the games we play

We play games. It is instilled in us at a young age to strategize, to expose our opponent’s weaknesses and manipulate their strengths to our advantage as a means to coming out on top. Thinking back to games like musical chairs, duck-duck-goose, hide and seek, it was key to always be one step ahead, while watching your back at the same time.

We apply these strategies at work to outshine our colleagues and land the promotion.

We apply these strategies with our friends and neighbours to keep up with the Jones’.

We apply these strategies with our hearts hoping for happily ever after.

A very good friend of mine is ‘Gigi’ from “He’s Just Not That Into You”. She is attractive, intelligent, funny, independent, kind...but so eager to find Mr Right that she embarrasses herself trying to force relationships with guys who are clearly Mr Wrong. She insists she’s cool being a single chick on the loose, but obsesses over texts, emails and phone messages...overanalysing the finest of details...naively making excuses for the games they play.

Now there was a time when the game came with flattery focused on physical attributes...great body, nice smile, pretty eyes. The compliments now come with words like ‘astute’ and ‘insightful’. Are boys using intellect to raise the bar and set themselves apart from the pack? Or is it that in the year 2009 girls are still playing the dumb-down game because they think that’s what boys are looking for, making smart the ‘exception’?

We were taught that it wasn't about whether you win or lose but how you play the game, and as kids we were okay with that, but as adults, why do we feel the need to always win...and in the end, are we really winning?

I thought games were supposed to be fun...