Per Wikipedia:
“The Oxford English Dictionary defines grok as “to understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with” and “to empathize or communicate sympathetically (with); also, to experience enjoyment”.
So many times, it seems the mainstream media focuses on the negative impact of games. I can personally attest that games offer a lot of positive things. For me, they’ve always provided an escape from what can be a tough, and certainly difficult world to navigate. Games also provide a sense of belonging and can forge friendships that literally last a lifetime. Interestingly, I think there’s a lot of life lessons games can teach or reinforce. So without further ado, I’m going to discuss five life lessons games have recently brought to mind.
I. Adapt or Die
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As I was shot in the face for the umpteenth time playing Red Orchestra 2, it dawned on me that I need to get up and move my ass to another location! In Tripwire’s deliciously brutal title, you can die in one to two shots. What results is a game that is tense, scary as hell, and incredibly rewarding. I’ll often find myself hesitant to move from a position of safety as the kills keep rolling. But sooner rather than later, someone finds your safe haven and brutally reminds you that a change in tactics is needed on your behalf.
So you have to get with the program or you’ll die rather quickly. If one area is heavily fortified by enemies, move your ass to another location and test the waters. The same principle applies to life. While most of us in the modern world (particularly first world countries) don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from, the principle of adaptation still applies – you have to roll with what life throws at you and change. Failure to do so doesn’t necessarily equate to literal death, but certainly leads to stagnation of individual growth, which often results in unhappiness. I often have to remind myself that every day presents a unique set of challenges that have multiple solutions – and lessons. But you have to be willing to change to move forward.
II. Working with others has its own Rewards
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One of my favorite moments from Payday 2 happened about a month or two back. I was playing a game with two randoms and a friend, Zelos. Anyhoo, we were pulling a heist where we had to smash and grab loot from a mall. For some reason, I opted to make my stand on the ground floor, at the entrance to the mall. I made this poor decision with the knowledge that evac would be on the third floor. But I foolishly stood my ground at the front entrance to the mall. Needless to say, I quickly found myself cut off from the rest of my team when our escape was available. My buddy Zelos fought through three floors of heavily armed police officers to get to me, and somehow, the two of us made it out. Had he not done that, I would have found my digital doppelganger in custody!
Conversely, Payday 2 also provides those moments where you and your team have this elaborate plan where everyone will creep to the objective. But the moment you roll in, someone fires a shot and complete pandemonium ensues. You have to anticipate such moments and be prepared for the inevitable shit-storm.
Working with people in the real world is simply a reality most will face in their careers. As a nurse, I’ve worked in a variety of settings, most of which are team-oriented. With the help of others, I do more than I could ever hope to do alone. From learning skills, to bouncing ideas off coworkers on potential problems bothering patients, the nurses and doctors I’ve worked with over the years have given me a level of confidence I never thought possible. And they’ve taught me humility. Something we all need to remember. On the flip side, the incessant amount of strong personalities makes it a damn hard profession. But there ya go, that’s my nine to five.
III. Be Persistent
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Going back to my Red Orchestra 2 example mentioned above, it took me multiple deaths the other day to come to my epifany that I needed to move or die. But at the heart of that matter is this – I suck. Despite that, I love the game. I play it over and over. And each time I die, I recognize why I got killed. Often times it’s because I stayed in the open too long, didn’t utilize cover properly, or didn’t lay down some cover fire. But I stick with it.
Similarly, we experience failure quite a bit in games. Whether a title is an MP-centric or a solo outing, failure is part of the gaming experience. But as your mama probably told you about life, you have to pick yourself up and keep going. There’s a difference between tenacity and stubbornness. I’d argue that in regards to the latter, a person is unwilling to look at what they’re doing wrong in order to move forward. Persistence on the other hand, is different than being stubborn. You adapt as previously mentioned, sometimes multiple times. And you don’t give up. You keep testing alternative solutions until you meet success. But you have to adapt to a situation first.
I can’t think of a better example than my experience playing high school football. During my freshman year, I was constantly put against upper class-men in practice. This is because I was huge (6’6″ and 250lbs). Having only played for the first time the year before, I didn’t know a damn thing about the game. Often times, my skin looked like camouflage as I had bruise upon bruise plastered on my body. But I got better. I continued to push and train. And by my junior year, none of the other lineman in my grade could compete with me. At the conclusion of that season I was ranked 13th in the state of Georgia for tackles.
I never would have gotten that far had I not pushed myself and gotten right back up, even when it hurt to do so.
IV. Build Upon What you Know
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Games teach you a basic skill or concept, then progressively expand upon it. No other example comes to mind better than the Splinter Cell series. I remember playing the first game and being amazed that I could shoot out lights. But that simple concept formed the backbone of the game. You had to creep about in the darkness and strike from the shadows to survive.
Practically every game I can think of follows a similar pattern – teach a simple skill or concept, then gradually elaborate on it and make the experience more complex. The repetition of the basic skill teaches the lesson, and as it becomes more complicated, the solution offers its own reward. Life works in a similar way.
From infancy to adulthood, the way we move, behave, and interact becomes increasingly more complex. My wife and I had dinner with some friends the other day and they had their two year-old with us. I about flipped my shit as the kid was playing with our friend’s iPhone. If that’s not amazing, I don’t know what is!
They told me that he watches movies on their tablet at home. It honestly blows my mind. But we’ve all done similar things (though for some of us old fogies, it may not have been as complex in our early years). From the first hesitant steps of our childhood, to riding a bike, we’re often moving forward and learning new things, even when we don’t realize we are. By the time we’re adults, we sometimes forget the long road we traveled. But if you have a chance to be around children, you’ll be amazed at their growth and development. It’s so exponential, it’s like night and day.
V. Enjoy the Ride
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The Witcher 2 is one of the best games I’ve ever played. It’s also one of the prettiest. There were so many instances where I just took a moment to stop and marvel at the level of detail in the game. From watching a sunrise, to seeing mists receding after a heavy rain, The Witcher 2 is a gorgeous game this is simply a joy to behold. So despite my ongoing quest to help Geralt recover his memory and solve the riddle of the Wild Hunt, I had to stop and enjoy my surroundings from time to time, even if it was the amazing texture work on some chick’s boob. Image may be NSFW.
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Similarly, the real world is also a beautiful, amazing place that’s full of interesting sights and sounds. Just the other day I was marveling at the clouds. Sometimes, there’s a certain way the clouds lay that reminds me of water receding among the sand at the seashore. More than any other thing in my life, this is a lesson I often have to remind myself. The future really is uncertain. You need to plan for it, but we all need to enjoy the moments. Life is beautiful, it’s a gift. And we need to live it.
Drink deeply from the cup of life my friends, for one day, it shall be empty.
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-ty
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