Sometimes You have to Lose a Little to Win Big

I have a friend who is skilled in pickleball. Whenever I play with him, our scores are very close, but he won majority of our games. I thought I was "as good" until I saw him play against another skilled player. His game is at an entirely different level. If he played his actual skill against me, I would barely score more than 2. When I asked why he dumbed down his skill while playing against me. His answer was profound. He does not mind losing to me, as it encourages me to keep playing and he can also experiment his game. To him, playing pickleball is not about winning but finding ways to improve his skills. I cannot fault his statement. After each game, we never talked about winning or losing. We mostly talk about how we can play better. Even though he won most of our games, I do not feel discouraged or insulted. In fact, I am motivated to find ways to play better. I enjoy playing with him and he is well liked in the local community. If you are good at something, there is no need to…