The game you didn't know you were playing
Summary
TLDRThis video script explores the concept of life as a game, offering a fresh perspective on overcoming life's challenges. It contrasts historical views of life as a stage, battle, or trial with a modern outlook that encourages embracing life's infinite possibilities. The script uses examples from 'Rick and Morty' and real-life survival stories to illustrate the power of playfulness and resilience in the face of adversity. It dispels myths about life's hardships and emphasizes the importance of challenges in personal growth, ultimately advocating for a balanced approach to living life to the fullest.
Takeaways
- š The script explores different historical perspectives on life, comparing them to enduring problems and challenges, which may lead to a desire to escape life.
- š® Dr. Jonathan Chu suggests reframing life as an open-world video game, which can shift one's perspective to approach life with a sense of play and joy.
- šŗ 'Rick and Morty' is used as a metaphor to illustrate how different approaches to life, like playing a game, can lead to different experiences and outcomes.
- š§āāļø The story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates demonstrates how turning a life-threatening situation into a game can provide resilience and a path to survival.
- š¤ The script challenges the myth that life should be taken seriously and not treated as a game, using real-life disaster scenarios to show the benefits of a gaming mindset.
- š§āāļø Survivors like Joe Simpson use patterns and focus to navigate through disaster, turning dire situations into a game that helps them stay focused and calm.
- š The script refutes the idea that challenges and obstacles are undesirable, arguing that they are necessary for personal growth and the fulfillment that comes from overcoming them.
- š” Alan Watts' thought experiment highlights the need for unpredictability and challenges in life, suggesting that even in a life of constant pleasure, we would seek challenges.
- š The human mind is wired to solve problems, and our evolution as a species is marked by overcoming adversity, making challenges an integral part of life's journey.
- š¤ļø Life should be seen as a collaborative game with limitless paths, where the goal is not just to win but to co-create experiences with others.
- š The best approach to life is with a sense of play, embracing the journey and the lessons it offers, rather than fearing the challenges it presents.
Q & A
How does Shakespeare view the world in the 1500s according to the script?
-Shakespeare described the world as a stage where we are just actors playing out our roles.
What is Charlotte Brontƫ's perspective on life in the 1800s?
-Charlotte Brontƫ viewed life as a battle, an ordeal that we have to fight and suffer through.
What does Winston Churchill say about life in the 1900s?
-Winston Churchill stated that life is a test and this world is a place of trial.
Why does the narrator feel that the historical views on life are missing something?
-The narrator feels these views are missing something because they all look at life as something we have to endure through an endless series of problems.
What alternative perspective does Dr. Jonathan Chu propose for viewing life?
-Dr. Jonathan Chu proposes viewing life as an open world video game, something you play for the joy and love of it.
What is the significance of the 'Roy' game episode in 'Rick and Morty'?
-The 'Roy' game episode in 'Rick and Morty' demonstrates how different individuals can experience life within a game, with Morty living an entire life and Rick taking risks, raising the question of how one would approach life if it were a game.
How does the script relate the story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates to the concept of life as a game?
-The script uses the story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates to illustrate how turning a life-threatening situation into a game, focusing on solving one problem at a time, can help individuals survive and find a way out of seemingly impossible scenarios.
What is the common myth the script addresses about life being too hard to treat like a game?
-The script addresses the common myth that life is too hard and painful to treat like a game, and that one must be serious about life's challenges.
What does the script suggest about the necessity of challenges in life?
-The script suggests that challenges are necessary in life as they are a vital part of personal growth and evolution, and that the human mind is designed to solve problems.
How does the script use the example of Tetris to explain the need for challenges?
-The script uses Tetris as an example to show that challenges, such as the different types of blocks in the game, are essential for making the game engaging and satisfying, and by extension, life.
What is the main message the script conveys about approaching life?
-The main message is to approach life with a sense of play, understanding that life is an experience we co-create with the universe, and that challenges are necessary for personal growth and the adventure of life.
Outlines
š Life as a Stage vs. Life as a Game
This paragraph explores different historical perspectives on life, from Shakespeare's view of the world as a stage to Churchill's notion of life as a test. The speaker argues that these views are incomplete as they imply life is something to be endured, filled with problems. Instead, the paragraph introduces the idea of life as an open-world video game, as proposed by Dr. Jonathan Chu, which can transform one's life experience by encouraging a playful approach to challenges. The 'Rick and Morty' example illustrates how immersing oneself in a game can lead to profound experiences, suggesting that our approach to life could be more playful and less fearful.
š§āāļø Surviving Disasters Through Playfulness
The second paragraph challenges the myth that life is too serious to be treated as a game by recounting the story of mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. Despite a life-threatening accident, they used their resources creatively, turning their descent into a game that helped them survive. The narrative emphasizes the psychological benefits of viewing dire situations as games, which can lead to a pattern of focused, step-by-step survival. It also highlights the importance of not dwelling on losses and maintaining a positive outlook, even in the face of adversity.
š§© Embracing Challenges for Personal Growth
This paragraph dispels the myth that challenges and adversity are undesirable by using the popularity of Tetris as an example. It argues that challenges are essential for human satisfaction and growth, drawing a parallel between video games and life's inherent problems. The paragraph suggests that without obstacles, life would be unfulfilling. It encourages viewers to see hardships as opportunities for growth and to pursue their dreams despite the risks involved, framing life as a grand adventure filled with lessons and potential for personal evolution.
š Life as a Collaborative and Infinite Game
The final paragraph emphasizes that life should not be viewed as a series of battles or tests but as a collaborative and infinite game. It suggests that the best way to approach life is with a sense of play, trusting in the universe to provide the tools needed to overcome obstacles. The speaker invites viewers to subscribe for more strategies on living this 'game' and ends with a call to action, encouraging viewers to like the video and look forward to future content that will provide practical tools for manifesting one's dream life.
Mindmap
Keywords
š”Endurance
š”Open World Video Game
š”Resilience
š”Playfulness
š”Myth
š”Challenge
š”Adversity
š”Risk
š”Security
š”Growth
š”Bliss
Highlights
Shakespeare viewed the world as a stage where we play out our roles.
Charlotte Brontƫ described life as a battle that requires fighting and enduring.
Winston Churchill considered life a test and the world a place of trial.
The idea that life is something to endure might lead to a desire to escape.
Dr. Jonathan Chu suggests viewing life as an open-world video game for joy and love.
A shift in thinking can change life's experience, turning the world into a game map.
The 'Rick and Morty' episode illustrates living a full life within a game.
Morty's game experience shows the immersive reality of living a lifetime in a game.
Rick's approach to the game contrasts with Morty's, taking crazy risks.
The balance between security and risk is essential for living life to the fullest.
Common myths about life being too serious for games are debunked.
Survival stories, like Joe Simpson's, demonstrate the power of treating life as a game.
The human mind thrives on solving problems, as evidenced by our evolutionary history.
Alan Watts' thought experiment shows the necessity of challenges for a fulfilling life.
Obstacles are vital for personal growth and should not be seen as punishments.
Life should be approached with a sense of play and the understanding that it's a collaborative game.
The video promises to offer strategies for manifesting one's dream life in the next video.
Transcripts
Every era has its own way of looking at life.Ā In the 1500s Shakespeare described the worldĀ Ā
as a stage where we're just actors playing outĀ our roles. In the 1800s Charlotte BrontĆ« talkedĀ Ā
about life as a battle; an ordeal that we haveĀ to fight and suffer through. And in the 1900sĀ Ā
Winston Churchill said that life is a test andĀ this world a place of trial. Each is a differentĀ Ā
way of understanding the world, but to be honestĀ I've always felt that they were missing something,Ā Ā
because basically they're looking atĀ life as something we have to endure,Ā Ā
through an endless series of problems we faceĀ over and over again. And if that's the storyĀ Ā
you keep telling yourself, little by little,Ā life will come to feel like something you wantĀ Ā
to escape from. But what if you looked at life asĀ a game? Filmmaker and YouTuber Dr. Jonathan Chu,Ā Ā
creator of the channel "Engine" describes theĀ infinite possibilities that open up to you whenĀ Ā
you imagine your life as an open world videoĀ game; something you play for the joy and theĀ Ā
love of it. With one simple shift in thinking youĀ can completely change the experience of your life;Ā Ā
the world becomes your game map and wherever youĀ decide to go, whatever challenges you're facingĀ Ā
now, you can choose to approach it with a senseĀ of play. So how do you do that? Let me show you.
In the show "Rick and Morty," Rick SanchezĀ is a brilliant scientist; a genius, but he'sĀ Ā
reckless. He takes all kinds of crazy risks. HisĀ grandson Morty on the other hand is not a genius;Ā Ā
he's a good-natured boy but but often too trustingĀ and naive. The show explores their absurd andĀ Ā
fantastic adventures as they travel to new worldsĀ and other dimensions. There's an episode whereĀ Ā
Rick takes Morty to play a futuristic video gameĀ on an alien planet; it's way more advanced thanĀ Ā
any game on earth, it's a strange game calledĀ Roy. His headset comes on and in an instant:Ā Ā
he wakes up in a completely different body inĀ a room he doesn't recognize. A woman walks in.
"Roy what's wrong?"
"I had a nightmare, I was with anĀ old man and he put a helmet on me."
"Well don't worry it was just a dream."Ā And so he grows up and he goes to school.Ā Ā
He becomes the star of his football team.Ā He falls in love. Years pass as he raisesĀ Ā
his own family. Soon he has to deal with theĀ reality of supporting them. He goes to work atĀ Ā
a carpet store but his heart heart isn't reallyĀ in it. One day he's diagnosed with cancer. "I'mĀ Ā
not ready to die," he says. After a longĀ painful treatment he comes home. By someĀ Ā
miracle he heals. He's even healthy enoughĀ to go back to work. At the age of 55 yearsĀ Ā
old he steps up to reach for one of the carpets,Ā something he's done thousands of times before,Ā Ā
but this time he loses his footing. He fallsĀ to the floor and his life comes to an end. GameĀ Ā
over? The helmet comes off and Morty realizes itĀ was all a game, and yet he lived a whole otherĀ Ā
lifetime within this game. It felt so real soĀ immersive, he had no idea he was even playing it.
"Where's my wife?" Morty says. Rick teases him:Ā "You beat cancer and then you went back to workĀ Ā
at the carpet store? Boo!" Now it's Rick's turnĀ to go into the game but he plays it exactly theĀ Ā
opposite way. There's a real excitement as heĀ takes crazy chances within the game. A crowdĀ Ā
begins to form. "Hey this guy's taking Roy offĀ the grid! He doesn't even have a Social SecurityĀ Ā
number for Roy! It's a funny and thought-provokingĀ scene because it raises an important question:Ā Ā
how would you approach your life if you knew itĀ was a game? Would it give you a greater sense ofĀ Ā
play? Or would you play it safe in one smallĀ corner of the game? Rick and Morty each takeĀ Ā
radically different approaches and to be fairĀ a reasonable one has to lie somewhere in theĀ Ā
middle. Because playing it too safe meansĀ you're never really living your potentialĀ Ā
but taking too many risks also stops youĀ from building the stability you need. WeĀ Ā
have to balance our need for security withĀ the courage to go after the things we want,Ā Ā
but before we go deeper into what this means forĀ you I think it's important to look at some ofĀ Ā
the common myths people have around this idea.Ā Because before you can reframe your life as aĀ Ā
game you need to understand some of the limitingĀ beliefs that can stop you from making that shift.
Here's a common myth: "Life is too hardĀ and too painful to treat like a game,Ā Ā
you can't play around because ifĀ there's one thing life is not,Ā Ā
it's a game. You have to beĀ absolutely serious about it."
To answer this point let's look at the mostĀ serious situations you can imagine where it'sĀ Ā
a matter of life and death. I'm talking aboutĀ real life disaster scenarios where some peopleĀ Ā
live and others don't. One of the most incredibleĀ examples comes from the story of Joe Simpson andĀ Ā
Simon Yates. In 1985 they climbed to the top ofĀ the Siula Grande mountain in the Peruvian Andes;Ā Ā
it's about 21,000 ft high. As they wereĀ making their way down Joe fell and brokeĀ Ā
his right leg. But it wasn't just broken it was soĀ completely shattered that his calf bone had drivenĀ Ā
through his knee joint. The most horrifyingĀ thoughts began to fill his mind. "That's it,Ā Ā
my life is over." They were completely alone onĀ a snow covered mountain with no other people inĀ Ā
sight. They couldn't call for help. Joe knewĀ there was no way his friend Simon could carryĀ Ā
him down. It was a 19,000 ft drop to the bottom.Ā Food and water were running out. If they didn'tĀ Ā
get down fast neither would survive. Most peopleĀ would have panicked or given up but Joe and SimonĀ Ā
came up with a plan. They looked at their tools.Ā They had two ropes each 150 ft long; if they tiedĀ Ā
them together it would become a 300t rope withĀ the knot in the middle. In theory Joe could tieĀ Ā
himself to one end and Simon to the other. If heĀ dug an anchor Point into the mountain, Simon couldĀ Ā
then lower Joe down the length of rope where heĀ could stand on his good unbroken leg. Simon couldĀ Ā
then climb down to meet him. If they did this overĀ and over again then theoretically they could makeĀ Ā
it down the mountain. They decided to turn theĀ rest of their journey into a game putting allĀ Ā
their focus on the next ledge, the next slope,Ā one step at a time as if they were solving aĀ Ā
puzzle. Joe said that: "a pattern of movementsĀ developed after my initial wobbly hops and IĀ Ā
meticulously repeated the pattern. Each patternĀ made up one step across the slope and I began toĀ Ā
feel detached from everything around me. I thoughtĀ of nothing but the patterns. This shift in mindsetĀ Ā
turned his struggle into a kind of dance, aĀ game that freed him from the terror of whatĀ Ā
he had to do. And it's something we see with manyĀ people who survive disaster. Laurence Gonzalez theĀ Ā
author of the book "Deep Survival," writes that:Ā "countless survivors have reported the same thing:Ā Ā
by developing a pattern and then fixing on nothingĀ but making the pattern perfect they were able toĀ Ā
get out of seemingly impossible situations... andĀ so Joe Simpson had come to accept his situation toĀ Ā
reach the stage of playfulness." But Joe andĀ Simon ran into a huge problem; they reachedĀ Ā
a point where Simon had unknowingly lowered JoeĀ off a cliff where he had nothing to stand on. AsĀ Ā
he hung helplessly in the air neither of them hadĀ any idea how far the drop was to the next ledge.Ā Ā
Joe had no way of climbing back up the rope. SimonĀ couldn't pull him up and so they stayed there forĀ Ā
more than an hour. Both were now in incredibleĀ danger. Simon knew that if he tried to climbĀ Ā
down they would both fall off the mountain soĀ there was only one thing he could do: with aĀ Ā
heavy heart he took out his knife he decided toĀ cut the rope between them, knowing it would sendĀ Ā
Joe to his doom. In an instant, Joe dropped andĀ disappeared off the side of the cliff... and yetĀ Ā
somehow Joe was still alive. He fell more than 200Ā ft and landed on a small ledge inside a crevasse,Ā Ā
but when he looked up and saw that thereĀ was no way to climb out, his only choiceĀ Ā
was to go down even deeper into the darkness,Ā and hope that there was some other way out.
"I really struggled to make this choice. I was soĀ scared of going deeper but the only other optionĀ Ā
was to just sit there blindly hoping things mightĀ get better and I just knew it wasn't going to."Ā Ā
And so down he went deeper into the unknown.Ā Gonzalez writes that the best survivors spendĀ Ā
almost no time getting upset about the thingsĀ they've lost; they don't waste time drowningĀ Ā
in negativity when things go badly. Why? BecauseĀ they're looking for a way to turn even the mostĀ Ā
horrifying situations into a game. This helps themĀ stay focused on the next step they have to take,Ā Ā
and to accept the things they can't control.Ā Unbelievably, Joe found a path that led himĀ Ā
outside into a beautiful sunny day, but now heĀ had to make the long gruelling hike back to camp,Ā Ā
and his broken leg had only gotten worse. EvenĀ here he continued to think of his situation asĀ Ā
a game. He would look at a rock in the distanceĀ and think: "I bet I can get there in 20 minutes."Ā Ā
He timed his movements and if he got there in 18Ā minutes he was hysterically happy, but even if heĀ Ā
was a few minutes late he just kept on going. ByĀ all logic Joe should have died on that mountain.Ā Ā
He spent days without food and almost no waterĀ crawling and hopping with a broken leg throughĀ Ā
miles of ice and snow, and yet he lived. When JoeĀ looks back on his harrowing journey it fills himĀ Ā
with a sense of amazement and gratitude. When youĀ reframe the problems in your life as a game, itĀ Ā
gives you the resilience to keep on going even inĀ the most desperate situations, and it's somethingĀ Ā
you can apply to your life right now. Maybe you'reĀ studying for a tough exam. Maybe you're lookingĀ Ā
for a new job, or maybe you're struggling toĀ support your family. Whatever it is, you canĀ Ā
reimagine your situation as a game where you putĀ your focus only on the next move you need to make.Ā Ā
Ask yourself: what's the simplest step I can takeĀ right now to move closer to where I need to be?
Here's another myth: "People don't wantĀ challenge, that's why they follow the pathĀ Ā
of leas resistance. Obstacles and adversity makeĀ everyone miserable. If you could somehow take awayĀ Ā
everyone's problems they would instantly becomeĀ happy." Here's what's wrong with that: let's lookĀ Ā
at what is arguably the most popular video gameĀ of all time: Tetris. It sold 520 million copiesĀ Ā
worldwide and is considered by many to be theĀ most timeless video game ever made. But let meĀ Ā
ask you a question: why does Tetris have all ofĀ these different kinds of blocks? Seriously why soĀ Ā
many? Wouldn't the game be a lot easier if thereĀ was only one type of block? And wouldn't it beĀ Ā
even easier still if we made that one block fillĀ the whole length of the screen? That way you'd winĀ Ā
each and every time. You could do that but no oneĀ would ever play that game. Winning it would feelĀ Ā
hollow and unsatisfying. Why? Because we needĀ challenge. The human mind is uniquely designedĀ Ā
to solve problems; we know this because there's anĀ unbroken chain from this moment that connects youĀ Ā
to the very first human beings in which peopleĀ have solved complex problems one after another:Ā Ā
from making fire, building shelter, growing food,Ā to harnessing electricity. Every technologicalĀ Ā
advancement we enjoy today we have preciselyĀ because of a need to overcome adversity. TheĀ Ā
English author and philosopher Alan WattsĀ captured the same basic insight with thisĀ Ā
thought experiment: "Imagine that every nightĀ you can could dream any dream you wanted,Ā Ā
and that you had the power within one night toĀ dream an entire lifetime. Naturally as you beganĀ Ā
on this adventure of dreams you would fulfill allĀ your wishes. You would have every kind of pleasureĀ Ā
you could imagine, and after several nightsĀ of several lifetimes of total pleasure each,Ā Ā
you'd say: "well, that was pretty great." ButĀ sooner or later you'd get bored. Your dreamsĀ Ā
would become too predictable, and so you'd say:Ā 'let's have a surprise.' Let's have a dream whichĀ Ā
isn't under control where something's going toĀ happen to me and I have no idea what it's goingĀ Ā
to be. And you would love that, and you'd comeĀ out of it and say 'wow, that was a close callĀ Ā
wasn't it?" And then you'd get more and moreĀ adventurous. You'd make further and furtherĀ Ā
out gambles as to what you would dream, untilĀ finally you would dream exactly where you areĀ Ā
now. You would dream the dream of living the lifeĀ that you are actually living today." Our biggestĀ Ā
mistake is in thinking that the perfect life isĀ one where we have no problems, no difficulties,Ā Ā
and nothing to solve. Because obstacles areĀ a necessary part of every game worth playing;Ā Ā
they're a vital part of life. When you understandĀ this, you can't look at things like failure,Ā Ā
adversity, or loss in the same way. You stopĀ seeing them as some terrible punishment thatĀ Ā
happens only to make your life miserable. InsteadĀ you begin to realize that every hardship in yourĀ Ā
life is there to move you forward in your growthĀ as a human being. Without them, your personalĀ Ā
evolution would be impossible. So what do youĀ do? You follow your dream. You sign up for theĀ Ā
class you've always wanted to take. You startĀ the business you've always wanted to start. YouĀ Ā
ask out the attractive stranger you've had a crushĀ on. You take that chance because this is the greatĀ Ā
adventure of your life. And in those moments whenĀ you step to the edge of of what you think are yourĀ Ā
limits, when you genuinely aren't sure if you'llĀ succeed or not, those are the moments you'reĀ Ā
living most intensely what you were truly meantĀ to do. It's where the universe offers its mostĀ Ā
powerful lessons. It's what it means to "followĀ your bliss." And in this beautiful collaborativeĀ Ā
game of life the paths you can take are limitless.Ā This I think is the whole reason we're here. It'sĀ Ā
not that we're actors on a stage. It's not thatĀ life is some battle we have to endure or a test weĀ Ā
have to suffer through, even if it sometimes feelsĀ that way. Life is an experience we co-create withĀ Ā
the universe. It's a game we get to play togetherĀ with the people we love; with friends old andĀ Ā
new. It goes beyond conventional ideas of winningĀ and losing, because life is not a zero sum game;Ā Ā
it's an infinite one where the best playersĀ trust that life will equip you with everythingĀ Ā
you need to navigate and overcome every one ofĀ its obstacles. To unleash the dream that livesĀ Ā
within you. The best of us approach life with aĀ sense of play and know that "we don't stop playingĀ Ā
because we grow old, we grow old because we stopĀ playing." So now that we've seen how envisioningĀ Ā
your life as a game can unlock incredible untappedĀ potential within you, you might be wondering:Ā Ā
how do I play it? What are some strategiesĀ I can use in my own game? That is what we'llĀ Ā
look at in the next video where I'll offer someĀ powerful tools you can use to help manifest yourĀ Ā
dream life. Once that video is ready you'll see itĀ appearing on the left side of the screen. If it'sĀ Ā
not there yet it means I'm still working on it butĀ I think you'll love the video on the right side ofĀ Ā
the screen. And I would absolutely love it if youĀ pressed the like button, it really helps me out.Ā Ā
As always thanks so much for watching, take careĀ of yourselves, and I'll see you in the next one.
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