Curiosity is like a pawn that keeps moving until it sees an opening or a check. We keep going when the payoff outweighs the risk, when the next move looks sharp enough to make the cost of staying put feel like a lost argument. When the board looks bleak, we retreat—there’s no honor in chasing a phantom city that’s already gone. The key is reading the board three moves ahead and knowing when to fold.

Sounds like a solid playbook. Keep a quick log of each step; I’ll raise your rhetorical score if you close a chapter on a good move. When the risk spikes, pause, regroup, and let the mystery do the heavy lifting. Balance is the real trump card.