# Stop thinking about the game **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874 **Category:** The Game Room **Created:** [April 18, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874 "2008-04-18T12:15:36Z") **Posts on this page:** 16 **Page:** 1
### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/1 "2008-04-18T12:15:36Z")
There’s a game, and the object of this game is **not to think about the game**. The moment you have thought about the game, you have lost. The only way to win is not to remember that you’re in the game. By reading this thread, you have thought about the game, so you have lost. By writing this thread, I am thinking about the game, so _I_ have lost. The only way to win is to stop thinking about the game. ---
### Author: ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/2 "2008-04-18T12:39:27Z")
**Orange Penguin Orange Penguin Orange Penguin** ---
### Author: ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/3 "2008-04-18T12:46:29Z")
What’s a game? ---
### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/4 "2008-04-18T12:55:01Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] What’s a game? [/QUOTE] To you, about $5.99, because I like your face. ---
### Author: ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/5 "2008-04-18T13:03:58Z")
Goddamnit I lost the game. ---
### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/6 "2008-04-18T13:05:37Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Carrot] Goddamnit I lost the game. [/QUOTE] :smack: You just made me lose too (I subscribed to the thread). ---
### Author: ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/7 "2008-04-18T14:17:02Z")
Argh! I can’t believe you made me lose the game, just because I was browsing the Game Room! I was on a 4-month winning streak (comparitively puny, I know). I probably won’t even be able to browse the Dope without losing the game. ---
### Author: ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/8 "2008-04-18T14:18:15Z")
I’m actually quite good at this game. EDIT - Dammit! I just lost! ---
### Author: ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/9 "2008-04-18T14:19:27Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] The only way to win is to stop thinking about the game. [/QUOTE] The only way to win is to not play in the first place. ---
### Author: ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/10 "2008-04-18T14:49:46Z")
The first rule of the game is … Ah, shit. ---
### Author: ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/11 "2008-04-18T14:51:01Z")
[QUOTE=Stringer] The only way to win is to not play in the first place. [/QUOTE] Not at all: I was doing quite well all last week, until a slip-up on Saturday morning. ---
### Author: ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/12 "2008-04-18T14:52:25Z")
I like traffic lights … ---
### Author: ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/13 "2008-04-18T14:53:45Z")
Here comes another one … ---
### Author: ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/14 "2008-04-18T15:09:33Z")
[Ha!](http://www.xkcd.com/391/) ---
### Author: ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado) #### Post date: [April 18, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/15 "2008-04-18T16:43:35Z")
Dirty socks, dirty socks, dirty socks, dir. . . . . ---
### Author: ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton) #### Post date: [April 19, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-thinking-about-the-game/445874/16 "2008-04-19T01:20:05Z")
Fish!