The Silent Wisdom of Chess

There's a certain beauty in the game of chess, one that extends far beyond the board itself.

Take a stroll through Bryant Park, and you'll find people of all ethnicities and backgrounds connecting for a brief moment over 64 checkered squares. These are people who've probably never met and are unlikely to meet again. However, within that moment, there exists a shared understanding, a sense of camaraderie, and an appreciation of someone else with whom to play the game.

The world could learn much from the silent wisdom of the chessboard.

When a match begins, there exists a mutual respect between opponents. Players are unaware of the skill or strategies of their rival, and their opinion of each other slowly develops as the game is played.

This offers a stark contradiction to how we treat each other off the chessboard. More often than not, when we meet someone, we have preconceived notions or biases about them. Based on their appearance, their energy, or things we've heard about them, we may discount the things they say without ever giving them a chance. In chess, if you make your opponent start the game down a queen and a rook, they've lost before the game even began. They may make wild, crazy, or desperate moves in an attempt to regain something they never had to begin with.

The same is true of our biases against people.

When we enter a conversation with someone, crippling them before it begins, we leave them to fight an uphill battle. They may get emotional or desperate, leading to unpleasant interactions. However, in this situation, that is a fair response. Each of us knows how frustrating it is to not be taken seriously. If you're unwilling to begin an interaction with respect, an emotional reaction from your "opponent" isn't a character flaw on their part but one on yours. People deserve a chance to prove themselves.

Often, chess players have very different ways of playing the game. They may focus on different openings, strategies, or tactics, but the goal for both players is the same — to protect their king and checkmate their opponent.

That same is true in life.

Most people are inherently good. We want to help others, we want less poverty, and we want equality for those around us. We may vary in opinions on the best method to achieve that goal, but that doesn't mean one way is right and another is wrong. They're just two different paths toward the same goal.

I don't know when or how, but at some point in the last several years, it seems we lost the plot. We've devolved to stacking the board against each other and then patting ourselves on the back for a win that was never in question. Does this feel good? Sure. Will it help our growth or personal development? I think not.

Just as a chess player improves by facing worthy opponents on equal footing, we grow as individuals by engaging with diverse perspectives without prejudice. I think the world would be a better place if everyone entered conversations as they would a game of chess -- There's always another person behind the pieces. It's time we remembered that.