Monopoly: Is it a game of life?
When developing a game, you have the rules, the goals, the players,
etc. And in life, you can be similar situated. But, before we get started, let me
state that you should not live life as a monopoly game. However, there are some
similarities to both monopoly and life.
When playing monopoly, you have standard rules which are to
monopolize the game and, de facto, monopolize others who are playing it. In life,
you are not necessarily trying to bankrupt those around you. But you are trying
to get your ‘slice’ of the American Dream. And typically to get that dream,
that means starting your own business, obtaining some level of post-secondary
education, putting in long hours at the office, etc. All these actions seem
honest, but what you are essentially doing is trying to give yourself a ‘leg up’
on others in your field.
Also, in monopoly, you have the rules: No loaning money to others, if you don’t
charge rent when someone lands on your property before the next player rolls
the dye, you forfeit your chance to collect, etc. On the other side of the
coin, you have life where there are rules too:
Do not rob the bank, work hard at your job, etc. Thus far, there seems to
be a lot of similarities between monopoly and life. But there is a significant
difference between the two. While
lessons learned from monopoly can be applied into present day society, it
should be noted that there is significant differences between the two.
For one, monopoly is literally game with little to no
physical consequences and there is a finite amount of time it can be played. In
life, there is almost always some type of physical consequence to your
decisions and the time you are engaged in it is infinite.
However, there are some points that can be learned from monopoly: (1) act fair in your dealings with everyone,
you never know when you are going to need them; (2) playing the game too aggressively
or timidly can cause you a lot of issues; and (3) enjoy.
In life, we have tendency to either be cutthroat or avoid
conflict. There is needs to be a balance between getting the job done and
letting others use you as a floor-mat. Ethical dealings with others is as
important to current negotiation as the potential next one. Be mindful because
you might not be asked to play again.
Playing the game of life too aggressively or too timidly can
cause you adverse problems. If you play ‘loose and fast’ without checks-and-balance,
you can end up with large tax bills, no business associates, etc. On the other
hand, if you play the game of life timid and scared, opportunities for growth
will pass you by. So, learn the delicate balance of both.
Also, even though life brings a bit much of ups and downs,
it is still important to enjoy it. You might not always get what you have. But,
if you learn to be grateful for what you have, you are bound to obtain more,
naturally.
Takeaways:
Monopoly is an old game with plenty of aspects that we all
can learn from regardless of your occupation. And ethical dealings, a healthy dose
of aggressive goal achievement, and life enjoyment are all old lessons that we
should apply to our lives.
~ Attorney Ronnie
O’Brien Rice, Ph.D.
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