Why we should learn to lose

#280

My Dear Friend of Democracy,

A room in an old train station in Montenegro last summer.

The view through the window shows gaming tables. Maybe the last game was played last night. Maybe it was three months ago. It is hard to tell. In any case, the tables have not been tidied up. The players might come back. Maybe this evening. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the last game has already been played.

Maybe there was someone there who couldn't stand losing, who couldn't accept, who started a fight.

I don't know what had happened.

I just took that photo with no one around.

But there is something I know: Nobody likes to lose.

Some people even lose their temper, while losing. Even if there is nothing at stake. Even when they play, let‘s say, Ludo (in German it is called „Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht“).

There is no reason why one should be upset about losing that game. It shouldn't dent one‘s self-confidence. Because it is a pure game of chance. Sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are unlucky. But some people still go nuts. They throw the dice away. They throw the game board on the floor.

Because they can't lose. Because they haven‘t learned.

Sure, who wants to lose? Winning is more pleasant. In gambling. In other areas of life, too. In sports. Relationships. Careers. Politics. Winning brings broad recognition, fame, sometimes power and wealth.

On the other hand, democracy only works if we are able to lose. If people don't go crazy.

Why is it essential for democracy?

Because those who are elected to power must, sooner or later, let it go again.

Democracy always means only temporary power.

Those who haven‘t learned to lose are more likely to try, if they can, when they have won, when they have become powerful, to change the game's rules so that they will never lose again.

This is how some democracies have ended in the past.

This is how some democracies will probably end in the future.

Democracy only never ends when those who have lost accept that they have lost.

✊ A core of a functioning democracy is the ability of people and the society as a whole to accept losing. Therefore, we should create and educate a culture of losing. Part of this culture is seeing the ability to lose as a strength. This would strengthen democracy.

See you in Democracy,

Johannes

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📸 Kolasin, Montenegro / 3 August 2024