Why Losing at Cockfighting Teaches More Than Winning: A Neuro-Designer’s Journey

I didn’t set out to win. I set out to understand why the most painful losses felt more real than any jackpot.

Growing up in Los Angeles—raised by Buddhist parents but living a secular life—I found myself drawn to cockfighting simulators not as entertainment, but as a mirror of human decision-making. Each round was 30 minutes long. No grand strategy. Just rhythm: the drumbeat of choice.

I used to bet \(5 per session. Then \)20. Then $800—and lost it all anyway. But here’s what changed: the moment I clicked ‘bet’, not the outcome, became sacred. The neon-blue glow of the screen wasn’t just graphics; it was my heartbeat synced to samba rhythms.

My team at USC taught me that flow matters more than odds. Unity and C# built the engine—but psychology built meaning. Flow theory wasn’t in textbooks; it was in every losing streak, every silent pause between bets.

The real prize? Not gold trophies. But clarity.

Join me in the Neon-Cockpit community where players don’t chase wins—they chase presence.

You don’t need luck.

You need stillness.