One morning, as I woke up and began my day, a sudden thought came to me: life is like a game of chess. I am not particularly good at chess, nor do I know the game deeply, but the metaphor felt fitting.
On what kind of board are we playing our game? Which king are we trying to lead to victory? These questions may be another way of asking what the purpose of life is. What kind of piece am I on this board, and what strategy will I use to bring the game to a win? I believe these are things each of us can set for ourselves. Realizing that we can even choose the board itself feels important.
We may ask for advice from those who have played this game many times before. We may step into the match ourselves and learn by playing. Or perhaps we may even decide to design a new kind of game, rather than follow the standard rules.
Sometimes, through good luck—or bad—forces beyond our control may shake the board itself and change the entire position of the game.
There are a million races being run. You just have to get into one of them and win. — Richard Hamming, You and Your Research