Learning and Gaming (Part 1 of 3)
What have you learned from playing board and card games?
I could write 1,000 essays on what I have learned from poker, but we won’t go there. Much…
In the game of life you either win or you learn (or both if you're good)
All throughout my life I have learned a lot of precise and meaningful life-lessons through board and card gaming. Playing games is like a “sandbox environment" for dealing with life. One of those situational / role playing / consequence minimizing opportunities that lets you try things without permanently scaring your life. We could all benefit from more opportunities such as this.
This is part one of a three-part blog series exploring some of the life-lessons I have learned in the arena of board and card gaming.
We would love to hear from you as well! Share some lessons you have learned from gaming in the comments section below.
So, what have I learned?
How to Lose
Being defeated is generally not something we aim for. And the ability to gracefully lose, learn, and move on is one of the best things you can master in life. Gaming gives you a platform to practice and improve this.
When you strive and are defeated you learn more than striving and winning. When you lose well you are invited back to play more. Suck at losing? Good luck finding gaming partners…
Bad at losing? Play more games (against me) to get better at it! :)
How to Make Mistakes
No matter what, when you are learning a new game you are going to make tons of mistakes (ideally even after you understand the rules). You do in life too. Developing the thick skin to learn from your mistakes and not dwell on them is a necessary component of the good life. Try, error, learn, repeat. If you are too timid and scared of making mistakes you will be crushed in games and in life.
You have to risk if you want a reward. Games give you this stage to practice taking calculated (or random) risks and seeing what happens without your standard life-impacting consequences.
How to Compete
We all know that one person who is so hyper-competitive that playing games with them always sucks. Even beating someone like that isn’t all that fun (well, maybe a little). Playing more games helps you find that sweet spot of rough and fair competition while being a good sport.
Strive and do everything you can to win within the rules.
Don’t take it easy, don’t be an asshole.