Lehrer writes (page 59):

Why does an excess of dopamine in a few neurons make games of chance so irresistible? The answer reveals a serious flaw in the human brain, which casinos have learned to exploit.

On the fourth day of the Big Spring Nationals we had light lift at first, so we all huddled together at first near the airport. This eliminated the problem of being impatient, as I had to be patient if I wanted to stay up. It also made it so I was automatically flying with my teammates.

We started together at the second start time and this certainly helped with decision making with other pilots around to help spot the lift. After a while I got behind Shapiro, O'Brien, and Majors, but I didn't over react and just took my time getting back up. Maybe it was the earlier need for patience that reminded me to be patient.

This turned out to be useful when I went ahead of Zippy who had to come and join me in a moderate thermal. This allowed me to fly again with a couple of other pilots and having compatriots allowed me to check my emotions and thinking against theirs. It is a great help to have a voice outside your head providing another check on reality.

O'Brien was down low just surviving at the first turnpoint, but I had to suffer not climbing with Bunner and Majors a few kilometers past the turnpoint. The feeling at this point was to try to run and to find much better lift to get back up with them. The better idea would have been to stay with Shapiro who was just below me and searched for the next lift together.

I wasn't able to go as fast and Shapiro and O'Brien who had been many thousands of feet below me because I went off on my own and had to dig out from multiple low saves. Of course, the feeling that sends me off on my own is that somehow I've been transformed into Superman, and that I am the one that is keeping myself up in the air. The feelings overcome my understanding that it is a partnership between me and the conditions.