A player is not a competitor

Ever lose and laugh? Or win and feel empty? Ever see someone else do it? You have felt the difference between a player and a competitor.

Players and competitors look alike. Both enjoy games. Both like to win. But players and competitors are not the same. They care about many of the same things, but they prioritize them differently.

A competitor puts the pursuit of winning first. Fun comes next. A player puts fun first. The pursuit of winning comes second. Neither ignores the other part. The competitor likes fun. The player likes winning. But each values their top priority more.

Competitors have less fun if they are not working hard to win. They skip the laughs to stay in the fight. Players work less hard to win if they are not having fun. They ease up on the fight to have more fun.

Both care, but they care most about different priorities.

Event + Response = Outcome. Do the work.