I think this one is mostly reflective of the risk/reward payoffs of aggressive and unusual play in any particular game. Play to win means - force the confrontation, take gambles, push your way into a surprise advantage. Play to not lose means - lean on your techniques, stay in control of the situation, build an advantage gradually.
And for most games, most of the time, playing to not lose is a more reliable way to win, because it is more consistently rewarding to practice, even though it can result in a boring risk-assessed playstyle. Playing to win is an emotionally-driven way to do things and good technique will usually counter it, but every once in a while, late in a match, the mask slips and there's an opportunity to make a play on an overwhelmed opponent.
And for most games, most of the time, playing to not lose is a more reliable way to win, because it is more consistently rewarding to practice, even though it can result in a boring risk-assessed playstyle. Playing to win is an emotionally-driven way to do things and good technique will usually counter it, but every once in a while, late in a match, the mask slips and there's an opportunity to make a play on an overwhelmed opponent.