Accomplishment (or achievement) is often pursued for its own sake, even when it brings no positive emotion, no meaning, and nothing in the way of positive relationships. Here is what ultimately convinced me: I play a lot of serious duplicate bridge. I have played with and against many of the greatest players. Some expert bridge players play to improve, to learn, to solve problems, and to be in flow. When they win, it’s great. They call it “winning pretty.” But when they lose—as long as they played well—it’s almost as great. These experts play in the pursuit of engagement or positive emotion,
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