There’s nothing more frustrating than being forced to play chess with people who only know how to play checkers.
You come to the table thinking ten moves ahead, planning strategy, reading patterns, protecting your queen. But the person across from you just wants to skip turns, jump over pieces, and win by accident. They’re not thinking. They’re reacting. And worse — they think you’re the one doing it wrong.
That’s what it feels like when you’re building something with depth, vision, and intention — while everyone else is just chasing quick wins.
In chess, every move costs something. You trade pawns for position. You sacrifice for the long game. You lose on purpose to win with power.
In checkers, the goal is to get to the other side as fast as possible.
That’s why being misunderstood isn’t always a sign you’re wrong — it might mean you’re playing a better game. A harder one. One that requires patience, discipline, and awareness.
So no, I won’t rush my moves. I won’t simplify my vision just to fit in. And I definitely won’t apologize for playing chess while the world obsesses over checkers.
Some of us didn’t come to jump.
We came to win — with grace, with strategy, and with meaning.