people avoid what they don't understand. and when people avoid something they also tend to criticize it. most people don't ever try to understand chess because of the existing negative social perception of it. even people who like chess usually don't want to talk to their friends about it if they don't share the same interest, sometimes because they are afraid of being labeled. there is an overwhelming image of chess being a sign of intelligence and chess players are associated with being lonely and anti-social. that is simply not true. chess is just a game like any other, but it has a high learning curve. people who start playing chess lose hundreds of games before even winning one, and people who become easily discouraged basically give up and forget about chess, or say bad things about chess players. people who stick to chess and actually try to learn the game, not just to win or lose but to understand strategies and become passionate about chess, usually do well. but it's a long term process and huge time investment. to be a good chess player you have to let go of your ego and be humble, and realize that chess, like life, is not about winning or losing but about learning. and this is a much healthier approach because you will gradually learn to see and appreciate how deep chess really is.
in contrast, the majority of society is shallow and does not possess the patience to get good at chess. we live in a world of immediate gratification. the people who truly can appreciate chess are few and far between.
