Seinfeld Trivia Night: What I Learned About Myself

During a recent Seinfeld trivia night, I discovered a side of myself I never knew existed. When I’m really into something, I go all in, completely all in, and suddenly I’m the person who wants to win. I become competitive! Yikes. This revelation made my head spin because I didn’t even know that person existed. Who am I?

Why I love Seinfeld

I think Seinfeld is one of the funniest sitcoms ever! The humour is so clever, and I love it because the punchlines are unpredictable. Well, after watching and rewatching it, I can predict what’s coming next. But the humour itself isn’t like so many other shows.

I also love all the memorable quotes. I don’t think a week goes by without me sneaking in a Seinfeld reference. And yes, I can do the Elaine dance pretty well. Just ask some of my work colleagues!

More Than Just Laughs

Seinfeld isn’t just a sitcom for me. It’s more than laughing or cringing at the ridiculous things the characters get up to. It’s a fascinating look at human behaviour, social quirks, and the absurd moments of everyday life. And yes, most of the stuff they do is completely over the top. But I don’t think I’ve found another sitcom that makes me laugh out loud the way Seinfeld does.

I actually think it’s a show about everything, not a show about nothing, which, by the way, was only one episode and not the original pitch.

Seinfeld Trivia Night

When my friend invited me to a Seinfeld trivia night, I was excited to go. I’ve been watching Seinfeld since it first started airing in Australia in the mid-90s. I would put my baby to bed and plonk myself in front of our old tube TV for my weekly comedy fix.

So you could say I was pretty confident my general knowledge of Seinfeld was solid. But I wanted to be sure, and I probably studied for this trivia night more than I did for my HSC. I wanted our team to win.

My friends, including my husband, were my teammates, and while they are all fans too, I’m pretty sure they didn’t obsess over it like I did.

And then we lost, and it stung.

I was surprised at how bothered I was because, before the trivia night, I would have easily said I am one of the least competitive people ever. I don’t even have a favourite football or soccer team. But then again, put Australia at the Olympics, and suddenly I’m a die-hard fan of whatever sport is on. I can totally relate to Puddy and his face painting (if you know, you know).

So what does this mean? Am I actually competitive or not? Was the Seinfeld trivia night just a one-off competitive moment I experienced? And are there maybe a couple of things that trigger me into competitive mode? Come along with me as I explore this aspect of my personality. Because it’s never too late to discover new things about yourself. Giddy up!

Intrinsic Motivation Is My Driver

I’m putting on my pseudopsychologist hat and saying that the Seinfeld trivia night turned me into a competitive person (for a short while) because it tapped into something I enjoy.

I didn’t really care about the prize. In fact, I didn’t even know what it was until after the night was over. Sure, the $100 pub voucher would have been amazing, but that wasn’t the point.

It wasn’t just about beating others, although I still don’t know how the other teams knew what they knew! Google cheats? Nope. I’d better not say that because I don’t want to be a sore loser.

For me, it was all about knowing the tiny details that got me motivated, like Jerry lived in apartment 5A (though it was 3A in the early episodes), Elaine got banned from ordering at Hop Sing, you have to say please and step aside when ordering soup from the Soup Nazi, and George’s ATM password was Bosco.

Remembering all of that lit up my brain. And all of that trivia only mattered to me because I love the show so much, and that’s what motivated me. It wasn’t for anyone else. It came from within. Intrinsic!

I Got A Dopamine Hit!

Humans are wired to feel pleasure from mastering things that challenge them. For me, the Seinfeld trivia night was a test of how well I could remember all those small details. Apparently not as well as I had hoped.

That buzzy feeling of knowing you’re good at something you actually care about is a dopamine hit. That’s why I got so absorbed, so “all in.” It’s not a feeling I notice too often, and I liked it.

Selective Engagement

The fact is, I’m not competitive about everything, hardly anything if the truth be told. Which is probably why my mother-in-law couldn’t relate to me, but that’s another story. Something has to really and truly resonate with me to bring out that competitive spark. So far, I’ve discovered two things: Seinfeld trivia and cheering for Australia at the Olympics.

No Ego

I wasn’t out to prove anything to anyone. It was all about me, my love for Seinfeld, and my own enjoyment. Me, me, and more me.

Am I Competitive After All?

So I guess in short, I’m not competitive all the time. But I can be competitive, super focused and maybe a little absorbed in the things that I love.  Who knew a trivia night could teach me so much about myself? Get out!!