Why do you play chess?

IM of GM strength Boris Kogan once asked me, "Mike, why do you play chess?" I recall reading the best golfer ever, Bobby Jones was asked why he played golf. While reading the discussion forum on the American Go Assoc website (www.usgo.org) I came across the thread: Why do you play? I found this remarkable: Why inigo-weiqi plays Go
Go mimics life - very closely. Playing it on a constant basis has affected my thinking very profoundly. Somehow I've gone beyond the good vs. bad distinction when judgeing certain situations. Now, I've learned to first think before I act, and think profoundly before I act profoundly - especially when I encounter hostility from a person or group. And even when I encounter (suspicious) kindness from the same.Not only that, but also I've learned to conclude that every action has a story behind it. Just like the opening influences the middle game and the middle game influences the endgame, what a person does today is influenced by what happened yesterday and the day before - even if responsibility for an action lies with the person and not the event. Finally, Go has improved my social life a little. At least I've learned to be more subtle when introducing myself to a stranger for the first time, and when making friends. Even with my family and closest friends I take time to practice said subtlety.Go has so many merits, it's somewhat surprising that it has not been popularized here in the US or in other Western countries.I could continue posting more and more reasons as to why I play Go, but the space here is limited.