Status Games
Discover more from Learning by Proxy with Vivek Srinivasan
Status Games
We are all participants in one of more status games at all time. The question is do we realise it?
Humans evolved to live in tribes. That in turn meant that we wanted to live in a world where status in that tribe mattered more than anything else. Almost everything that people do in the world is about the status game that we are forced to play. We all work because accumulating money is a status game that all of us are a part of.
Those who refuse to play this game are called lazy.
Worse; if you are bad at the game and end up working three jobs just to make ends meet AND you are asked to work harder!
The world we live in today has three types of status games that we engage in.
Dominance game - A game of dominance often involves crushing the competitors that you might be faced with. This is all about coming out on top at all costs. Today, most corporates are engaged in games of dominance. This is particularly true for internet companies. It used to be that dictators would engage in dominance games. Shows us the dictators of today!
Patents are also dominance games. A patent is a forced monopoly right.
Success game - Success games are games of rules where you need to operate within the confines of the rules and excel. Most sports fall into this category. Most jobs are success games, you have a set of objectives meet them, get appraised and move up.
Virtue game - Religion is the best-known virtue game. Other virtue games that are often used across the world are democracy, human rights, etc.
Most of the things that you do in life are a result of playing one of these games. If you are pursuing a job, a community, or a sport, or a hobby; you are part of a game. Just figure out which one.