Losing on Purpose to Gain Advantage

[pfreivald]

Originally Posted by Molten

The whole point of GP is doing what is right because it is the right thing to do.

I'm sorry, but this GP-as-all-encompassing-morality take is rather funny to me. Don't get me wrong -- I take doing good for the sake of doing good very seriously, and I impress upon everyone I know the importance of exactly that -- but this idea that 'gracious professionalism' is the best thing since Jesus is a bit tiresome.

Humanity as a people can't agree on what 'good' is, for a variety of reasons both good and bad. Elevating GP to that level is, to my mind, downright silly.

I'm all for "Do good things. Just because." It's what I live by, and the primary reason I became both a teacher and a FIRST mentor. My philosophy is "if you have to choose, choose the option that would make your priest/pastor/imam/rabbi/mother/grandmother/father/grandfather/teacher smile the biggest". A corollary is, "if you have to ask on a matter of ethics, you shouldn't be the one making the decisions". A further corollary is "if you have to explain to your parents, mentors, or sponsors, you probably didn't make the right decision".

All that aside, good sportsmanship and faithfulness to your alliance obviate the need to bring GP per se into this. Matches are special, because your sponsors, parents, school administrators, and alliance partners will be extra-happy when you to win matches.