There's Levels To This Game!
Was it more advantageous to play offense or defense?
Many would say it depended on the context of the question and the previously implicitly presented challenge between the two parties.
Others, instead, preached their identity with water, capable of adapting to whatever stops their paths regardless of the context.
Eric, learning the statistical advantage of making the first move in chess, definitely preferred the offense position.
*Whenever it matters, who takes the first move will always trick you somehow! *
His past influenced him heavily on this topic, as he was in Ouroboros precisely for this reason.
*For example, my ex decided to start playing sumo on the side of the road without warning me before… no wonder I almost lost... Luckily, a hearse caught me from falling! *
At this point, he was used to his current reality, so he preferred to joke about his past misfortunes rather than cry a river about it.