A subtlety that probably would have weakened the essay to bring up: if your goal is growth, then no, you don't want to always be the dumbest in the room. Unless

A subtlety that probably would have weakened the essay to bring up: if your goal is growth, then no, you don't want to always be the dumbest in the room. Unless, perhaps, the stronger players are fully invested in directly teaching you tutorial-style. If there is too much of a skill gap, then the weaker players just get steamrolled and learn nothing. Exploring different options doesn't help, because the stronger players will know how to best defeat those strategies if they aren't carried out perfectly. Even if the stronger players go easy on the weaker, and even intentionally leave openings and suggest they be exploited, it takes a certain level of skill and/or experience to recognize or gain from them.