Finite and Infinite Games
January 9th, 2023
Page after page and sentence after sentence when reading this book I just wanted to say — “I knew it, of course — it is so obvious now!”. I just never had the correct words and organized thoughts to put it together as an understandable idea of the games we play as humans and as societies or groups and countries. Now I don’t have to — it is all in this small and brilliant and profoundly changing my point of view book.
All we do as individuals or societies or where we are part of any group is to play a game and accept a role in a game played by others. The conscious decision of refusing to play a game is rare and mostly exclusionary from any part of society. So we play along in any group we are part of, at work, in families, in relationships, among friends or acquaintances. The definition is quite simple — finite games are played with the goal of winning, and infinite games are played with the goal of prolonging the game.
Then it gets more interesting.
Finite games can be finished only when all parties who participated agree on the outcome and crown a winner. Since all who play do it with the expectation of winning there is a need for strategies and alliances and ruthlessness. The winner doesn’t win because he or she was stronger or more powerful than other parties — he or she gets the power only after winning since that is the expected price for coming in first place. Then the games start anew since there always be new challengers, but a person who is already a winner with the power that comes from winning can control the way other people play, or not let them participate and even silence them if they complain.
Infinite games are without a finish and without any boundaries. Anyone can join or quit at any moment, without incurring losses. You play infinite games with only a limit set at the horizon of what you can see. And that horizon moves farther with each new rule and cannot be ever reached. Infinite games are always surprising and dramatic and with everyone playing just for the sake of it, there are always new possibilities to extend the play. Those games don’t require power from any participant, but what is required is the strength to allow others to play as they wish. And unlike in finite games — there is no theatrical grandstanding in presenting your role and setting rules in it.
As I see it, more and more finite games are rigged. Those who won previously don't like the challenge and change rules as they see fit. And since there cannot be a game where parties play by a different set of rules, and there is no agreement on the said rules beforehand — there cannot be a winner. And yet, people and organizations and companies and nations declare themselves winners and expect others to accept it and use the power they think is theirs to wield.
That won’t do.
Now I can start an infinite game of my own. A game where I will call them on their faults and cheating and misuse of power and expected monopoly of thought. That is a game without an end and no expectations of a win from me. I know that I will feel better and be better only as a willing participant in this game. And I will not play their games where the results are predetermined — where is fun and joy in that?
