My life is a Role Playing Game
The phrase ‘Life imitates art’ is the first thing I think of when I relate my human experience to a game. Is life a reflection of a video game? Or is Sims a reflection of life?. The notion that life is a game has been explored widely by countless articles and blogs. How much I agree with the notion is difficult to say.
Unlike a game, we are unable to pick our starting virtues. There isn’t a screen that pops up allowing us to choose our race, age and skills. If there was a skill tree in life, it would be clear that some of us have been handed a greater number of skill points to begin with. Others are given a mere few, if any skill points. This unfair advantage in life is prevalent, and more people are becoming aware of their involuntary privileges or disadvantages.
We are unable to allocate skill points we are born with. Instead we start off with a predetermined character that has a select set of attributes. These attributes influence the quality of life we experience. Fortunately, like a game, when we load up, we are able to attain more skill points that improve our character. We have the agency to choose which skill trees these points are allocated, such as athleticism or academia. That is of course speaking of a place of privilege where your environment allows you to do so.
Fortunately, like a game, when we load up, we are able to attain more skill points that improve our character.
To say that life resembles a video game is a stretch. But I get the intention behind it. Life can be understood as a game. Specifically a role playing game. It consists of a player choosing a character. That player then develops their character through completing various activities, typically in the ultimate aim of making said character stronger.
It is this process of development that builds the foundations of an RPG. Taking a measly level 1 character to a level 100 that boasts prowess for all to see. For some players it is achieving the end game that engages them to grow their character and equip that legendary, glowing weapon. For me, the end game does play a significant role in motivating me to develop my character. Yet it is the satisfaction that I have improved that provides the real value. It is the feeling that I get when I am better at doing something that once was strenuous. It’s looking back, paying gratitude to how far I have progressed.
This is the point of comparison with life and games. A part of the human experience I believe is self improvement. To be better than the person you previously were. To level up your character in the aim of becoming better at what you desire to be good at. With life imitating a game to some extent, it is possible to attain skill points that develop and hone your chosen interest. I have a range of different, often conflicting, interests. I believe this is the case for most people. What we like can be surprising. As we learn more about ourselves, we develop a better idea of who we are and consequently what we enjoy most about life.
With this in mind, I plan to develop and improve my skill tree, prioritising on the things that I find enjoyable and intriguing. In another blog I will explore this concept of a skill tree in further detail and how it can relate and guide the human experience. Visualising this skill tree, I believe, will provide clarity to the person we are trying to be. In my case, the person I want to be is someone who has the traits of Mahershala Ali. I am humbly beholden to his prowess.
