Global Metaphors and Life as a Game

Life is a…

War?

Test?

Illusion?

Playground?

We all have “global metaphors” for how we interpret life at a larger level. (In fact, we all probably have quite a few metaphors we use.)

These metaphors help us answer other questions, like “Is the universe fundamentally safe, but bad things happen sometimes? Or is the universe fundamentally unsafe and hostile, but occasionally we’re allowed to be happy?”

My preferred global metaphor is that life is a game.

Here are some reasons why it seems to be a helpful metaphor:

Games are both serious (you want to become skilled at the game) and not serious (it’s just a game after all). This kind of balance is helpful, because taking life too seriously is miserable, and not taking it seriously at all is even worse.

They have a goal, but it’s obvious that the pursuit of the goal is what’s actually fun.

Games are best when played together, and where you wish for the best of everyone playing, even if they’re your opponent.

A final thought

I’ll probably want a different global metaphor in a few years or even in a few months, but viewing the world this way lately has been useful for me.

And it helps create a balance between seemingly opposite beliefs. On the one hand, I believe I ought to work hard and accomplish a lot in this life. And on the other, I believe that I don’t need anything beyond what I have to be happy — God has blessed me tremendously. But the analogy of Life as a Game helps me see that the point is to have fun the whole time, be grateful I get to play, and at the same time be working to get better at it.