this is a hot take!

I agree that poker does nothing to better the world and yes, I used to spend countless nights in massive tournaments just to bust a few seats before the bubble. I got a lot of hate for destroying players with 7deuce. I isolated myself from the outside world (which I still do today but that's a different story). However, I never lied about my job, I didn't care enough about what others thought about how I made my money. I still don't today since most people think that Bitcoiners are just as retarded as poker players.

And yes, it's a toxic game and you must have the mental strength to stand above the toxicity or you'll fail. You're either a shark or you'll get sharked and poker sharks are mor like wolves, we can smell weakness and we will exploit that weakness. Furthermore many professional poker players are also degenerated gamblers. While they excel at poker, they will blow large junks of their winnings on black jack or slots.

However, my poker journey made me the person I am today. I read people like an open book. I have very tight financial management (bankroll) and yes, I'm always looking for an edge when I get involved in something. In many ways the poker mindset has become part of my personality over the years.

Is that a good thing or bad thing? I don't know. All I know is that it works for me.