Singleplayer

Most wreckage left behind in Life’s battleground is contained within the fleshy walls of its ‘Player 1’. Unknown to this ‘Game’ of Life and to each new player that spawns is an inner world ripe for cultivation and an outer world afflicted with varying degrees of chaos. The conflicts between these outer and inner worlds colliding is obscured from plain sight but obvious in its in manifestations.

One can’t accurrately judge the state of these internal affairs from the outside, only know that they are taking place and are likely where most Players have their focus during most of the playtime. Ceasefires in this never-ending conflict occur when the concept of the player outside themselves matches the internal structure the Player set for themselves or are given and have cultivated solitarily.

Although all are playing and interacting, the game is largely singleplayer. And despite its inherent violence and chaotic nature, the game is centered (literally and figuratively) around on a concept of equanimity. One either spends their time fighting the outer world in an attempt to reshape it to the liking of their inner mind (Type 2 player). Or one can soften the inner mind to be malleable enough to be shaped in accordance with an unpredictable outer world (Type 1 player). Invariably, both Type 1 and Type 2 players are caught between these extremes and are the subject of much turmoil as a result of this predicament. The game never claims to be fair, and it isn’t. But most players understand this and play despite unequal footing at the outset.

Some players are more well-suited to be Type 2 players, others think they are but don’t take the hint. Type 1-style playing is available to everyone, but is often ignored and mocked for its lack of concrete impact and difficulty in materializing inner truths into tangible assets. This derision misses the fundamental directive of the game though: eudamonia, which isn’t a tangible asset by definition. Ironically, Type 1 players have even more potential and showcase better skills than Type 2 players even in a material realm.

The choice of how to play isn’t singular and the temporal dimension of the game acts non-linearly, so even in the strictest kind of physicality, material constraints don’t pre-select a game style for the player and players themselves have volition to alter game style instantaneously. Not to say that many do, but they could.

Perhaps the game must be taken seriously, but it is just a game after all, so again perhaps not. It might be all we got but it was more than what was had before and not even something one would remember asking to play. Don’t hate the player or the game, just play it. It’s just a game and is all you have anyway. What else are you supposed to do?