I Found the Meaning of Life by Playing Games

I believe the meaning of life is found in what John Seely Brown and Douglas Thomas refer to as “the gamer disposition.”  The gamer disposition consists of five key attributes:

• Bottom-line oriented
• Accepting of diversity
• Realization that life is ever-changing
• Eagerness to overcome obstacles
• Loves to complete tasks, embark on quests, and accept challenges

More than attitudes or beliefs, these attributes are character traits that players bring into game worlds and that those worlds reinforce.  People who possess a gamer disposition may be happier than those who do not, and quite simplistically, will have an easier time finding “meaning” in life – because I believe one must be “happy” to be able to find true meaning in life.

What makes us happy, and makes us function well?  Some researchers are discovering happiness correlates to gaming. Jane McGonigal defines four key aspects of happiness:

1. Having satisfying work to do.
2. The experience at being good at something
3. Time spent with people we like
4. The chance to be a part of something bigger
   

Guess what?  All of these aspects of happiness are prevalent in games (especially in multi-player games).  The best-designed games are setup to let you be good at things you're not good at in real life.  Games come with better instructions, a clear goal, and better feedback than in real life.  Games are designed to help us find our strengths and weaknesses.  They also have better community aspects because all the players have agreed to the rules.  Gaming is a shared experience that is not often reflected in the real world.