Philosophy in Games

Enchantment for the game

One of the main characteristics of games is the immersion power that they bring us, just like in films, we often create a deeper connection with the game, its environment and its characters. Within games our natural objective is to evolution, O progress: we build worlds, gain tools and skills, defeat enemies and move forward — in other words — we are always looking to fulfill objectives and realize ourselves as heroes within the game. (I will return to this topic later)

In the same way, just like in games, we Men are looking to evolve, learn, develop, progress, realize all the potential we have as human beings. A evolution It is the natural path of man, whether in life or within games. However, it is worth remembering that all of this is built in a virtual world, and that curiously, not all players bring the values that exist in games to everyday life in the real world.

Lack of control and addiction to games can be caused by a series of psychological and social factors, among them: a possible significant lack of Achievements and Achievements in the real world, as well as difficulty dealing with the Frustrations present in Life, making the individual seek to fulfill these fantasies and desires within the game, within a virtual life. The individual seeks to be a hero in the game because he is not capable of being a hero in his own life. Obviously we must remember that the challenges in real life are much more complex and challenging than the challenges in a game, but not everyone has the ability to deal with this dividing line.

Benefits of Games

We talked a little about the dark side of games, but can't they also be healthy? Of course!

I personally have been playing video games for at least 28 years, they were an important part of my development and also in my life and continue to be so to this day. I already had this discussion about the benefits versus harms of games with my older brother, who was worried about the time my nephew spent playing games. I have always encouraged games, of course, as long as there is moderation, as I think everything in life is a question of balance. Today, a few years later, my nephew only gets grades 9 and 10 at school in all subjects and has a great performance; I'm not saying that this is because of the games, but rather that the video game didn't impact him in a negative way, and apparently had a positive impact.

In my opinion, games are tools important, indispensable and fundamental for the development of a series of important characteristics in an individual, to name a few:

– Increased speed of reasoning
– Improvement in time and method for solving problems
– Improvements in motor coordination
– Improvements in the ability to deal 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 (however, excessive games can also harm this factor, polarities…)
– Stimuli and increased creativity (games like Minecraft for example)

Furthermore, we can make an interesting analogy between games and Films, Books and Records— they bring us inspiration, motivation, stimuli to live, they 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 to philosophy and the games can teach us about Life?

Clear objectives

In any game, your objective must be clear, otherwise the game becomes meaningless, right? We play because we are precisely in search of goals to achieve. Even in a game of contemplation, in a way there is also an objective, which in this case is to explore, contemplate, catalogue, etc.

I think that, just like in games, in life you need to have some clear goals, otherwise it could also become a bit meaningless. In life, just like in games, when we have no goals, we become adrift, not knowing what to do or where to go, in a state of inertia. I would like to take this opportunity to quote a famous phrase from the philosopher Seneca That say:

“If you don’t know which port you are sailing to, no wind is favorable.”

Accept the challenges

Within the games we accept all the challenges that are proposed and imposed on us without blinking or complaining, after all we are there for that, be challenged and show our full potential. In the game we don't stay still, we are always on the move, seeking objectives and challenges at all times, otherwise we wouldn't even be playing, right? These challenges become increasingly difficult and encourage us more and more to grow and evolve; the greater the challenge, the more motivated we feel to overcome that obstacle or that phase. But do players also behave this way in real life? I see not...

Many of us, at different times, spend a good part of our time complaining about the challenges and difficulties that life imposes on us on a daily basis, and contrary to the stance we take in games within the virtual world, we do not accept these challenges head on. in search of an evolution and solution — but what if we adopted the same mindset What do we have in games for the problems in our lives?

Challenges seen as fun

Another important issue is the stance we take in relation to the challenges imposed on us. Within games we see our problems and challenges as fun, as something positive, we face them in search of an evolution and solution. However, unfortunately in real life we don't always adopt this same stance, both you and I tend to complain about our problems, we try to avoid them, we lack the energy and courage to try to solve them, we don't see them as fun like they do in games.

Life, like games, can be seen as a sequence of tests and challenges which, over 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 its energy, physical capabilities, reflexes, and with weaker armor or little health we know that the game becomes more difficult.

In Life, we tend to see difficulties as problems, not as possibilities for growth and evolution. It’s no wonder that many say that “it’s all a matter of point of view” or translating this into a modern and cool term: mindset.

I would like to leave the following provocation for you, dear reader: have you ever tried to adopt the same mindset you have when playing video games in your practical, real life?

Efforts and Rewards

“You love more what you earn with effort” Aristotle

Have you ever imagined if the Super Mario 2 game had just a phrase?
Well, you must be thinking in your head that this doesn't make sense, no one would play it, because it wouldn't be any fun and wouldn't be challenging at all. Successful games are challenging and fun at the same time (it's worth remembering about Flow theory). In games we always have a long way to go, and along this path, as well as difficulties, we also have rewards. Doesn't the same thing happen in life? There is also that oriental proverb “no pain / no gain”. We tend to value our achievements much more when they are the result of our effort and dedication.

Why don't we also adopt this stance in relation to the problems of everyday life? If it were simple, easy, quick, without challenge, it wouldn't be any fun. Have you ever stopped to think that Life itself is one of the things that most resemble (in some way) a Game? We win, we lose, we learn, we change, we evolve, we are born, we die, we continue. In our lives, just like in games, when we achieve something after a lot of work and dedication, the achievement ends up having a much tastier and more special taste. Sports disputes 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 continually increase; However, at the same time our character also evolves, gaining new skills, becoming stronger, mastering new tools to overcome these growing challenges. Have you ever noticed that the same thing happens 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, make the decisions we believe to be correct and move forward.

All these skills we develop are a Means and not an End in themselves. Both in life and in games we are forced to make decisions at all times, and we cannot escape this, it is up to the player to know how to make the best decisions at the right time and develop the potential of their character along the way.

Bosses

At the end of each level they are always there, speaking in clear Portuguese, the feared “bosses”; ) What is the objective of the bosses? Very simple: put all our skills developed at that stage to the test, that is, helping us to establish our evolution and learning, as if it were literally a test.

In the same way, in our lives we know that evidence is constant. At a certain point, that more complex, more challenging challenge always arises, 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 and/or professional life. Both in games and in life we have to face bosses and they help us grow and evolve.

Game Architecture and Design

Rules

The game designer creates the rules and physics of the game, all the rules and laws need to be very well defined and structured and each game has its characteristics, for example, the character cannot cross walls, nor jump more than X meters, run certain speed, etc. — that is, we have the limitations and we need to learn to deal with them so we can play.

All the game's tools have a well-defined purpose, neither more nor less than you need. If the player cannot overcome the challenges, 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 skills, he will be able to overcome the challenges and move on to the next phase.

The player seeks to understand the game and its rules, tests the limits and does not question the rules imposed by the game. Could it be that in Life we have the same attitude towards the laws that are imposed on us and we have no control over, like the laws of the universe for example? Just like in games, in life we have Laws that govern our relationships with people, things and the world, we have to “knowing how to play” (deal) with these laws so that we can relate to others and the world, respect each other's space and live harmoniously in society.

Avatar

An avatar is a representation of the player within a virtual universe. Have you ever stopped to think about the psychological-existential issues involved in this? I think most people never stop to think about this question, how crazy it is that you can take on another role with characteristics completely different from you in a virtual world— games like The Sims, Second Life, GTA and a number of others show the impact it has on people. Nowadays, with the creation of 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 Metaverses) or extrapolate it as imaginary and/or anthropomorphic characters when in more playful immersive environments” Wikipedia

It is interesting to note that one of the meanings of the word Avatar in Sanskrit is “…the incarnation of the Real in the Virtual”, that is, the incarnation of our universal and eternal values (justice, kindness, fraternity, etc.) in a virtual body, which in this case would be me or you, your personality and characteristics, which are temporarily incarnated in a physical body.

How is it possible for such an ancient word to be related to our post-modern digital world?

In several schools of thought and ancient religions (such as Buddhism) Matter is illusory and fleeting, ephemeral. A thousand years from now, this table that supports my computer while I write will stop being a table, just as my computer will possibly stop being a computer and I will also stop being me. This means that at this very moment the table, the computer and I we are virtual; are projections of something real in a virtual world. From this perspective, the Eternal would be the Real, that which is beyond all these temporary projections in the virtual, that which is beyond what we can see as matter, beyond the world of forms. The Real would be our “spirit” and the virtual our “personality”.

We can also change this level and make an analogy where the Player is the “spirit” and the “personality” is our Avatar in the game; would it be this the virtual within the virtual? ?

Another very interesting parallel to think about between avatars and our Life is that, throughout it, we assume various roles, at different levels and in different phases. At times you are the son, at others the husband, the designer, the father, the co-worker — our Personas. But is there a wire that connects all these personas? Yes, this would be exactly the Real, the eternal, that which is beyond matter. Each situation and period of our life demands different skills, different behaviors, different thoughts, and in the same way we have to learn to use our acquired skills to overcome these real obstacles that are placed in our path.

The plot

Joseph Campbell, in addition to having a great influence on Analytical Psychology, was a man who dedicated his entire life to the study of Myths or the so-called Study of Comparative Religion, where he analyzed a series of myths and religions from different civilizations, at different times, in search of patterns and repetitions.

Fun fact: legend has it that George Lucas and Campbell were friends and that he directly influenced the Star Wars script, following ideas from studies of the hero archetype so that the story would be timeless, human and reach all generations.

One of these archetypes, if not the most famous, is the Hero Archetype. Campbell realized that there were certain elements in common in practically all of humanity's myths and hero stories, whether they were ancient like Baghvad Gita, Theseus and the Minotaur, Odyssey, or contemporary like The Matrix, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and a series of thousands of others.

Below is a brief TED-Ed video that explains the archetype and the Hero's journey.

Briefly, the first major step would be to presentation of the hero, who has his defects (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 highlight that in practically all myths there is the presence of a Woman (Soul or Anima) — that which animates, that moves, that creates. And finally, upon completing his mission, upon defeating the enemy he obtains fulfillment and plenitude and return to your home transformed, his moment of redemption. If you analyze these films mentioned, you will see that these ingredients are in all stories, ancient and modern.

All these stories are different costumes for the same timeless idea that is repeated, and which in fact deals with the history of human beingin search of his fulfillment as a Man and overcoming his daily challenges.

Tutorial

At the beginning of the games we have to go through some Tutorials, they are useful for explain to us how things work, which are the laws existing, objectives, rules, which are the tools and limitations character and setting, among other things. Tutorials also help us with the learning curve of the game (or even an application) and are there to guide our way through the game and its challenges.

Well, another analogy we can make is that the study of Philosophy can help us by being our “real Life tutorial”, philosophy helps us direct our path, know the tools available, give a certain meaning to our existence and also help us bring knowledge so that it is possible 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 what is Philosophy for anyway?

Many people associate the word philosophy with something boring, with long discussions without conclusion; when in fact philosophy is a important tool for self-knowledge and also for everyday practices; it can help us achieve a better life.

To answer this question I would like to mention an excerpt from the book “Desperate Happiness” of Comte-Sponville:

“The truth is that it is perfectly possible to answer the question “What is philosophy?” and even in several different ways — this plurality itself is already philosophical. As for me, I adopted Epicurus' answer to this question. It duly takes the form of a definition:

“Philosophy is an activity that, through speeches and reasoning, provides us with a happy life.”

I like everything about this definition. First of all, I like that philosophy is a "activity", energy, and not just a system, a speculation or a contemplation. I like that it is made by “discourses and reasoning”, and not by visions, good feelings or ecstasies. Finally, I like what it provides us with "a happy life", and not just the knowledge and, even less, the power... Or, in any case, that it tends to provide us with a happy life. To say it in my own words (but you will see that my definition is based on that of Epicurus), I will answer:

“Philosophy is a discursive practice (it proceeds “through speeches and reasoning”) that has life as its object, reason as its means and happiness as its end. It’s about thinking better to live better.”