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A kid beat Tetris after 34 years of attempts, breaking the game’s code. Why would any human make that into a goal?

‘Blue Scuti’ reached a new record level on NES Tetris and got the game’s actual ‘kill screen,’ where it freezes and stops working. It’s so useless, and that warms my heart. It shows that we can still do things for the sake of it. There’s something pure and brave about someone dedicating themselves to any endeavor with little to no goal. It’s a type of muscle that we seem to be losing collectively.

It’s January, and it’s that time when everything is about goals and achievements. We are our most ambitious selves at this time. As we think about what we want to do in 2024, remember that doing things for the sake of it is as valid of a reason as anything else. It’s OK to be obsessed with ‘useless’ things. They might turn into magic later. You define what magic is and no one else.

Feeling the pressure to make something valuable or important (or any other fancy term people use these days) is an easy trap to fall into. The pressure builds as one gets older. But doing things for the sake of it means that you have faith in yourself and your passions and that your value does not come from what you do.

Here’s to beating life’s Tetris in this year.

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Notes