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Če se je kdo spraševal, kako Kitajci (ali Azijci na splošno) dobijo (relativno) hiter izračun, usposobljene oči, dober občutek za strukturo in hitro učinkovitost tudi do najmanjših podrobnosti pri delu, je to morda Mahjong, ki daje podzavestnemu umu delo. Moj dedek je ostal bistroumen do samega konca svojega življenja. Bil je velik ljubitelj igre Mahjong. Tudi pri sedemdesetih letih je premagal vse svoje vnuke, vključno z mano. Morda ni bil tako akademsko izobražen kot jaz, vendar je imel svoje posebne sposobnosti in produktivnost, zaradi katerih je preživel najtežje čase in revščino. Ena od mojih tet je še posebej dobra v Mahjongu in je edina, ki lahko premaga dedka. Njeno izobraževanje je bilo prekinjeno zaradi kulturne revolucije na Kitajskem v najstniških letih. Na srečo se je s svojo inteligenco, trdim delom in vztrajnostjo samoučila in pri petdesetih letih opravila izpit iz prava ter bila do nedavne upokojitve odvetnica. V čem je torej čar Mahjonga?
3 dokazane koristi igranja Mahjonga za zdravje
Upočasniti ali obrniti napredovanje kognitivnega upada [1] [2] [3]
Zmanjša možnost depresije [4] [5]
Izboljša koordinacijo rok in oči [6]
Kulturni in družbeni pomen Mahjonga
Mahjong je odlična igra za ohranjanje bistrega uma. Zahteva visoko stopnjo koncentracije, strategije in človeške interakcije.
Ta spletna stran [9] precej podrobno razlaga pravila igre Mahjong. Toda v resničnem življenju se navadni Kitajci nikoli ne naučijo Mahjonga na takšnem predavanju. Učili smo se tako, da smo že od otroštva opazovali svojo družino in ugotavljali tehniko igranja z različnimi ljudmi. Če najprej ugotovimo vsa pravila in šele nato igramo, sem prepričana, da nihče ne bo igral. Seveda smo v začetni fazi igrali slabo in veliko izgubljali. No, to vzamemo kot lekcijo, denar, ki smo ga izgubili, pa kot šolnino. Če ga želite dobiti nazaj ali ga dobiti še več, potem se morate vrniti in se učiti. Konec koncev je osvojiti denarj le bonus in ne glavni namen.
Če preberete pravila za igranje Mahjonga, boste razumeli miselno zapletenost te igre. Že za samo igranje je potrebna precejšnja umska spretnost, kaj šele, da bi jo igrali dobro. Ko sem se prvič naučila igrati to igro, mi je bilo vse, kar sem lahko storila, da sem sledila vsem pravilom in načrtovala strategijo. Prepričati sem se morala, da sem izpolnila pogoje za zmago v igri. To me je tako zamotilo, da sem komaj opazil, kaj počnejo moji nasprotniki. Če v tej igri ne moreš spremljati, kaj počnejo tvoji nasprotniki, si v precej slabšem položaju. Na koncu se lahko zgodi, da v njihovo dobro. [7]
Življenjske lekcije, ki sem se jih naučila pri igranju Mahjonga
"Plačevanje šolnine" je del življenja
Ne bodite ujeti v to, kar imajo drugi
Lahko narediš le majhne korake
Prevladujoči veter se bo vedno spremenil
Včasih ne izgubiti pomeni zmagati; in še veliko več [8]
Sama ploščica Mahjong ima zelo močan simbol kulture. Je manifestacija povezovanja in dinamike narave in človeka. Ploščice Mahjong so poimenovane po številnih naravnih materialih, kot so kamni, bambus, rože, letni časi, vetrovi, pa tudi po človeški inteligenci in duhu.
Na eni ploščici je rdeč znak 中 (zhōng, sredina). Kitajski znak predstavlja 紅中 (hóng zhōng), ki označuje opravljen cesarski izpit, zadetek v lokostrelstvu in konfucijansko vrlino dobrohotnosti. Na drugi ploščici je zelen znak 發 (fā, bogastvo). Ta znak je del pregovora 發財 (fā cái). Ta pregovor pomeni "obogati", predstavlja pa tudi lokostrelca, ki sprosti svoj sunek, in konfucijansko vrlino iskrenosti. Zadnji znak ima modro barvo 白 (bái, bela), ki predstavlja 白板 (bái ban, bela tabla). Bela tabla pomeni svobodo od korupcije, zgrešitev pri lokostrelstvu ali konfucijansko vrlino sinovske pobožnosti. [10]
Upam, da vas bo po branju tega članka zanimalo igranje igre Mahjong. Začetniki se ga bodo morali naučiti, a ko ga bodo osvojili, se jim bo odprl povsem drugačen svet.
[1] https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2020.00178 [2] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.060 [3] DOI:10.1002/gps.1531 [4] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112518 [5] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2018.267 [6] doi: 10.1589/jpts.28.2955 [7] https://figur8.net/2013/10/20/playing-mahjong-is-good-exercise-for-your-brain/ [8] https://zula.sg/life-mahjong/ [9] https://www.mahjongtime.com/hong-kong-mahjong-rules.html [10] https://www.thoughtco.com/explanation-of-mahjong-tiles-687561
More than just a game- Playing Mahjong can improve cognitivity and maturity
If anyone has wondered how the Chinese (or Asian in general) get a (relatively) quick calculation, trained eyes, good sense of structure and fast efficiency even to the slightest details at work, it might be the Mahjong that gives the subconscious mind work. My grandpa stayed sharp until the very end of his life. He was a big fan of Mahjong. Even at the age of 70s, he beated all his grandchildren, including me. He might not be as academically educated as I am, but he did have his own special skills and productivity which made him survive the toughest time and poverty. One of my aunts is especially good at Mahjong and is the only one who can beat grandpa. Her education was discontinued due to the cultural revolution in China during her teens. Thankfully, with her intelligence, hard work and resilience, she self-taught herself and passed the exam of law at the age 50, and was a practicing lawyer until she retired recently. So what is the magic behind Mahjong?
3 Proven Health Benefits Of Playing Mahjong
Slow down or reverse the progression of cognitive decline [1] [2] [3]
Decreases possibility of depression [4] [5]
Improves hand-eye coordination [6]
The Cultrual And Social Importance Of Mahjong
Mahjong is a great game for keeping the mind sharp. It requires high degree of concentration, strategy and human interaction.
This wesbite [9] is quite detailed in explaining the rules of Mahjong. But in real life, the ordinary Chinese never learn Mahjong in such a lecture. We learnt by observing our family since childhood and figuring out the technique in playing with different people. If we first figure out all the rules then play, I am quite sure that no one will play. Of course, in the beginning stage, we played poorly and lose a lot. Well, we take this as a lesson and the money we lost as a tuition fee. If you want to win it back or win more, then you need to go back and study. At the end of the day, winning money is just a bonus not the main purpose.
If you read the rules for playing mah jong, you will understand the mental complexity of this game. It requires considerable mental finesse just to play it let alone play it well. When I first learned the game, it was all I could do to keep track of all the rules and plan a strategy. I had to make sure that I qualified to win the game. That kept me so busy that I barely even noticed what my opponents were up to. In this game, if you can’t keep track of what your opponents are doing, you are at a significant disadvantage. You could literally end up playing straight into their hands. [7]
Life Lessons I Learnt From Playing Mahjong
“Paying your school fees” is a part of life
Don’t get caught up in what others have
You can only take small steps
The prevailing wind will always change
Sometimes, not losing is winning; and many more [8]
The Mahjong tile itself has very strong culture symbol. It is a manifestation of nature and human integration and dynamics. The Mahjong tiles are named after many natural material like Stones, Bamboo, Flowers, Season, Winds and also the human intelligence and spirit.
One tile features a red 中 (zhōng, center). The Chinese character represents 紅中 (hóng zhōng), which connotes passing the imperial exam, a hit in archery, and the Confucian virtue of benevolence. Another tile features a green 發 (fā, wealth). This character is a part of the saying, 發財 (fā cái). This saying translates to "get rich," but it also represents an archer releasing his or her draw and the Confucian virtue of sincerity. The last character features a blue 白 (bái, white), which represents 白板 (bái ban, white board). The white board means freedom from corruption, a miss in archery, or the Confucian virtue of filial piety. [10]
I hope that after reading this article, you might be interested in playing Mahjong. It will be a steep learning curve for the beginners but once you have master it, you might be able to see a completely different world.
[1] https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2020.00178
[2] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2013.01.060
[3] DOI:10.1002/gps.1531
[4] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112518
[5] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2018.267
[6] doi: 10.1589/jpts.28.2955
[7] https://figur8.net/2013/10/20/playing-mahjong-is-good-exercise-for-your-brain/
[8] https://zula.sg/life-mahjong/
[9] https://www.mahjongtime.com/hong-kong-mahjong-rules.html
[10] https://www.thoughtco.com/explanation-of-mahjong-tiles-687561
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