When I saw the RSS feed I had subscribed to, I came across an intriguing sentence sourced from Hack News. Here it is:
I adopted a philosophy in life that helped me a lot in this regard. I started to see life as a series of 'games' played by 'roles'. My mission in life is to play my 'games' in the best way possible for my 'roles'. A game can be anything from being a good student, to being a father, to making sound financial decisions, to leading a project, to supporting a project as individual contributor, to making a house renovation, etc.
Once I started to see my work as a 'game' played by a 'role', a lot of stress was taken off of my back. I started to see situations in a neutral light regardless of who were the actors (including myself).
It doesn't matter if it's me receiving or giving constructive feedback, having a difficult conversation or managing a stressful situation. Through this perspective I'm able to abstract from people, power dynamics, etc. and see what's helpful, that's the best way forward, etc.
It made me ponder for a while: what if we viewed life as an RPG game? Let's analyze this concept in more detail. By envisioning life as a game, one immediate benefit is the sense of tranquility(平静) it brings. This allows us to approach things with a calm and thoughtful mindset, free from unnecessary haste(匆忙). Furthermore, just like in a game, life presents us with goals and rewards to motivate us towards their achievement. When we transition this game mentality(思想方法) into real life, the same principles apply. It is ingrained in our nature that our brains seek rewards upon completing tasks, regardless of their magnitude. In other words, we are wired to desire a sense of accomplishment. Alternatively, we could say: "Life is a game, and games are life."
If we delve(钻研) deeper into the discussion, we can consider life as a process of negentropy(负熵), with entropy representing senility(衰老) and death, while negentropy represents resistance against them. From bottom to top, our lives are guided by goals set by our families, partners, and society. These goals often require us to work hard, overcome obstacles(障碍), climb social ranks, and attain power. This predefined path to success, established by the majority, can be quite useful. However, it is important to take a moment of introspection(内省) and question if this path aligns with our personal desires. Not everyone has the opportunity to pursue their passions, excel in their strengths, or follow their true calling. Ultimately, what matters most is whether we genuinely(真正地) enjoy or at least accept the path we have chosen. Conversely, from top to bottom, life is short, so approaching it as a game with limited time can free us from the constant competition with peers, neighbors, and relatives.
Life is a journey of learning how to ignore others' opinions. It's important to take the views they offer with ease, accepting the ones you resonate with and ignoring those you don't. Instead, focus on the targets that truly matter to you, much like a gamer strives to achieve the highest score in a game.
Life game,game life.