Nonchalance

there's something that happens in the course of a night dedicated to insobriety, a night given over to the thrills of the ever-affable gathering of a beer pong game. it usually occurs, depending on the alcohol tolerance level and psychological self-influence of those in question, during the second or third round. the mind becomes diffused with a strange sense of weightlessness. the body functions on mere motor memory. there emerges in certain individuals, myself included, an almost preternatural ability to loft that thin-shelled sphere with little effort or thought and guide it directly into the opponent's chalice. this doesn't occur in the early going; the mind is too focused on the task, too self-aware, and the hand falters. but it is certainly a phenomenon seen in other walks of life, this collusion between nonchalance and success. only in those situations in which one has a great deal of self-investment does failure seem to appear with greater frequency.

it is also of great import to add that there is a fine line between nonchalance and ineptitude. this can be further explicated with the beer pong model. a player, once finding success with a nonchalant approach, often digresses to a point of total placidity that renders his shot useless. this stage is usually accompanied by fits of anger and confusion at the sudden turn of events. fortunately, this stage is rather temporary, as the player is often forced to consume large amounts of alcohol from both sides of the table and subsequently passes out. in summation, nonchalance is a very powerful tool, both in the arena of beer pong and in the arena of life, but it must be applied with care, as it is often the cause of many a downfall.