The Tao of Wordle

I don't know how many of you recall a book from 1982 by Benjamin Hoff called The Tao of Pooh. It was a best-seller, and in it, the author used the fictional characters from A.A. Milne's beloved "Winnie-the-Pooh" universe to teach about Taoism. Hoff's basic theme was about learning to accept the natural order of things-- in other words, accepting life as it is, rather than fighting against it; being willing to live in the present, rather than feeling obligated to change everything around you. Taoist philosophy speaks about "wu wei," which is often translated as "non-doing," but conveys the idea of going with the flow. Pooh and his friends Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, and Tigger each have a different lesson to teach us. But one lesson that I remember is Pooh's ability to find joy in simple things. The book commends Pooh for that, and advises us to slow down, and to be mindful of what is around us.

And that leads me to Wordle. I have no plans to write a book about this popular word game, but it has often occurred to me that there are lessons we can learn from playing it. So, with apologies to Benjamin Hoff, and to Pooh, may I suggest the Tao of Wordle? Here are some lessons I've learned in the 3 years I've been playing.

1. You can only play Wordle once a day, and that's okay. Unlike other online games that you can play repeatedly, you have one game of Wordle each day. No more, no less. So, why not enjoy it? 

2. Some days, you will do very well; other days, you won't. There's no way to predict. And however it turns out, that's how it was supposed to turn out that day.

3. Sometimes, you will have a very easy time winning the game. Other times, it will be a challenge. There's no predicting that either. I jokingly say that sometimes, the Wordle gods smile on us, and sometimes they seem to be toying with us. (And now and then, you may solve the game on the first try-- it rarely happens, but when it does, it's guaranteed to make you smile.)

4. Sometimes, you will use logic to solve the Wordle. Sometimes, you will use luck. Sometimes, you will wonder why the Wordle gods chose that word, and you will feel like the game wasn't fair. Other times, you will pull out a win on try #6 and feel gratified that you succeeded. But however you feel, that's the score you got, and tomorrow is another day. 

5. You may have a long winning streak and suddenly lose it. Or you may only win a couple of games in a row before you lose. In either case, you can always start a new streak next time. My longest streak was 322 wins in a row. And then I lost. I was briefly disappointed, but the next night, I started my new streak. That's what a Wordle player does.

 6. Thanks to social media, you may find that others want to play Wordle with you every night. There are people from all over the world who play and then post their scores. If they do well, they are applauded by other players. If they do poorly, other players encourage them. It's almost like a family. And if you are a Wordle player, you never need to feel alone, because others are playing too.

 Perhaps you have some lessons you have learned from playing Wordle, but I guess for me, the biggest one is that like the Tao of Pooh, we can find joy in playing this simple game. And even in the midst of difficult times, we know that there are folks who care how we are, and who are waiting for us to post our score. And so, I'll sign off now-- because it's midnight as I am writing this, and the new game of Wordle awaits. Wishing you a good score, and good people to share it with.