Solitaire has been around for as long as anyone’s grandmother can remember because it’s a simple, straightforward, but elegant game. As digital games have expanded and become more sophisticated, solitaire has gained even more popularity, morphing into various formats and games with different themes and add-ons.
However, the advancement of games has meant that a stigma long associated with solitaire has also grown. For some, solitaire seems to carry a negative and somewhat sad assumption. In movies, playing solitaire is used as a metaphor for being a loner or lonely. The other characters laugh indulgently if someone says they actually enjoy solitaire or look at each other like they need to get their friend a social life quickly. Finally, we see it in the downcast eyes as someone admits in mumbles that they’re playing solitaire.
This is obviously going to translate to feelings of shame for lovers of solitaire, whether they hesitate to admit to playing because they’re afraid of seeming like lonely old maiden aunts who have nothing better to do than play a game by themselves, or like they’re not smart enough to play more complex games.
These stigmas and stereotypes are holding people back for no good reason. Based on misconceptions and misunderstandings, they make solitaire players feel like they should avoid their favourite game. The good news is that as stereotypes, these ideas aren’t true and don’t have to be abided by. It’s too easy to enjoy playing solitaire, and there are many great reasons to do so.
Harmful Solitaire Stereotypes and How They’re Wrong
Is Solitaire a Game for Lonely People?
A stigma associated with solitaire is that because it is a solo game, it is only played by people who can’t get others to play with them. This stereotype assumes that everyone wants to be around other people all the time, ignoring the existence of introverts who are charged more by their own company than by a crowded room. While being extroverted isn’t bad, it isn’t for everyone. Choosing to spend time with yourself doesn’t make you a loner who can’t make friends; time spent alone is excellent for mental health.
Online gaming has changed the rules and options for many games that are traditionally solo games. By creating online platforms where you can play solitaire by yourself but be ranked on a leaderboard or play against other people, developers have created the perfect way to be alone together. These platforms excel because they allow people to enjoy games while interacting with others the way they want to. As a result, many solitaire players create a community through these platforms, turning a solo game into a social experience.
Is Solitaire for Un-Intelligent People?
A frequent comment solitaire enthusiasts have to deal with is a joke or assertion that solitaire is such a simple game that it must be only enjoyed by people who are just as simple. The implication is that solitaire is perfect for people who don’t have the intellect to play something “more complicated”.
Solitaire is Deceivingly Strategic
Solitaire has a straightforward strategy, but it’s nonetheless a strategy. So even though it’s not rocket science, it still needs to be fit for kindergarten or people who can’t figure out more complicated games.
On the topic of more complicated games, more complex isn’t always better. Research has shown that many people turn to solitaire as a game that soothes and relaxes a beleaguered mind. Solitaire’s tactful strategy engages the mind while not taxing it further, making it the perfect game for when you’re tired or bored and need something to do that doesn’t require advanced mathematics or reasoning.
Strategy is paramount in solitaire. Without a plan and tact, losing the game is inevitable. Solitaire may not be algebraic, but it requires a level of intelligence to determine the strategy that will lead to victory.
Is Solitaire Boring?
Strategy games often get a bad rap. Some see them as boring, missing the nuance of tact and strategy, planning your next step, and trying to predict the future. While not as complex or revered as chess, solitaire follows its tradition of being called boring by those who don’t understand its intricate properties or who don’t enjoy intellectual pastimes. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with not enjoying solitaire; it’s just not understood by those who don’t value strategic games.
Solitaire Only Gets More Interesting
If you’ve fallen victim to the stereotype that solitaire is boring, it could be that you’ve simply not found a more interesting version. Online solitaire platforms offer a wide variety of solitaire versions, including interesting additions to the games, themes, and social components that can turn a solo game into a competitive race to the finish line against others from around the world. So if you’ve ever thought solitaire is boring, you have yet to have the opportunity to play it in an exciting and innovative environment.
Is Solitaire a Waste of Time?
A subset of people think that if you aren’t doing something “productive”, you’re wasting your time. These people are frequently high-achieving, type A personalities, and while it isn’t bad to be type A, they’re also usually burnt out and stressed out. Judging activities solely based on the product that comes out of them often leads to high-stress levels, fatigue, and dissatisfaction with life. Allowing yourself the space to “waste time” can give your heart and mind time to relax and recuperate.
Solitaire Strengthens the Mind
Even if you still feel like you should be doing something more productive, solitaire produces something vital but unseen; mental exercise. Just like doctors recommend physical exercise to keep our bodies strong and fit, making breathing and moving easier and prolonging our lives, mental exercise keeps our psyche in shape. Strategic games like solitaire help keep our brains in shape, forcing us to think and engage our logic.
Another important factor is how solitaire might affect those at risk for neurological disorders, especially disorders affecting memory like Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that keeping the brain active with games, including puzzle or card games like solitaire, could help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s by up to five years. Even those who don’t consider themselves to be at risk for Alzheimer’s can benefit from the increased mental insight that comes with strategy games.
Benefits of Solitaire
Relaxation
When we’re mentally tired, stressed, or bored, our brains need a way to relax and unwind. Sometimes the best way to accomplish this is through using a strategy-based game that we can focus on to ease anxiety or depression.
Community
Although traditionally a solo game, online gaming platforms have given solitaire players a way to connect to others through card games. With leaderboards and head-to-head games, these platforms allow players to create their own community of like-minded players.
Mental Exercise
Studies have shown that strategy and logic games, including card games like solitaire, sharpen mental acuity and can even postpone the effects of Alzheimer’s.
Play Solitaire Without Shame
Solitaire is a fun, strategy-driven game that has lasted for thousands of years. With a myriad of benefits that outweigh surface-level stigma and stereotypes, solitaire has proven itself over time to be a shame-way free to bring benefits and fun into your life.
Check out Solitaire Social to explore how an online solitaire platform can help you reap the benefits of solitaire without the stigma.