The Game is Infinite
These four simple words relentlessly humble and inspire me. I remind myself of them almost every day. It helps me understand others' behavior, challenge my own intentions and make tough decisions when I find myself worrying over which path to take. It calms me and excites me all at once. I had the great privilege of happily stumbling upon James Carse's Finite and Infinite Games some years ago and now pass along the following as a brief introduction to a beautiful worldview.
When I think of my role as a marketer, it is to first help you find players (customers) for your game (business). Then, once we find them, I help you figure out how we can keep the experience worth their time. There will be others that seek to create a competition with us to determine who offers the "best" game. But look beyond this finite view and focus on making your game the best possible game for the players that want to join.
You can view life as finite, with a beginning and an end. There are winners and losers, with the purpose to come out on top. After all, the only way a finite game can end is if all the players agree that someone has won. I’m not going to judge those that choose to see the world this way. It’s exciting to see what one can achieve in a limited amount of time. We can probably all agree there’s nothing coming with us after we’re gone. So "live it up" if you'd like!
But, I think this view is limiting. What if you were to choose the alternative view of life as an infinite game, with the sole purpose being to keep the game worth playing for all the players?
Infinite games have no beginning and end. There are no winners and losers and while we may throw in some rules for fun, they can be changed easily and often. How enchanting would it be to not keep score? We impose these false rules on our lives with expectations of making a certain amount by a certain age, having children by a certain time, and retiring to a warmer climate by 55. We envy peers more successful than us. We build social structures in our groups and fight for rank. For what?
How liberating would it be to remove these false rules and boundaries, trapping us in a finite existence? You are part of something so much more than that.
Time will continue long after we’re gone. It's surreal to think of how much time exists when compared to our own time in the universe. You can clam up and let that scare you into clutching for titles, money and other things to make you feel immortal. Or you can accept it, and let that free you into a completely new realm of thought and action.
Play the game of life on infinite terms. Break the rules and make up new ones. Bring on new players to join you, and don’t focus on who among you will “win.” Lift each other up and make the infinite game one worth playing.
“The death of an infinite player is dramatic. It does not mean that the game comes to an end with death; on the contrary, infinite players offer their death as a way of continuing the play. For that reason they do not play for their own life; they live for their own play. But since that play is always
with others, it is evident that infinite players both live and die for the continuing life of others. ”
Businesses come and go. That's just a part of life. Very few businesses are able to inspire an entire generation of players to craft a beautiful game, one that exists for continuing and bettering the lives of others. My challenge to you as a business owner is to think less of your status in the market and think more about what you're doing to make the infinite game worth playing.
“No one can play a game alone. One cannot be human by oneself. There is no selfhood where there is no community. We do not relate to others as the persons we are; we are who we are in relating to others. ”
When you're ready to work on your infinite game, let me know.