look good ^_^

and given our current convo, how timely is that I just began reading ray martin's book, feat. the following passage??

 

[FranCrimi]

hi fran, I can also picture efren with a violin- an instrument capable of both great strength as well as impressive fragility
it's also an instrument that requires deceptive precision/feel to play well..it looks easy to control, but it's not (I've tried)
I think of efren that way..he nearly always makes it looks easy, he makes it look like there should be no other way to play
but once in awhile, the balls just don't cooperate..one thing I love about effie tho, is that even his misses look good ^_^

and given our current convo, how timely is that I just began reading ray martin's book, feat. the following passage??

I'd say it was perfect timing.

I think a lot of people don't realize how much of an artist Ray was and still is. I've sat in the stands and watched him play many times and have had many hours of conversations with him and I've always felt that he had the mentality of a true artist of his craft. He always stayed quiet within himself and focused on his game. Everyone knew he was in the room, because of who he is, but if not for that no one would know he was there. He stayed pretty much to himself.