Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

This is a continuation of This Post where I began to answer Mike28's question about satisfaction in life and poker.

Mike's question, many of the answers given, and certainly what will follow here are all quite existential and philosophical in nature and may not seem to have much to do with STTs. The whole discussion may seem better suited for the SMP forum. But I feel that this is an on-topic thread because so much of what's discussed in this forum has to do with whether or not to quit something to play poker instead.

Perhaps if I explain why I would quit my job if I could, even though I love it and it allows me to contribute to my community, it will help others on this forum who are struggling with decisions about staying in school or quitting their job to play poker.

What's the point?

Before you can adequately make any significant life decision, you really have to have at least some idea in your mind about why you are alive to begin with. What's the point of your existence? Is it to serve God? Is it to help people? Is it to leave the universe in slightly better shape than it was in when you were born?

Skipperbob gave one of the best answers I've ever heard to this question (probably by accident) when he said: "either there is no point, or this is the point."

Regardless of your personal opinion about the meaning of life, there are certainly a few fundamental truths which must be acknowledged when developing your world view.

We are all born. Then, soon after, we all die.

We are the only species on the planet that is self-aware and sentient. What a seemingly extraordinary gift. But it turns out that the burden of being aware of our own mortality is sufficiently paralyzing as to render our sentience useless. We have the capacity, by virtue of our own self-awareness, to experience happiness, bliss, and self-actualization. Yet, the vast majority of people on this planet rarely, if ever, take advantage of this capacity. In order to experience true happiness, one must be at peace with their mortality. That level of peace is apparently so difficult to obtain, that the capacity for true happiness is obviated.

Being self-aware is a curse analagous to ice cream at gunpoint for a 9 year old. If you pointed a gun at a 9 year old and then presented him with a room full of ice cream... telling him that he could eat as much as he wanted but that you would shoot him dead as soon as he couldn't eat any more... he would not be very excited about the room full of ice cream.

Cancer is the cure

The most worthwhile experiences I have ever had in my life involve working with, taking care of, and talking to people who are living out their last days with a terminal diagnosis.

Once a human being is forced to acknowledge their imminent death, take inventory of their life and priorities, and then live each remaining day consciously... everything changes. Having a conversation with a terminal patient is different than having a conversation with an oblivious person (that's really the most appropriate term I can think of: we are all terminal, but generally only those who have specifically been told so by a doctor are capable of accepting it.) They talk about the same things we all do: their children, the baseball game, a hand of poker, or the weather. But their eyes engage your soul when they speak. They pay exquisite attention to you and to what they are saying. If you tell them about your family, they care just as much about what you are saying as they care about anything else in the world, including their own death.

Of course, not every cancer patient is like this. But even people who are bad at dying tend to be better at living than most of us. Once you understand that you are dying, you begin to understand that everybody is dying. The moment you realize what a significant thing that is to have in common with other people is the moment you understand compassion.


I quit

So if compassion is the key to happiness and satisfaction in life, why would quitting your job make you more happy? Why not just have compassionate interaction with your co-workers, clients, customers, and bosses? The answer to that question has to do with the struggle in which most human beings are entangled. Since most people haven't accepted the fact that they are dying, they aren't likely to care about one another. There's no compassion. Not only do your co-workers, clients, customers, and bosses not care about you; many of them would actively hurt you if they stood to gain from it. That is why most jobs tend to be oppressive and demeaning... even good jobs.

So, while the key to self-actualization may be finding compassion in your heart, the key to happiness lies in surrounding yourself with other compassionate beings. That involves spending time with your family and friends, and meeting new people with eager and enlightened points of view. This is where a job can get in the way.


Then I'm quitting to play poker

If a young poker player like Raptor or Good2cu ever got drunk enough to ask me for advice on dropping out of school to play poker, I would encourage them to stay in school. But it isn't because I think there is anything wrong with playing poker for a living, nor is it because I think that getting a college degree is particularly important. It's because I feel like I understand a little bit about how to find true happiness and I know that the requisite knowledge will not be displayed on a 2001FP over streaming video. In order to learn about compassion, come to terms with your own mortality, and develop a sound world view you need experience and interaction with other people. College is more likely to offer directions to this path that the WPT is.

The fact that Unarmed is traveling around the world playing poker or that Lacky is supporting his family with the game truly makes me happy. Very happy. But that doesn't mean that I would encourage a young person to pursue a career in online poker rather than continue with their schooling or their current field of employment.


The Big One

Even though I have a tremendously rewarding and satisfying job, I would quit immediately if I won enough money playing poker to continue my current lifestyle ( [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]) without working. I would do so to spend more time interacting in a meaningful way with the meaningful people in my life. I would also actively seek out meaningful interactions with other people whom I have not yet met.

I know that there are many people on this forum who are already doing this and I applaud and respect them.

The real challenge for most of us is to continue along the path towards true personal happiness while fulfilling the daily responsibilities of our lives and enduring the dearth of compassion among those around us. I guess that's one more thing that we all have in common.

Irieguy

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

wow. just wow

Thank you.

(I'm going to let this sink in before posting)

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

The man is deep. And all this time we thought you were just a guy with his own stripper pole.

Indy

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

Luminescent

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

+1

good post.

very insightful.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
So, while the key to self-actualization may be finding compassion in your heart, the key to happiness lies in surrounding yourself with other compassionate beings. That involves spending time with your family and friends, and meeting new people with eager and enlightened points of view. This is where a job can get in the way.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was debating whether or not to post in Mike's thread as more times than not, I don't put my thoughts into words very well, and I didn't want to confuse anyone. This paragraph pretty much sums up my life, and it may be some of the best life advice that I can give to anyone. Life is too short to be constantly worrying about being pissed off, paying bills, and meeting deadlines. To all of you young ones out there, I highly recommend going to college for a while as you will have a blast and make some of the best friendships of your life. Once you are done with that, go about living your life. There is so much to see and do in this amazing place called Earth in such a limited amount of time. Get out, do it, find something that makes you happy, and occasionally breathe it all in.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

When I was in my mid-50's I mounted an expedition to visit the DaliLama on the highest mountain in Tibet; it was my desire to query the LearnedOne about the meaning of Life.

The expedition was very costly, in both $$$ and personal sacrifice, and was directly involved in the loss of the lives of two Sherpa guides. The entire trek took many weeks and was physically & emotionally exhausting.

When, at long last, I gained admittance to the presence of the Diety I was cautioned to keep my conversation restricted to only the most important question(s). After a series of ritualistic lighting of butterlamps, spinning of prayer-wheels (clockwise only) and the de riguer monetary contributions to the betterment of the TenBoche Monastery, I was finally shown into the presence of His Holiness.

In my most hushed and reverent tone I asked: "Oh Mr. Daliman, what is the meaning of Life?"...After lengthy contemplation the DaliLama motioned me closer and whispered in my ear - "My Son; Life is a Fountain".........period / end of comment.....In utter disbelief I staggered back and made an attempt to regain my composure; when I could finally speak I said; "Wait a minute...I spend two years of my life, millions of dollars, and the lives of two good men to have you tell me that 'Life is a Fountain' ???...WTF"

His response, in a serious Miami-Beach dialect, "It;'s Not a Fountain??? [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]"

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

That's pretty good. I'm generally a very happy person, and many friends have asked me how I continue to maintain this level of contentment when things go wrong. I tell them that happiness isn't a goal that you can plan for. Happiness is best obtained by being able to change the things that are making you unhappy, and being able to let go of variables that are out of your control.

Sounds like you've done that. I've found through experience that most people can't without making fundamental changes in the way that they think about happiness and life.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

So now that I've quit my job and have the time to go hiking in Zion for a few weeks, visit Italy with my Dad and see our distant relatives, spend more time with my pseudo-family here in LA, I guess the biggest sin would be going on a bender like I did Mon. night, rendering me basically worthless until right now.

All my life I've never not wanted a job because I knew the alternative was undiscliplined sloth. At the moment I have the option of taking my old-old job back. Lots of considerations and implications there. I know if I continue to work my ass off at poker, like I have been for the most part, and don't let the other aspects of my life slip into a holding pattern, I can do this. But that's a couple big 'if's. I feel like this moment is basically ground zero as to whether or not I have the self-reliance to live a worthwhile, less-ordinary life w/o the gentle guiding hand of mother-job-boss.

So interesting that your post came along at this precise moment.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
Quote:
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So, while the key to self-actualization may be finding compassion in your heart, the key to happiness lies in surrounding yourself with other compassionate beings. That involves spending time with your family and friends, and meeting new people with eager and enlightened points of view. This is where a job can get in the way.


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I was debating whether or not to post in Mike's thread as more times than not, I don't put my thoughts into words very well, and I didn't want to confuse anyone. This paragraph pretty much sums up my life, and it may be some of the best life advice that I can give to anyone. Life is too short to be constantly worrying about being pissed off, paying bills, and meeting deadlines. To all of you young ones out there, I highly recommend going to college for a while as you will have a blast and make some of the best friendships of your life. Once you are done with that, go about living your life. There is so much to see and do in this amazing place called Earth in such a limited amount of time. Get out, do it, find something that makes you happy, and occasionally breathe it all in.


[/ QUOTE ]


Amazing. Come here to learn about poker and find this kind of mind blowing real life advise so clearly and plainly offered. What a gift!

Recently I have been again struggling with an uneasiness about the whole go to work, make $$, buy stuff, make more $$ to buy more and better stuff circle.
It is more pronounced as I get older I think because as you get older you come face to face with your own limitations and personal realities.
Some years ago I did in fact go through a near fatal illness one that forced me to look at myself much closer than perhaps I liked, and at the world and my place in it for really the very first time. As a result I experienced a profound change in the way I looked at life in general, this lasted for many years and somewhere along the way I guess I slipped back into my old ways of thinking.
The unease perhaps is a reminder or a wake up call to the fact that there may be more to life than the path most traveled.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

first off, i would like to commend irieguy on his post. ill be in vegas in july and hope to run into him, hoping that his brilliance will transfer to those less fortunate (me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]). Juuuust kidding, dont worry, but very nice post.

My response: Adding to the "cancer is the cure" theory, i have found that, in general, people who work closely with terminally ill people, especially in an emergency environment, have the capacity, at least, moreso than people in other walks of life, to see this happiness and come to terms with mortality, at least a little bit.

I am only 19 years old, and ive been a volunteer firefighter for over a year. The first time I ran into a burning building, I was very scared. I had been in simulated fires, I had administered CPR to someone in imminent danger, and I had watched people die in their last gasps for air and screams for life. All of this touched me dearly and deeply, and always had me thinking about the concept of life, lifes meaning, and what brings people happiness. It was not until my first fire, however, that I saw my life flash before me, and grasped what I believe to be the beggining of coming to terms with mortality, as Irie explained it. When I was in the fire, I pulled out two little girls from the basement, both unconscious. I was then told that their mother, who was thought to be upstairs, was still in the house, and me and my partner had to go back in and get her. We found the mother, my partner took her out, and as I was exiting the room and going down the stairs, a stair caved in and i fell to the closet below. I did not break any limbs and i remained conscious, but I could not escape the room. I had no radio, as it had broken, and the fire was gaining in strength (I wont use firefighter terms, it will just confuse people). At this moment, i can only begin to describe what went through my mind. I knew, when i started this volunteer work, that it was always a life-risk to run into a burning building when everyone else was running out, but it was ONLY as i lay there in that closet under the stairs that I realized just how close to death I might be. I saw my childhood. I saw my pre-college years. I saw my sister yelling at my brother for stealing her ice cream. I saw my mom scolding me for pulling my sisters hair, and I saw my fathers look of delight when i hit the game winning home run in little league when i was 12. I started to put this all together, wrapping it around my head that I might die right then, right there. I smiled. Everything that I had lived for for this short time finally came together, and I was content dying in that closet, knowing that I had saved a family, and I had made my own family proud of me. As I slowly ran out of air, the wall of the closet burst open, and team #2 came to my rescue. I was grateful, but I could not help but think that my grasp on happiness, content, and life was lost with knowing that I would continue to live. Continue to do immoral things, continue to get in fights with people, continue to drink instead of study.

I no longer feel this remorse for surviving (as happy as I was to get out of the fire), because Ive realized that in that closet, I came to terms with myself and realized that those little things in life, those little immoral things that people do, those little things that people do to seek pleasure for themselves and no one else despite knowing that they may be wrong, do not matter. I cannot begin to tell you how true it is that, instead of erasing bad thoughts and actions from your life, recognize them and come to terms with them. TELL yourself that these "bad" thoughts are here and understand that they are a part of you, they are just as much a part of you as sleeping, eating and seeing your friends.
I knew that I was happy, and that I am also human, and I do right with the wrong, and I play poker because I love it, and I rush to peoples aid because I inherently care without forcing myself to do so.

I do not believe everyone needs to run into a burning building, get trapped, and believe yourself to be at death's door to realize what happiness and content are, and to find yourself, but I do believe you will find how meaningful life is in your eyes, and you will take a step closer to this happiness and terms with mortality by interacting with someone who has already taken that first step. Thank you for letting me post this Irie, and I hope that everyone begins to find this aspect of life. GL.


-AMT

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

Outstanding. I can't imagine trying to read this when I was 18 or 19. Even at 35, it's still kinda freaking me out.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]

first off, i would like to commend irieguy on his post. ill be in vegas in july and hope to run into him, hoping that his brilliance will transfer to those less fortunate (me ).

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto on that Irie. And I'll buy all the beer:)

Indy

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

Irie,

I love the way you think. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]

What's the point?


[/ QUOTE ]
This post inspired Apathy and I to engage in a philosophical debate about the meaning of life. We decided the point of life is to get drunk and [censored] bitches, which we are currently doing in Miami while staying with DonButtons. We can also say with certainly we will continue to do this if we win the ME.

P.S. Excellent post as always Craig. I always look forward to reading your posts.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
I feel like I understand a little bit about how to find true happiness and I know that the requisite knowledge will not be displayed on a 2001FP

[/ QUOTE ]

Your post in it's entirety goes some of the way towards proving this one thought wrong.

Wonderful post.
-Brad

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

to Mike28 and anyone else wrestling with these concepts (myself included) and how poker fits in,

I highly recommend "Ace on the River" by Barry Greenstein. I've just read it and I must say I was quite suprised as to how much time is spent on the philosophy of living life as a professional poker player. the morals and ethics involved and how he feels about taking money from Player 1, 2, and 3 are also covered.

As for poker content. I found some irrelevent (as I don't play low ball) and a bit of it over my head mathematically. But many of you would enjoy it.

Mostly I think I will reread the sections on how to balance life and poker, and still be a stand up guy.

Straight Flushes,

SAM

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
the point of life is to get drunk and [censored] bitches

[/ QUOTE ]

This is most certaintly not the point of life.

Indy

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
In my most hushed and reverent tone I asked: "Oh Mr. Daliman, what is the meaning of Life?".

[/ QUOTE ]

Kahlua and creams, my son. Kahlua and creams.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

Brilliant post, very well written. I'm curious, how old are you irieguy?

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

Superb Craig. From a well-weathered guy, that has spent an extraordinary amount of time in solitude, beyond time spent keeping the kids on path -- my quite observations over the years have brought to light for me personally, the many points that you have so effectively written here.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

So wait, happiness isn't when Penn State destroys Michigan 42-3?

If what you were trying to say is that spending more time with the people you care about makes you happy and that you would quit your job if you could do this more often, then I understood.

I don't know why you put the stipulation in that you needed your job to continue your current lifestyle. Wouldn't you be more happy with a different lifestyle but more time to spend with the ones you care about? Would you take a paycut if you had more time? Maybe you could work parttime in your current job to pay the bills and whatever.

I don't yet know what makes me happy. I would like more time with friends. I do know that I am a million time more happy on days when I don't have to show up to cubicle hell. I am working on trying to get out of this situation. Hopefully one day poker can pay the bills, and I will be happier!

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
the point of life is to get drunk and [censored] bitches

[/ QUOTE ]

This is most certaintly not the point of life.

Indy

[/ QUOTE ]

Two chicks at the same time?

[img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Yugoslav

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
Brilliant post, very well written. I'm curious, how old are you irieguy?

[/ QUOTE ]

He's 15.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
Brilliant post, very well written. I'm curious, how old are you irieguy?

[/ QUOTE ]

He will be 36 in 2 months.....Wisdom comes with Age; sometimes Age comes alone [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Brilliant post, very well written. I'm curious, how old are you irieguy?

[/ QUOTE ]

He will be 36 in 2 months.....Wisdom comes with Age; sometimes Age comes alone [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]


goddamn. read the very humorous post above your serious post. nice work dr. killjoy.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

The part about how dying people live was very well put and 100% true. When people know they are dying they usually become very sincere, pure of heart, caring, attentive etc. Like you said, we are all dying so I'm going to take that thought with me and try to become a better person.

Great post Irieguy!

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
If a young poker player like Raptor or Good2cu ever got drunk enough to ask me for advice on dropping out of school to play poker, I would encourage them to stay in school. But it isn't because I think there is anything wrong with playing poker for a living, nor is it because I think that getting a college degree is particularly important. It's because I feel like I understand a little bit about how to find true happiness and I know that the requisite knowledge will not be displayed on a 2001FP over streaming video. In order to learn about compassion, come to terms with your own mortality, and develop a sound world view you need experience and interaction with other people. College is more likely to offer directions to this path that the WPT is.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a bit of a problem with this. While I agree that the primary benefit of a college eduction is social/interpersonal inderaction development (and knowledge an important secondary benefit), eating, drinking, and breathing poker for two years develops a unique set of interpersonal skill one can't learn in college. In college, everyone is an idiot. That's what happens when you get that many 18-22 year-olds together. The knowledge pathways are clearly defined: you learn first from the professors, then from the grad students. It's easy. If you want knowledge, you get it from your superiors. If you want interpersonal interaction, you go to your peers.

Poker is a different set of skills. There are no teachers, underlings, idiots. A player must understand how to learn from everyone. Just in the last 16 months in which I've taken poker as a serious hobby, I've had to re-learn how to learn. I've had to learn from old men, crazy old men, middle-aged doctors, middle-aged computer nerds, middle-aged midwestern businessmen, middle-aged movie producers, middle-aged businesswomen, women (woman actually) I've slept with, chess teachers, punk kid computer nerds, and punk kids who couldn't find my house if I wrote down the directions on a piece of paper and stuffed them in his jacket pocket. Some of these people have been better poker players than I am. Most of them have been worse. I'm not always learning about poker. I've learned [censored] you'll never learn in college, and it's [censored] that if I'd known it in college, it would have made the experience much more worthwhile.

College is a great place to learn to interact with your peers, but it's a terrible place to learn how to interact with anyone else. Coming to terms with one's own morality and compassion comes though interacting with the largest possible cross-section of humanity, and I think poker offers this more than college ever could.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]

College is a great place to learn to interact with your peers, but it's a terrible place to learn how to interact with anyone else. Coming to terms with one's own morality and compassion comes though interacting with the largest possible cross-section of humanity, and I think poker offers this more than college ever could.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is a serious stretch, especially if we're playing with online poker. I think your point about college teaching you how to interact with pretty much just your peers is a really solid one, but what cross-section of the world are we really seeing in online poker, and how much are we interacting with them? Not so much, for the most part, on both counts.

EDIT: Also, I'd say that the people that one learns from, say, here, constitute a peer group in another fairly valid sense.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

If I won the Big One, I would quit my job to play poker because I like poker better than my job. I am selfish that way. My main interest in life is my family's happiness, and my own happiness.

After reading this pretentious [censored] that purports to give "philosophical and existential" reasons for playing poker, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or vomit. Unfortunately I ended up doing both.

Flame away. It makes me happy.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]

After reading this pretentious [censored] that purports to give "philosophical and existential" reasons for playing poker, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or vomit. Unfortunately I ended up doing both.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's his personal reasons. He isn't necessarily telling you what you should think. Also, you vomited? That seems a little melodramatic. Your sensibilities seem easily offended.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

What's the point?


[/ QUOTE ]
This post inspired Apathy and I to engage in a philosophical debate about the meaning of life. We decided the point of life is to get drunk and [censored] bitches, which we are currently doing in Miami while staying with DonButtons. We can also say with certainly we will continue to do this if we win the ME.

P.S. Excellent post as always Craig. I always look forward to reading your posts.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you get it Good2cu

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

Amazing post. I think everyone should read and consider this post, especially considering how many hours we spend at a compter playing and posting here.

SHIP IT

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

After reading this pretentious [censored] that purports to give "philosophical and existential" reasons for playing poker, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or vomit. Unfortunately I ended up doing both.

[/ QUOTE ]
It's his personal reasons. He isn't necessarily telling you what you should think. Also, you vomited? That seems a little melodramatic. Your sensibilities seem easily offended.

[/ QUOTE ] I didn't vomit a lot. It was just a little bit, in my mouth. You know how that is.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

The reasons given were not for playing poker but for quitting his job. Nowhere in his post does he even say that he would continue to play poker if he "won the big one". Perhaps you should reread the post.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

If I won the ME I'd quit poker to play Mtts.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
If I won the ME I'd quit poker to play Mtts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but what would Apathy do?

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If I won the ME I'd quit poker to play Mtts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, but what would Apathy do?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm password protecting my computer when I got to sleep tonight.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

[ QUOTE ]
The reasons given were not for playing poker but for quitting his job. Nowhere in his post does he even say that he would continue to play poker if he "won the big one". Perhaps you should reread the post.

[/ QUOTE ]

From Irieguy's introductory paragraphs:
[ QUOTE ]
Perhaps if I explain why I would quit my job if I could, even though I love it and it allows me to contribute to my community, it will help others on this forum who are struggling with decisions about staying in school or quitting their job to play poker.

[/ QUOTE ]
Only a lawyer could read this and say that Irieguy is not talking about poker. What do you think Irieguy is going to do if he wins the Big One--quit poker and skip around all day having "meaningful interactions" with people?

The flaming of my original post has been disappointing, to say the least.

Re: Why I would quit my job if I won the Big One
 

So I'll clarify, online poker, by itself, doesn't help much. It's actually pretty worthless. If a person makes no attempt to interact with the other humans involved in a common activity, it won't matter what that activity is. The person will remain solitary. The personal growth and such comes from doing things like flying halfway across the country to stay in a hotel room with some 45-year-old dude you met on the internet, not thinking for a second that it's about gay sex, and then spending a week throwing around money, going to strip clubs, drinking, and playing high-stakes poker. It comes from IM conversations with other thinking players about what all the moron unthinking players are thinking. In online poker, you have a chance to interact with a group of people who are your self-selected intellectual equals sharing a serious intellectual pursuit, rather than those sharing only a common age, with an general lack of direction and interest in life.