Finite and Infinite Games

Don't bother. Or at least, put it on your soporific pile. It's long-winded, full of semantic games, and a bit simpleminded. It reads as if some guy had a great acid trip, figured out all the world's problems in a flash of insight, came down, and tried to make sense of his trip.

That's what I wrote to a friend back in 2005, years before I even heard of Goodreads. Also years before I tried psychedelics, and now that I have a few trips under my belt I retract that last sentence: yes, I've had moments of understanding but ugh, I've never been pretentious enough to play condescending word games with it. If you're in the mood for Deeply Profound Insights, go visit the New Age Bullshit Generator instead.

The core of this book is to differentiate finite games, that has an end, from infinite games, that is just for playing. The author makes the point that infinite games are better and less paradoxical. I associate the talk with the teal thoughts on building better organizations. I also think of the book [b:This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom 35969561 This Life Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom Martin Hägglund https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541968760l/35969561.SY75.jpg 57532947] wish talks on similar matters, but the fact that we are finite is the reason why we can be and do good. Somehow I see these thoughts reaching out and connecting in my head. We are finite beings taking part in an infinite game.I think this book will give me more insights on a second read.

Dry as a bone.

there were some interesting ideas in the first third of the book but the last two-thirds was incomprehensible word salad

Ah, the games we play! Carse presents his philosophy of looking at human behavior in the framework of finite and infinite games. He maps society onto this dichotomy and produces many smart quotes (he is quite good at the word-play): “A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.” - “Finite players play within boundaries; infinite players play with boundaries.” - “To be prepared against surprise is to be trained. To be prepared for surprise is to be educated.”

This produces a black & white perspective, which ultimately leaves a dark world, because besides a few stand-out examples (life, language, ..) all the games we play seem to be rather finite. This book - which sometimes reads like a sermon - is ultimately a call-out to be more open, more playful, more infinite in our approach to life, relationships, politics, work, education. Yet this paints an utopian picture, because more playful in his philosophy ultimately also means less serious, fewer consequences to actions.

The first chapters are the strongest, then his analogies become more convoluted, less elegant. So it could have profited from being even trimmer, but nonetheless, an interesting read.

Read this in college for a Religion Culture and the Meaning of Life philosophy class. I got a 100 on the paper.

Class spoiler: the meaning of life? It's in the liver.