Uncertainty

I have maintained a theory that life and physics often have parallels.  Rough parallels, perhaps.  For example, consider the Heisenberg Uncertainty Priinciple.  In one overly basic description of what this means, we learn that the mere testing or observing of a thing affects that thing so as to give us a false view of the thing as it was prior to our assessment of that thing.  The parallel in life seems to be roughly that our assessment of others (and their assessment of us) affects the other person.  In broader terms, if you see a person as kind, that person tends to become kinder.  If you see a person as funny, their sense of humor increases.  If you see a person as a waste, they also meet that assessment sooner or later.

Bridge also has uncertainty of this type.  If you see partner as a great player or as a strong developing player, partners tend to play great and develop well.  If you see partner as a hopeless cause, they tend to become hopeless.  If you think the opponents are going to crush you, they crush you.  If you sense weakness from your opponents, you come up with a good line or bid yourself, making sure that your assessment of the opponents plays out.

I cannot prove this, but I often wonder if quantum mechanics is at work when I look for Queens.  I am convinced that I find the Queen much less then 50% of the time, even if I follow the odds and inferences correctly.  Is my expectation causing the Queen, perhapps fluttering back and forth, to materialize in the wrong place every time?  Or, am I tending at times to be so pessimistic that I run against the line that I feel to be right?

I mean, strange things happen.  when I feel "on," I manage to find Queens constantly.  I recently held AJ10xx on dummy and Kx in hand.  I crossed to dummy to hook the Jack back, then King, then back to dummy for the Ace, and this all worked.  Nothing that fabulous, except that it was right AND I felt on fire that night, even before that play.  Did my brain work better that night because I was positive in my thinking?  Did I notice all of the right decisions because I felt right?  Was this simply coincidence?  Did I somehow elect in a quantum sense the "world" in which the Queen was placed where I thought it was?  Did I change or decide reality?  No -- the goofy quantum stuff was not really happening (I hope).  What was happening is that I was in tune and positive, with ,myself and with my partner, and that translated into success.

The damned problem is that bridge is not exactly an easy game to master in that regard.  You spend years and years learning about how big of an idiot you really are, and along the way you find out that your partner is a lunatic as well.  And yet, somehow you are suipposed to be upbeat and positive?  At bridge????