Positive Sum Game

Nov 14, 2023

Contrary to common thinking life is actually a win-win game.

What about entropy, though? The steady universal increase of chaos is a physical law, right? Wrong!

While it is true that entropy is increasing overall across the Universe, that doesn't mean it can't drop here and there once in while!

Similarly, you can scratch your first intuition of a human life being a negative or zero-sum game and enjoy yourself harvesting negative entropy on this rocky ripple in space-time we call Earth!

Figure out what you're good at and how to make that useful to others, especially the ones you care about. Be cautious about stressing for the whole world, though. You most probably don't need to, but more importantly, it will be destructive. And hardly in a good way.

Being kind sounds simple but gets pretty close to impossible when you're in pain yourself. Resist to the very end the assumption that the person next to you is out to hurt you. You never know what someone is going through. Yes, especially when you think that you really do. Don't judge people based on their background, instead, see them for who they're trying to be.

Explore the world to its very limits. Be conscious of the happiness, the hardship, and the horror. Let your heart be swayed by neither.

Adapt your environment to accommodate your daily grind. Learn to stay in the flow state for longer at a time. Think of it as another form of meditation.

There's only so much you can do right now. You know what it is, too. To put it into the words of a renowned classic: "JUST DO IT!"

Have a clear and thorough position on a variety of subjects, especially on those directly affecting your life.

Hard to give any concrete guidance here apart from: when you fall in love there won't be any doubt in your mind about it. You'll be willing to know that person as much as, if not more than, you know yourself.

Practice the art of letting go. Let chance play into your game. Be comfortable with it.

You're capable of so much more if you stay composed and persistent. Your attitude will determine whether you succeed or fail.

Stay away from the wrong crowd. Bad social influence is hard enough to recognize and even harder to uproot. Don't prolong your social withdrawal phases. Always be looking to connect with others.

Predict the future as far out as possible, but always be ready for a sudden turn of events. Prepare yourself in advance to make sure no potential circumstance can knock you off balance. Value what you've achieved, but don't let it define your next step. Lastly, just like remembering to reflect on every down, don't forget to celebrate every up, too.