Back and Better Than Ever / Playing to Not Lose?

Back in UT and man, it feels like that first breath of fresh air you get after you've been underwater for too long. Not to rag on Houston too much because I do have positives to draw from there, but nothing compares to the feeling I get knowing I'm in Austin. The atmosphere is buzzing, there's always something going on, the parties are bumping, there's no family to hold you down, and there are friends on every corner. Even the air feels cleaner.

I'm living in an apartment now. I'm rooming with my friend Pawan, so the first thought on my mind every time I open the door and walk in is, "Man, this place smells like Indian." At least his mom makes damned fantastic curry.

The apartment is plush and loaded, but since we're splitting a one-bedroom pad, the catch is that room for furnishing is kind of, how do i say this, lacking. Our dining room, living room, and study room are all consolidated into one room, and right now we haven't quite moved everything out yet. So, past the curry smell and light switches that either don't work or are placed in places of nonsense, we have random boxes of stuff lying everywhere and it kinda smells like curry when you come in.

Curry jokes aside, all the sophomore pre-med stuff is getting set up pretty legit so far. I've all but locked up a volunteering gig at a medical center surgery center, it's only a matter of time before my fine dining job calls me in for an interview, and I'm finally getting started on the research path. Even my classes seem damned interesting. Except for that physics class. Someone please tell me why, at the University of Texas, the physics professor has to spend the first two days of class explaining dimensional analysis, scientific notation, and basic graphical analysis. Please. I almost fell out of my chair out of pure boredom. Or insult.

On a last note, I found this New York Times article on the psychology of losing, pretty interesting.

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http://www.docsheadgames.com/2008/08/cerebral-matter_29.html

“There is a huge amount of social and psychological forces keeping people from quitting,” Ori Brafman said. He gave an example of an experiment by a Harvard professor who auctioned off a $20 bill. The catch was that while the winner got the $20, the bidder who came in second had to pay the amount of his bid, but got nothing in return.

The experiment was done repeatedly with a variety of participants, and most bidders dropped out at about $12, usually leaving two to fight it out, Mr. Brafman said.

“They didn’t want to be a sucker, paying $12 for nothing,” he said. The record? A bid of $204 for a $20 bill.

“Rather than thinking about winning, they’re playing not to lose,” he said…

… “It is as important to teach someone how to quit as staying committed,” he said. “Lots of times people just stop showing up, and that’s wrong.” Rather, he suggested, say something like “ ‘I tried to work it out, and this not a good match for me.’ Do it in a responsible manner.”

The truth is, it sometimes shows more courage to leave than to stay. (NYT)