Originally posted by Djinc
That's kind of my whole point. If you get to 1800, don't pick that as a place to just kick back. Do your homework and get better. Your rating will go up a lot more quickly by beating 2000+ players than it will by beating 1500- players. Crying about being paired with stronger players will not improve your chances of beating them. Never discount the value of hav ...[text shortened]... will become a lifestyle. If you get comfortable with losing, losing will return the favor. 🙂
I guess I agree with your philosophey. If a player rated under 1800 doesn't have a losing record, he isn't trying hard enough to improve. I regularly play people rated much higher, and my average rating has improved by 100 points a year, with no study at all, just simply playing tough opponents.