I remember being given a book of Sudoku for Christmas one year and being asked about what I thought. Aside from the simple reality that they were not actually new to me (I had solved Number Place puzzles in the past), I came up with a simple comment. Sudoku can make you think when you are trying to learn how to solve the puzzles, but they lose value after you have solved enough of them.
The first time you solve just about any puzzle in the logic family, the primary purpose is to figure out how the rules work and how to use them to find a single answer to the puzzle. Even if you have to look at solving instructions (I would recommend avoiding these whenever possible), you have to learn how to apply them. During your first attempt, you will have to think.
If you develop a love for a particular puzzle, your goal will change. Since you already know how to solve the puzzles, the most valuable aspect of the puzzle will disappear. Instead, you will be applying what you already know to the puzzles. What was mentally demanding initially could very well transform into a routine. What is routine? It’s performing a task without having to think about it.
This doesn’t just apply to puzzles. Pretty much any task will initially require the development of new ability followed by a more routine approach to finishing the task after familiarity has been established. Routine leads to a bland and mindless life. We all deserve better than that.
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