And so, here in 2012, we are a humanity of tricked game players. We are those who have chosen which games to play or we are those who have not chosen but are to play the games of others' choosing. And we are those, the corporations, the governments, the institutions, who are the big game organisers. These also comprise humans, but are not human. These, who have and who have not chosen, but who choose the games we are all to play and, through accident, inability or conspiracy, set the rules.
We play the games because humanity, like most life, depends on pattern-recognition to make sense of its world. Chairs are chairs, friends are friends, work is work, life is life. Fail to fit the pattern and acceptance will likely not be. It is quite a set of games. And all difficult to change.
The main rule is to engage with the rules, for to fail to engage the rules creates outsiders, deviants, innovators, death or even leaders....all, or mostly, lonely positions. These are great places!
One does not tend to win in the game, it is more that one survives to a greater or lesser degree. This would appear to be the aim of the corporation, the government, the institution: to allow survival in a controlled way. Through the rules of history, cultures and unintended consequences, we conform to the games and play - as actors on the stages of life - the correct roles, in the main.
To survive the ravages of a starving or thirsty nation (or, maybe with some earlier choices), wars, one may not have options unless other nations help. To escape the work-wheel game of training>employment>retirement one must win the lottery, be inventive or find an inheritance. To win the game of friends one must conform to friendship game rules - have personality and interest equal-to or greater-than one's peers. To enjoy one's family strict adhesion to its special rules is demanded – or a black sheep you will be. Be careful those who suggest better ways to spend our taxes, organise the fundamental game-rules of economics or change the rules of 'politics' or 'authority', for special rules apply to these deviant gamers and they will be challenged and most likely silenced.
Of course academics have a special 'Game of Knowledge', although this is undergoing a game-makeover due to mass communication. We now have Wikipedia, et al, to share the knowledge-counters, and the counters of skill, understandings and attitudes with which one wins the academic game. A similar, although as yet only partial, game-makeover has been applied to our 'Economic Game', with a recent huge counter-play by the old winners. There is evidence that 'The Political Game' is due a similar makeover through Avaaz, 38degrees and others of the internet-play. Families have been evolving their game for aeons, with state assistance, migration and learning/education the great trump-cards and game-changers.
Then we have the game of 'Break-Out'. Available to those who choose to ignore or follow rules of prevailing games rules. These are they who play the game of new communities. Or they play the game of 'Lets Make It All Better', seeing new patterns, new ways to win through with ever-changing rules of creativity, evolution, being, etc..
And who wins in this World of Games? Well, we have an answer and it seems not to be 42, unimaginable wealth or a guaranteed step on the stairway to heaven after we leave the Earthly Game Board.
The answer seems to be 'Great Happiness' which comprises the following. But to achieve this we have to step outside the standard set of 'Game Rules' which seem the 'Academic Game' evidence shows rarely leads to happiness for players anywhere.
Win the 'Happiness Game by....
having enough but not too much
making others happy
keeping healthy
doing something worthwhile, that 'makes a difference', but which does not cost/damage the earth
having really great friends
having integrity (trust in self and trusting others?)
having a spirit with enough courage, independence and adventure
It is a great game, the real game of life.
Who said there is not a jot of evidence that life is meant to be serious?
Was it Jane McGonigal or Woody Allen?
Reviewing the place of 'the corporations, the governments, the institutions' - it seems right to also suggest they really have no insight into their own game playing.
ReplyDeleteDo they not just follow past forms as well as create headless buracracy - where no one will accept responsibility for what they actually do and are doing. Anyone making a decision, of course, remains responsible for all their decisions - who would play life as an irresponsible game?! Prince Philip recommends adding a note to all decisions so we can get rid of the 'no-responsibility in civil service/large corporations' game.