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Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

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Re: Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

#21
post #8

> 1. In life, your only opponent is yourself. Or, you know, people who actually want to kill you. Or a state that wants to disenfranchise you. Or abusive peers and parents. Or... > In life, things don’t get harder — they just get faster. Until you reach middle age - and your back starts going, your hearing fades, your glasses prescription gets stronger... > In life, you can’t control the board. Unless you look at lik…

>Really? You don't think society places great emphasis on milestone achievements like marriage, reproduction, employment success, sporting prowess, etc? Only you know what will make you truly happy - but everyone will be very keen to tell you if you're a winner or a loser.

IMO it's more like gamification:

Achievement Unlocked: $100K of student loans!

Achievement Unlocked: Wage Slave!

Achievement Unlocked: Something's in the oven!

Achievement Unlocked: Mortgage!

Achievement Unlocked: Couples counseling.

Achievement Unlocked: Substance addiction...

Achievement Unlocked: Divorced...

Achievement Unlocked: Rebound!!!

Achievement Unlocked: Downsized...

Achievement Unlocked: Child support...

Achievement Unlocked: Rehired!!!

Achievement Unlocked: New love!!!

Achievement Unlocked: Foreclosure...

Achievement Unlocked: 40...

Achievement Unlocked: Life-threatening health issue...

Achievement Unlocked: Recovered!!!

Achievement Unlocked: Remarried!!!

Achievement Unlocked: Divorce times 2...

Achievement Unlocked: Technological Unemployment...

Achievement Unlocked: Back to School!!!

Etc...

Re: Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

#22

This is the second time I am seeing and since the time I saw it first, I have begun thinking that life is an analogy to whatever game you make it, whether that be candy crush, bejeweled, chess, hearts, poker, ... tetris, etc. My own view on chess and life is that you shouldn't play it by planning 10 steps to hit just one target, but as one of 10 targets. Transform that concept to whatever game you wish. These stateme…

> This is the second time I am seeing and since the time I saw it first, I have begun thinking that life is an analogy to whatever game you make it, whether that be candy crush, bejeweled, chess, hearts, poker, ... tetris, etc.

Metaphors are like books, they can be about anything®

Re: Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

#24
It's neither. Life is like poker, combining skill, random chance, and the need to understand and anticipate the behavior of other human beings while they do the same with you.

Each of the games mentioned has only two of these three elements.

Also in poker people start with different amounts of money and that matters.

Re: Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

#26

I liked this but vehemently disagree based on a few of the reasons others have mentioned. I will say my old chess teacher had an excellent quote about life that also applies to Tetris. "There's only ever three moves, a good move, a bad move, and the right move." I still say that to myself all the time when things get hard.

[deleted]

Re: Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

#28
post #21
post #8

> 1. In life, your only opponent is yourself. Or, you know, people who actually want to kill you. Or a state that wants to disenfranchise you. Or abusive peers and parents. Or... > In life, things don’t get harder — they just get faster. Until you reach middle age - and your back starts going, your hearing fades, your glasses prescription gets stronger... > In life, you can’t control the board. Unless you look at lik…

>Really? You don't think society places great emphasis on milestone achievements like marriage, reproduction, employment success, sporting prowess, etc? Only you know what will make you truly happy - but everyone will be very keen to tell you if you're a winner or a loser. IMO it's more like gamification: Achievement Unlocked: $100K of student loans! Achievement Unlocked: Wage Slave! Achievement Unlocked: Something's…

It's quite interesting how emotive a list of achievements could be. There's a certain poetry to it, no?

Re: Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

#29

I liked this but vehemently disagree based on a few of the reasons others have mentioned. I will say my old chess teacher had an excellent quote about life that also applies to Tetris. "There's only ever three moves, a good move, a bad move, and the right move." I still say that to myself all the time when things get hard.

That's an interesting quote. I get it, but I was curious if you had an example of how you've utilized the quote in your life?

Re: Your Life Is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess

#30
I think the series "No Game No Life" covered this best -

"There’s no way to know the rules or the goal, yet there are 7 billion people making whatever moves they want. If you lose too much, or win too much, there are penalties. You can’t pass your turn, and if you talk too much, you’ll be ostracized. There are no parameters and no way to even know the genre. This world is just a crappy game."

- Perhaps a tad melodramatic, but still...

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