We are here to play - life is a game
Read Time: 2 min
How to play more in your life and why it is the only way to safe our world.
Life is a game, and our greatest purpose is to play.
I'm not saying life is a fun, fair, or healthy game; on the contrary.
Life in our current society is a demotivating, unfair, and broken game.
I'm glad that we game designers know how to fix it.
When was the last time that you played?
Just exploring something you're interested in without getting any reward for it.
When was the last time you felt energized and empowered and forgot the time?
Or have you forgotten what proper playing feels like?
Seeing life as a game is our only hope to fix today's problems.
Every child can tell you in a second when a game is unfair or broken.
It will be very easy for that child to point out why the game isn't fun.
Think of a game where you put in a lot of work to help others achieve their goals.
But when they reward you, I, who did nothing the whole time, take most of that reward for myself.
Is that fair?
Seems broken, right?
Think of a game where starting locations are picked at random.
You spawn naked and alone in a desert.
I spawn in a lush, high-tech society that gives me everything I need to win the game.
And we both compete for the same goal.
Is that fair?
I wouldn't want to play that game in your position.
If you have children, ask them if they want to play these games.
What do you think they will answer?
Of course, these examples represent wage labour and different countries.
But thinking about it as a game enables us to spot when our life is broken, unfair, and rigged.
It gives us the ability to search for better ways to do things.
Better games to play.
There is another reason why looking at life as a game is excellent.
Seeing life as a game leaves no room for excuses to keep things as they are.
The biggest excuse I hear is: "This is just the natural order of things.”
What a bullshit!
There is no such thing as a natural order in our society!
The society game is made by men (emphasis on the masculine form), not by nature.
Therefore, it can also be changed by us humans.
Here is a simple check for you to see if a game is good or bad for you:
Do you play this game voluntarily and enthusiastically?
If the answer is no, you're playing a bad game.
My mission with Gamify Work is to teach you how to design better games for yourself and the people around you.
I have been designing games for more than 10 years, and for the past 6 years, I applied this knowledge to work and life.
The best games are those where everyone wins.
Not every game needs to be about competition.
There are a million ways to make games fun without competition.
If you continue playing these games, you will only hurt yourself and the people around you.
If you take responsibility for your life, you must play better games.
You just need to learn how.
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Thanks for reading to the end!
You rock!
Cheers,
Marcel