> Play video games that require intense focus for prolonged durations to perform well like Starcraft 2, CSGO, DOTA 2 helped me build mental endurance.

I used to be better than average at Starcraft 2. Probably peaked around top ~1.5% in the world wide rankings.

My thoughts on this is that the vast, VAST majority of people who play a competitive game like Starcraft 2 will not get any benefit from it. Following this advice blindly would be a disaster for 99% of people.

As a former high ranking master league player, I would mostly dedicate my time to memorizing and mindlessly practicing build orders. All responses I made in the game to my opponent were born from literally thousands of hours of practice and memorizing how certain interactions in the games went. 1 Marauder beats 1 Stalker. 2 Marauders beats 3 Stalkers. 2 Marauders loses to 4 Stalkers. For every single game interaction possible. I doubt an actual full formed thought ever crossed my mind during gameplay.

That's great for just zoning out and crushing noobs, but as a top 1.5% player I was absolutely TERRIBLE when compared to even low ranking professional players.

Why? Because they spent time watching replays to understand their opponents and to meticulously analyze their mistakes and think about solutions.

I didn't do any of that. I just memorized popular strategies and got good enough at pressing certain keys in certain orders that I was considered a "master". But I didn't master anything really. What does that say about the 98% of players who were lower ranked than me? What does that say about the larger player pool of Starcraft 2 which don't even compete, but rather play single player or arcade?

I want to make a critical correction to the quote that prompted me to reply.

> Practicing video games that require intense focus for prolonged durations to perform well like Starcraft 2, CSGO, DOTA 2 helped me build mental endurance.

The point I want to drive home is that concentrated, deliberate practice is the key to building mental fortitude.

>Play video games that require intense focus for prolonged durations to perform well like Starcraft 2, CSGO, DOTA 2 helped me build mental endurance.

Don't do that. These games are exactly the core of my own mental laziness.

I've played dota for a while and used to feel this way. It's still not something I'd recommend to get smarter, but if you feel like it's making you lazy try staying focused while you're dead. Personally I just think about what I/my team could have done differently (or if maybe my death was a good trade). After minute 30 or so you spend upwards of a minute dead, if you just go and check reddit or whatever it just reinforces hard thinking -> extreme mind candy (or at least, it did for me).

Plus you'll probably improve, I rose a few ranks after starting to do this.

The problem with those games is that it is easy to spend a full day playing them:

- StarCraft tries to keep your win rate at 50%, so a lot of the time you will find yourself frustrated.

- DotA games can be really long, and some people get really upset.

Now, I recommend you write down how you feel before playing these games, and how you feel after. And try to see if it helps.

Do you feel ready to study or work on a side project for 6 hours? I doubt so. You will probably feel ready for another match, and another, and another.

You can also play video games that teach you things which are marginally useful in your life e.g. Paradox Grand Strategy titles (History) or games like Factorio (Systems design / "Programming") or even TIS-100 (actual programming)

Funny enough, I spent a few weeks binging on a somewhat realistic civil war sim called "Ultimate General: Civil War" which I think teaches (civil war era) military tactics and military history quite effectively. I now know all of the famous civil war battles pretty well.

Modern video games are a focus hack that works within the game but does not translate to non-dopamine activities. Meditation would be cleaner, but if you want a game for focus, I would suggest Go (the classic board game). Moreso than I think any other game, it encourages and rewards beneficial human traits like patience and concentration.

I wouldn't recommend playing games in an attempt to build mental endurance. I used to play a lot of Starcraft 2 and Dota 2, and it mostly just sapped my motivation for other things.

Really?

I don’t really care much about winning or losing. I play them because they’re fun and because I can try novel approaches to solve novel problems.

The reward for me has never been about winning. It’s about being able to trying new things and see how it works in the game.

If I win great, if I don’t I’ll try again or play something else. If the reward is winning for you and you’re average than you’re statistically likely to be sad ~50% of the time. That probably will sap your motivation.

I think world-building games can help a little.

Making decisions and living with the outcome, letting things go and showing NPCs and other players what you built (especially if the community is supportive) - these skills are very transferable.

Genuinely curious, does playing video games really improve focus etc.? Is this anecdotal, or did you read some paper somewhere?

As a software engineer who also plays plenty of video games, I would say that it largely depends on the kind of game you play as well as HOW you play it.

I find games that require lots of exploring, solving puzzles helps improve my focus. In most FPS games, this only works if you strategize your approach in gaming. E.g considering the next X moves ahead, scoping vantage points etc.

Also, when I just need to clear my head, I personally find that there's nothing like games (besides exercise).

Fun anecdote, when I met my SO, she was in incredibly into exercise and I was not. But I was very much into games. We ended up influencing each other. Now we game & exercise together..

I think overall it's a net positive if done in moderation.

Sorry, don’t have any specific papers for you, but if you google around you’ll find the general consensus is if you’re forced to focus on any mentally straining task for a prolonged period, it’ll generally help your mental abilities.

If the game is challenging for you, it will likely help.

Check out neuroscience books if you want to be deep in this stuff.

This is the "willpower" theory by Baumeister. There's a book of the same name.

The theory is controversial. The effect likely isn't too big, or it would be harder to design experiments where it doesn't show up at all.

But even assuming the theory is correct, playing video games wouldn't be considered beneficial, at least as long as you are enjoying it.

This should be somewhat obvious: if you enjoy doing something you are obviously not training your capability to do something that you don't enjoy.

The closest you can get to have license to indulge is that Baumeister would predict not playing video games (when you would like to do so) will deplete your willpower, and make it harder to resist other urges (such as not working) for that day. Over the longer term (several weeks) however, repeatedly resisting that urge to play would train your willpower.