The Philosophy in Games
What can philosophy and games teach us about Life?
Initially, these two topics seem to inhabit distinct universes, however, they live more closer than you think. In this article I will discuss a series of characteristics present in the Games and how, through Philosophy, we can make an analogy of these concepts apply them to our practical and everyday life. If you like to play and to think, grab some coffee ☕ and come with me.
Let’s start from the beginning, a quick look at these two topics:
The Philosophy:
- Briefly speaking it would be the Love for Wisdom
- Search for Truth through Knowledge
- Application practices in daily life
* at the end of this article there is a more complete definition of what Philosophy is
The Games:
They occupy large space (and time) in our postmodern world, and this is growing by the use of smartphones and advances in tech
- They have been present among men since very ancient civilizations
- Interesting fact: it is not known in mythology the existence of a god of the Game, because all the gods play
- It is known that addiction to games (electronic or not) is a problem in several countries, but does the game bring us only bad things? Obviously not, the Games also have their positive side, I will address some of them here, but we need to analyze and look at the issue more closely, in a deeper way.
Enchantment through the game
One of the main features of games is the power of immersion they bring us, just like in movies, we often create a deeper connection with the game, its environment and its characters. Within games, our natural goal as humans is evolution, progress: we build worlds, gain tools and skills, defeat enemies and move on — that is — we are always on the lookout for accomplishing goals and performing as heroes within the game. (I’ll return to this subject later)
In the same way, as in games, Humans are seeking to evolve, to learn, to develop, to progress, to realize all the potential that we have as human beings. Evolution is man’s natural path, whether in life or within games. But it is worth remembering that all of this is built in a virtual world, and that curiously, not all players bring the values existing in the games to everyday life in the real world.
Uncontrol and gambling addiction can be caused by a number of psychic and social factors, including: a possible significant lack of achievements in the real world, as well as difficulty in dealing with the frustrations present in real life; individual seeks to realize these fantasies and desires inside the game, inside a virtual life. The individual seeks to be a hero in the game because he can't be a hero of his own life. Obviously we must remember that real-life challenges are much more complex and challenging than the challenges of a game, but not all people have the ability to deal with that dividing line.
Benefits of the Games
We talk a little bit about the dark side of the games, but games can also be healthy right? Of course yes!
I personally have been playing videogames for at least 28 years, they were an important part of my development and also in my life and continue to be to this day. I’ve already had this discussion about the benefit versus viciousness of the games with my older brother, who was worried about the time my nephew spent in front of the games. I’ve always encouraged games, of course, as long as there’s moderation, because I think everything in life is a matter of Equilibrium. Today, a few years later, my nephew only takes notes 9 and 10 at school in all subjects and has a great progress in school; I’m not saying that this is because of the games, but rather, that the video game did not impact negatively, and apparently had a positive impact.
I think games are very useful, indispensable and fundamental tools for the development of a series of important characteristics in an individual, to mention a few:
- Increased speed of reasoning
- Improved time and method for problem solving
- Improvements in motor coordination
- Improvements in coping with errors and frustrations
- Cooperation between individuals (group work, teams, squads)
- Moments of relaxation and stress reduction, relaxation, socialization
- Increase in some cognitive faculties such as memory, sound recognition, spatial location, vision, and others
- Improvements in the power of attention and concentration (but the excess of games can also damage this factor, polarities …)
- Stimulus and increase in creativity (games like Minecraft for example)
In addition, we can make an interesting analogy of games with Movies, Books and Records — they bring us inspiration, motivation, stimuli to live, are sources of energy and are also great for our moments of relaxation and relaxation, moments that are vital for our mental health.
LIFE versus GAMES: an analogy
What can philosophy and games teach us about Life?
Clear Objectives
In any game, your goal should be clear, otherwise the game is meaningless, we play because we are looking for goals to achieve, we are looking for challenges. Even in a game of contemplation, in a certain way there is also an objective, which in this case is to explore, contemplate, catalog, etc.
I think that just like in games, in life you need to have some clear goals, otherwise it also can be meaningless. In life, as in games, when we don't have clear goals, we are adrift, not knowing what to do or where to go, in a state of inertia. I take this opportunity to quote a famous phrase by the philosopher Seneca, who says:
“If you do not know to which port you are sailing, no wind is favorable”
Accept the challenges
Within the games we accept all the challenges that we are offered and imposed without blinking or complaining, after all we are there for this, to be challenged and to show our full potential. In the game we do not stand still, we are always moving, seeking goals and challenges at all times, otherwise we would not be playing, right? These challenges are becoming increasingly difficult and increasingly stimulating us to grow and evolve; the greater the challenge, the more motivated we feel in transposing that obstacle or that phase. But in real life do players also behave this way? I see that …
Many of us spend a lot of time complaining about the challenges and difficulties that are imposed on us by everyday life, and contrary to the attitude we take in games within the virtual world, we do not accept these open-hearted challenges in search of an evolution and solution — but what if we adopted the same mindset that we have in games for the problems of our Life?
Challenges seen as fun
Another important issue is the stance we take in relation to the challenges that are imposed on us. Within the games we face our problems and challenges as fun, as something positive, we go against them in search of an evolution and solution. But unfortunately in Real Life we do not always adopt this same posture, both you and I tend to complain about our problems, we try to avoid them, lack the energy and courage to try to solve them, we do not see them as fun like we do in games.
Life, like games, can be seen as a series of stages and challenges that, with the passage of time, become increasingly difficult and complex, we can observe this pattern in life and also in games. The character (in this case, you or me) also loses his energy, physical abilities, reflexes, and with a weaker armor and low energy we know that the game become even more hard.
In Life, we tend to see difficulties as problems rather than possibilities for growth and evolution. It is no wonder that many say “it’s all a matter of point of view” or translating it into a modern, funky term: mindset.
I would like to leave the following provocation to you friend reader: have you tried to adopt the same mindset you have when playing videogame in your practical and real life?
Efforts and Rewards
“We love much more the things that we conquer with effort” Aristotle
Ever wondered if the Super Mario ame had only 1 stage?
You must be thinking in your head that this does not make sense, nobody would play, because it would not have any fun and would not be anything challenging. Successful games are challenging and fun at the same time (worth remembering about Flow’s theory). In games we always have a long way to go, and during this journey some of the difficulties also have their rewards, have you noticed that the same thing happens in our lives? There is also that oriental proverb “no pain / no gain”. We tend to value our achievements much more when they are results of our effort and dedication.
Why do we not adopt this attitude also in relation to the problems of everyday life? If it were simple, easy, quick, no challenge, it would not be any fun. Have you ever stopped to think that Life itself is one of the things that most closely resembles a Game? We gain, we lose, we learn, we change, we evolve, we are born, we die, we continue. In our lives, just like in games, when we conquer something after much work and dedication, the conquest ends up having a much tastier. Sports competitions such as the World Cup and the Olympics are also a clear example of this.
Develop skills and make decisions
At the beginning of the games the tasks and challenges are much simpler, over time the difficulties and challenges are increasing continuously; but at the same time our character is also evolving, gaining new skills, getting stronger, mastering new tools to overcome these growing challenges. Have you reproached the same thing in our lives?
In games we also carry various equipment that can help us along the way: items, spells, weapons, tools, etc; and in the same way in life what we have is our character, our ethics, our values to deal with the adversities that come our way, to make the decisions we think are right and to move on.
All these skills we develop are a Way and not an End in themselves. Both in life and in games we are forced to make decisions all the time, and we can not escape it, it is up to the player to know how to make the best decisions at the right time and to develop the potential of your character during your journey.
The Boss
At the end of each level they are always there, the big bosses. What is the purpose of the big bosses in games? Very simple: to test all our abilities developed in that stage, that is, to help us fix our evolution and learning, as if it were literally a test.
In the same way, in our life we know that the proofs are constant. At a certain point, there is always a more complex, more challenging thing to accomplish, where you will have to apply everything you know, read and learned to try to solve that problem and achieve your goal. Many of these tests are remarkable and take you to a new level in your personal/professional life. Both in games and in life we have to face the bosses and they help us to grow and evolve.
Architecture & Game Design
Rules
The game designer creates the rules and physics of the game, all rules and laws need to be very clear and structured. The game has its characteristics, for example, the character can not cross walls, jump no more than X meters, a get certain speed, etc. — that is, we have the limitations and we must learn to deal with them so that we can play.
All the tools in the game have a well-defined purpose, neither more nor less than you need. If the player can not overcome the challenges in a stage, it is a sign that he has not mastered them, nor does he know how to use his tools in the best way. From the moment he manages to master his tools and abilities, he will be able to overcome the challenges and move on to the next stage.
The player seeks to understand the game and its rules, tests the limits and does not question the rules imposed by the game. Do we in Life have the same posture with the laws that are imposed on us that we dont have control, as the laws of the universe for example? Just as in games, in life we have Laws that rules our relations with people, with things and with the world, we must “know how to play” (deal) with these laws so that we can relate to others and to the world, respecting the space of each one and living harmoniously in society.
Avatar
An avatar is a representation of the player within a virtual universe. Have you wondered about the psychological-existential issues involved on that? I think most people never stop to think about it, how crazy is it that you could take another role with completely different characteristics from you in a virtual world — games like The Sims, Second Life, GTA and a host of others shows the impact it has on people. Nowadays with the creation of the VR glasses this power of immersion has become even greater.
“Immersive digital experiences, such as games and virtual worlds, borrow the term ‘Avatar’ as the projected representation of the user within the immersive environment. In this context, the avatar can either seek the full representation of the user in the projected virtual environment (usually when in Metaversos) or extrapolate it as imaginary and / or anthropomorphic characters when in more playful immersive environments“ Wikipedia
It's interesting to observe that one of the meanings of the Sanskrit word Avatar is “… the incarnation of the Real in the Virtual,” that is, the incarnation of our universal and eternal values (justice, goodness, brotherhood, etc.) in a virtual body if it were me or you, your personality and your characteristics, that are temporarily incarnated in a physical body.
How is it possible for such an old word to have relations with our postmodern digital world?
In various schools of thought and ancient religions (such as Buddhism) Matter is illusory and fleeting, ephemeral. In a thousand years, this desk that supports my computer as I write will no longer be a desk, my computer will stop being a computer and I will also stop being myself because I will be dead. This means that at this very moment the desk, the computer and I are virtual; we are temporary projections of something real in a virtual world. In this view, the Eternal would be the Real, that which is beyond all these temporary projections in the virtual, which is beyond what we can see as matter, beyond the world of forms. Real would be our “spirit” and the virtual our “personality”.
We can also change that level and make an analogy where the Player is the “spirit” and the “personality” is our Avatar in the game; would this be the virtual within the virtual? 🤔
Another very interesting parallel of thinking between the avatars and our Life is that along the way we assume various roles, at different levels and at different stages. At times you are the son, in others the husband, the designer, the father, the coworker — our Personas. But is there a thread that connects all these people? Yes, that would be exactly the Real, the eternal, that which is beyond matter. Each situation and stage of our lives demands different abilities, different behaviors, different thoughts, and in the same way we have to learn to use our acquired skills to overcome those real obstacles that are put in our way in life.
The Plot
Joseph Campbell, in addition to having great influence in Analytical Psychology, was a man who devoted his whole life to the study the Myths or the Study of Comparative Religion, where he analyzed a series of myths and religions of different civilizations, search for patterns and repetitions.
"George Lucas stated, following the release of the first Star Wars film in 1977, that its story was shaped, in part, by ideas described in The Hero with a Thousand Faces and other works of Campbell’s" wikipedia
One of these archetypes, if not the most famous, is the Hero Archetype. Campbell realized that there were certain elements in common in all myths and stories of mankind’s heroes, whether they were old like Baghvad Gita, Theseus and the Minotaur, Odyssey, or contemporaries like The Matrix, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and a series of thousands of others titles.
Here is a quick TedED vídeo that talks about the Hero Archetype, check it out:
Briefly, the first great step would be the presentation of the hero, who has his dark sides (gluttony, laziness, etc) and also his virtues (kindness, courage, etc.). The second part is the challenge, where the character is proposed a great challenge and he gives himself entirely to this challenge. It is interesting to note that in all myths there is the presence of a Woman (Ânima) — that one which animates, moves, creates. And finally completing his mission, by defeating the enemy he obtains fulfillment and fullness and returns to his transformed home, his moment of redemption. If you look at these movies mentioned and a bunch of others you will see that these ingredients are in all the stories, old and modern.
All these stories are different garments for a same timeless idea that repeats itself, and that in fact deals with the history of the human being in search of his accomplishment as Human and overcoming his challenges in the day to day.
Tutorial
At the beginning of the games we have to go through some tutorials, they are useful for explaining how things work, what are the existing laws, objectives, rules, what are the tools and limitations of the character and the scenario, among other things. The tutorials also help us in the game’s learning curve (or even an app) and are there to guide our way through the game and its challenges.
So, another analogy we can make is that the study of Philosophy can help us being our “tutorial of Life,” philosophy helps us to direct our way, to know the available tools, to make a sense of our existence and also is a great self-knowledge tool — so it helps us to evolve as human beings. Philosophy can also help us in practical life, in everyday life, and can be used as a tool for a better and more harmonious life.
But in the end, what is Philosophy for?
Many people associate the word philosophy with a boring thing, with long discussions without conclusion; when in fact philosophy is an important tool for self-knowledge and also for everyday practices; it can help us to conquer a better life.
To answer this question I would like to mention an excerpt from Comte-Sponville’s :
“The truth is that it is perfectly possible to answer the question” What is philosophy? “And even in a number of different ways — this very plurality is already philosophical.As for me, I adopted Epicurus’ answer to that question. properly the form of a definition:
“Philosophy is an activity which, through discourses and reasoning, gives us a happy life.”
I like everything in that definition. I like first of all that philosophy is an “activity”, energy, not just a system, speculation or contemplation. I like it to be made up of “speeches and reasonings,” not visions, good feelings or ecstasies. I like it at last that it gives us “a happy life”, and not only the knowledge and still less the power … Or, in any case, that it tends to provide us with a happy life. To say it with words that are mine (but you will see that my definition is based on that of Epicurus), I will answer:
“Philosophy is a discursive practice (it proceeds” by discourse and reasoning “) that has life as object, reason by means and happiness at the end. It is a matter of thinking better to live better."
Conclusion
In any game your goal is always very clear; in the same way I think that we, as individuals, must find our goal and realize the full potential we have within each one. You can throw several seeds in the soil, all have the potential to become a tree, however, some will turn into trees and some will not. We all have a potential to be developed. One of the best forms of rebellion that man possesses is precisely his Creativity. In both Life and Games, do not give up, and move on, evolve.
{This article was inspired by the lecture of Saulo Camarotti, philosopher and producer of games.}
