Frustration = Fun?

"Screw this, I'm never playing this stupid game again!" *Shuts off PS2 and punches a wall*

I hate to admit it, but that is pretty much how I sounded a few times yesterday while allegedly engaging in "recreational activity", that is to say, "losing so hard at a video game that I could no longer take it and had to quit to preserve my sanity." If you know the feeling, you understand. If you don't know the feeling, good for you, try to keep it that way for now.

So, frustration and video games. Two concepts that for some reason seem to go hand in hand in a lot of cases. In my case, I was playing Kingdom Hearts 2 and losing to the same boss over and over again. Finally, I snapped and stopped playing, but not before raging violently against the game, cussing, yelling and generally behaving in a way I am certainly not proud of. And for what? It's all just a game, nothing but flashing lights on a TV screen, with absolutely no connection to the real world whatsoever. So why not just ignore it? I've asked myself that question many times, and I always arrive at the same answer:

Because I like it.

Now that sounds like a paradox if I ever heard one. I get frustrated, angry and disappointed, but deep down I like it!? Sounds crazy, doesn't it? How can I like being that frustrated and annoyed at something that doesn't even mean anything to my life in the long run?

I think the first question that should be considered isn't how I can enjoy something that makes so frustrated and upset, but rather why I become frustrated in the first place. While a game shouldn't really make that much of a difference, the fact that I get so worked up about means that it actually means a lot to me. I like playing video games to relax and have fun, but also to test my skills, set records, win against impossible odds. And when that doesn't work, I get frustrated and upset, because I can't achieve the goals I set up for myself in order to "have fun". Now that sounds even more like a paradox. Who needs to achieve something to have fun? Well, me, for a start.

Ultimately, I believe it all comes down to choice. I choose to expose myself to this frustration because I know that if I somehow succeed, and actually "win", that alone will make it all worth it. Someone else might have a different idea of what you need to do to "have fun" and not get as frustrated with their choice of entertainment. But me, I guess I need a few hurdles and hoops to jump through (Or a brick wall to bash my head against) to feel like the "fun" is worth it.

So the next time anyone hears me screaming at the top of my voice for Donald Duck to go kill himself, don't be alarmed. I'm just having fun, that's all.