It’s known that Go is a game for the clever. But even those who are good at weiqi (Go) may find difficulty in playing mahjong. Some say mahjong is a game of luck, not of intellectual rivalry. By Chinese logic, isn’t the most complicated game the one that can put the brightest people at their wits’ end? If using Western logic, you won’t understand mahjong, nor the comprehensive art it reflects.
Though both are four-player games, Eastern mahjong and Western bridge have different rules. The latter has two sets of partners, while the former has one working on his own and guarding against all three others. To complete the set, one has to figure out what tiles others have and make use of the tiles others discard. The last thing a mastermind wants is to discard the tile another is dreaming of. So quite often, he’d rather lose the set than throw the wrong tile.
This embodies a particular way of conduct. At the game, the most important thing is not to calculate how far one can go, but to act according to the situation. The strong points in one’s personality will serve him well in the game. For instance, by watching others’ expressions, one may read their thoughts and guess what tiles they have. A flexible person may change tactics accordingly as the situation changes: trying his best to win the round or at least get the best result possible. Likewise, weak points may lead to disappointment. A greedy person often loses because of his thirst for success; a timid person often yields little despite extensive efforts; an indecisive person often misses the best chance because of hesitation. From this we can see the pastime best reveals the characters of the players. Mahjong is easy to describe, but hard to play, as the game involves both chance and intelligence.
Chance and intelligence are two key factors in social communication. Chance means luck, while intelligence involves talent and personality, or the ability to perceive and get things done one way or another. Since the result is determined by these two factors, it never depresses the optimistic Chinese, as they can easily attribute a win to their good skills and a loss to their poor luck. With such a mindset, a loser always feels comfortable when talking about his past success.
The Western bridge demands fair play and cooperation of two allies, while the Chinese mahjong demands more selfdefense. But when one party is close to victory, the other three will temporarily join hands against him. Similar examples can be found in personal relationships, which Westerners might view as a total mess. But the Chinese know the network clearly. Everyone has the tile he needs in the hands of others, while holding the tile others need. Such intricacy always delights the optimistic Chinese.
Mahjong is really a game created for the Chinese, to pass time while using their intelligence.