INVEST IN LOSS

 by Phillip Starr

The well-known Taijiquan teacher, Chen Manching, once said, “To acquire real skill, you must invest in loss.” Over the years, I have repeated these words of wisdom to my own students but very few of them really understand and make use of them.

I have known tournament competitors who simply could not tolerate losing. I knew one who was so obsessed with winning the first-place trophy that he discarded all lesser awards! How foolish. He did not understand that the arts we practice are not intended to impress audiences, win us many fans and accolades, or fill storefront windows with trophies. No, our arts are aimed at self-development. If you manage to win some awards along the way that’s fine but in the end, it’s how we have developed ourselves that really matters.

In order to learn, it is first necessary that you lose. Many, many times. You will practice with students who are senior to you and instructors who are senior to them… and as a novice, you cannot defeat them. You don’t expect to do so, either. As your skill slowly increases, you perform at a higher level and perhaps the number of your losses decreases…but that’s not really the point. If you think it is, if you are obsessed with winning; you are incapable of learning. You’re blind.

Many moons ago, I held the title of U.S. National Champion. I entered a small, local tournament that was being hosted by a friend of mine. Another friend asked me why I was competing that day. “Just for fun,” I said. He shook his head. “You don’t understand…if you win, it’s no big deal; people would expect that because of your reputation. But if you lose, you’ll lose a lot! You have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Don’t do it!”

I shrugged and did it, anyway. I lost that day. No, it didn’t damage my reputation and it served to help me improve my technique. So, although I lost in the competition ring, I had really won…in my heart.

Those who refuse to see beyond the ego cannot learn. They are enslaved by their own desires, by their own image of what they think they should be. You must put your ego aside if you expect to learn anything and make progress. The only place where winning matters is the battlefield.