The Video Game Paradox

[Revolutionary Think]

So anyway ever since I was young I enjoyed playing video games but, there was a period of my life when I was a Freshman in high school and I was telling myself that maybe older people are right and I should drop the video games and start socializing more and making friends. So I became this fake bubbly personality who pretended I was this changed person who was more social and trusting of people. That actually ended up being a disaster I felt fake and inauthentic and things started getting worse for me in 10th grade and I felt inadequate. Then in 10th grade this amazing video game came out and in this game you could almost do whatever you wanted like call in a Helicopter or a Tank and battle enemy bases and you could call in airstrikes on your enemies and have all sorts of fun. It also gave you that sense of being a hero when you're fighting against a dictator and defeating him. 

What's the point that I'm making it's this Leo in some of his videos talks about video games being a waste of time and I also believe that's true to a certain extent. Let me just say though I find it ironic because I'm thinking that he was at one point a big fan of video games himself. I think it's the people who really enjoy video games but, not just any video games the video games that take us on these amazing adventures those people think that somehow there is something more to life than we are seeing (I may be wrong on this though). Like Leo too I always had fantasies of creating but, not just the amazing video games that he talks about in his videos that he had in his mind to develop in my mind when I was really young I made an imaginary place that I could escape to. I also think that video games can teach people things too like how to be persistent and how to experiment in your life with different techniques until one technique finally leads to success. Not only that but, I think that life is like a video game as well. Some people are born with a strategy guide (which is someone like a parent and/or a mentor to guide them through life or a really good self help book), you also start the game of life with default setting (like your genetics, the kind of family and culture you are in, and the economic and social status you have), and really lucky people get cheat codes (like the people who are super privileged because of their parents and their background e.g. trust fund babies). Although I do agree that some people take it to the extreme with video games and it takes over their life and they become unproductive lazy citizens. I honestly think that's not true for anyone and their is something about games who have deeper insights into life. Me for instance when I listen to Leo's videos unlike the average person I wasn't so shocked and surprised because I knew society was full of crap because of all the bad things that I see in the world. 

Also I can better understand Leo's enlightenment analogy when he talks about there being no you and it just seems real. I compare it to a 3D Imax movie when you put on your 3D glasses and it seems like the stuff in the movie is coming at you when you reach out your hand and try to touch that stuff when you try to grab hold nothing is there. So that's kind of like what our monkey minds do to us. What do you guys think? 

Edited March 19, 2017 by Revolutionary Think

[Revolutionary Think]

@Leo Gura would enjoy hearing your ideas on this. 

[Phocus]

So if life was a video game, as you suggest, then playing video games (in real life) would be the equivalent of playing a mini game within the game.  Now, while you're playing a mini game IN a game, how much progress are you making on completing the game's main storyline?

One of Leo's earlier life purposes was actually related to video games; so he was very passionate about them for a while.

Using video games as a medium to teach, tell stories ect.. is very different from playing video games though.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Also, please refrain from bumping posts less than 24 hours old

[Shin]

Stop seeking for Korok seeds, and finish the main dungeons Link, SAVE HYRULE LINK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pelin]

I think the problem lies in the wrong solution? What made you think start making friends- with an identity who is not you- is better than playing video games? This is just the opposite of what Leo was suggesting. If you want to quit video games, you should do it without clinging to another habit. He suggests you simply should do "nothing". But if that's too hard (still hard for me and I'm still recovering from the video game addiction) there are lots of good habits you can start instead of using a fake personality and trying to make friends, which, in fact, never turns out well.

You can start jogging, crafts, reading more about your interest topics, join a community where you can be yourself (it can even be a fantasy/video game community for starters. You can share your ideas about video games' relation to real life in an authentic way.)

I personally think video games are sometimes a delusion for what we really want to achieve in our lives. Like you suggested, you can be an eternal hero, kill whomever you like, create your world and so on. Because you have nothing to lose, right? If things turn out bad, you can restart. Real life is not like this. To be a hero, first of all to save yourself, take lots of lots of courage. So if you consider life as a game, play it wisely and bravely.  

[Christian]

I think your ideas for video games are kind of cool. Like getting insights from playing a video game which is sort of a simulator for real life. That is a great idea and btw I would LOVE to play that game. That sounds like a lot of fun, but also it would give you a sufficient return for the investment of time and energy put into the game. Most games give you achievements like a new camo or a prestigious status within the game for completing missions and achieving certain goals, but getting insights instead that are valuable and translate onto real life that would be kind of cool. Sort of like a new SIMS in a sense where you are in this matrix and you live with a family where they behave in all sorts of unconscious ways and you have to get outside of the matrix lol.

[Principium Nexus]

As long as you keep balance between both gaming and finding real life easter-eggs everything would be good  

[Prabhaker]

12 hours ago, Revolutionary Think said:

I should drop the video games and start socializing more and making friends.

Playing video games makes you introvert. There seem to be only two ways: either be an extrovert -- but by being an extrovert you can never become a Buddha. Your focus is others, you are in a shadow. But how will your inner being grow this way? You will look more happy, you may look as if you are enjoying life more, but how are you going to grow? How will your inner being come to that point where it becomes light? If you are not concerned with it at all, it is not going to grow. To be an extrovert is good in the sense that you remain healthy -- you don't become a pervert.

To be an introvert is dangerous because an introvert becomes ill, an introvert becomes in reality perverted. He thinks continuously about himself, he becomes enclosed. He remains with his frustrations, worries, anxieties, anguish, depressions, anger, jealousy, hate, this and that -- and he only worries. Think what type of anguish he lives in, continuously worried about things: Why am I angry? How should I become non-angry? Why do I hate? How should I transcend it? Why am I depressed? How to attain bliss? -- he is continuously worried, and through this worry he creates the very same things he is worried about. It becomes a vicious circle If you move wrongly, you will become a pervert and the wrong movement is that you become too concerned. Then what to do? Treat yourself as if you also are the other; don't be too concerned. When your body is ill it is as if somebody else's body is ill: do whatsoever is needed but don't be too concerned. If you have a fever go to the doctor, take the medicine, take care of the body, and that's all. Why be concerned too much? 

13 hours ago, Revolutionary Think said:

I honestly think that's not true for anyone and their is something about games who have deeper insights into life. Me for instance when I listen to Leo's videos unlike the average person I wasn't so shocked and surprised because I knew society was full of crap because of all the bad things that I see in the world. 

If you are on path of enlightenment, ready to accept everything life offers, good or bad, success or failure, health or illness, then only playing video games is OK. If you cannot follow this then it is better to be an extrovert, be unconcerned; you will not grow but at least you will not suffer so much as an introvert suffers.

 

[Principium Nexus]

@Prabhaker I think your view on being introvert is quite black & white.. Introverts are more independent because their personality creates thinking for yourself. This might even give you the opportunity to worry less, since you know pretty well how to do stuff for yourself you see. Being introvert doesn't mean you become a pervert or worry a lot, neither does being an extrovert make you healthy and unable to reach enlightenment..

This all depends if the person has destructive tendencies, cares about his own health and how emotional stable one is. Some extroverts party so much their healthy drops dramatically, while introverts might live a life with less impulsive behavior.

 

[Prabhaker]

13 minutes ago, Principium Nexus said:

I think your view on being introvert is quite black & white.

Logic divide things either into black or white, while the reality consists mostly of grey. 

18 minutes ago, Principium Nexus said:

Being introvert doesn't mean you become a pervert or worry a lot

Ordinarily, no one is either totally extrovert or totally introvert. These are broad divisions. We are all a mixture -- partly introvert, partly extrovert. The difference is only of degrees. Sometimes it may happen that an individual is ninety percent extrovert and ten percent introvert. But by and large, people are of mixed nature. It is very rare that a person is purely introvert; because, such a person will not be able to live even for a moment. For food he will have to come out, for taking a bath he will have to be out. If a person becomes one hundred percent introvert, he will be dead. 

A one hundred percent extrovert person will also die immediately because, he too will have to sleep for which he will have to go inward. He will need rest for which he will have to go within. After work, some space for oneself is essential. One needs to spare oneself from friends and loved ones otherwise his contact with the inner sources will be lost and he will be finished. Hence this division is basically theoretical. Between one individual and another there are differences in degrees. Someone may be ninety percent extrovert and ten per cent introvert.

A very introvert person if not becomes a pervert , will become a Buddha, but nobody becomes introvert to that degree. 

The extrovert religion prays to God; introvert religiousness meditates. Prayer is extrovert, meditation is introvert. Extrovert religions have not produced many enlightened persons.

[Nahm]

@Prabhaker Your introvert extrovert assessment is pretty off man. That makes me really curious, do you consider yourself to be an introvert or extrovert? Either way, a nice opportunity to let go of some beliefs. I hope you take that positively. One of my favorite things is discovering beliefs I can let go of. Liberation.

@Revolutionary Think I love where you're headed. I often think 99% of vg's are just the same damn thing over and over. Why this media is not used for things like PD (for adults) is beyond me. Also, I think you're referring to Battlefield in your post....am I right? There's tons of research showing vg's are bad for the brain, and tons showing they are great for brain development (uncertainty). Myself, I believe they helped me with critical thinking, analytical thinking, team work, problem solving, etc. Then there's Minecraft..holy shit...anyone play that? Very creative family fun. 

Have you tried the PS4 VR yet? Way cool. Needs more games. If there was an action Buddhism / PD game for it, that would be the sheaaat. 

Edited March 20, 2017 by Nahm

[Prabhaker]

@Nahm

I am more introvert, less extrovert. I am on a path of becoming more and more introvert.

[Nahm]

@Prabhaker and it sounds like that is not what you desire...?

[Prabhaker]

@Nahm

I am doing efforts to become more introvert.

[Revolutionary Think]

@Prabhaker I'm quite the extrovert with the right type of people around me. It all depends on who I am talking to and if they are like minded. 

[Revolutionary Think]

For all of you talking about video games just being a distraction to a certain extent I can agree. I really do want to start some kind of movement that changes the world. Especially the education system because I believe that Today's education system around the world doesn't really focus on improving people (like this website does) but, instead focuses on making them robots. I started a website discussing this and I really want to talk about these issues with all of you. @Phocus I am sick and tired of playing the side quests but, nobody is giving me a strategy guide to play the main game (except for maybe Leo). That's the problem I find in schools too no one is giving these kids a strategy guide for how to figure out what there passions are and make a living out of it. I myself created a petition on change.org that talks about bringing mentors to schools so they can help these students in the high schools. 

I also want to know from all of you how you found your passions and if you are making a living off of them and how you did it. I hoping that finally on this forum I can find some like minded and deep thinkers who want to do something about living their lives to the fullest and how to help others who want to do the same thing. 

[Phocus]

@Revolutionary Think Leo's Ultimate Life Purpose course is a very good place to start. 

[The Universe]

34 minutes ago, Revolutionary Think said:

For all of you talking about video games just being a distraction to a certain extent I can agree. I really do want to start some kind of movement that changes the world. Especially the education system because I believe that Today's education system around the world doesn't really focus on improving people (like this website does) but, instead focuses on making them robots. I started a website discussing this and I really want to talk about these issues with all of you. @Phocus I am sick and tired of playing the side quests but, nobody is giving me a strategy guide to play the main game (except for maybe Leo). That's the problem I find in schools too no one is giving these kids a strategy guide for how to figure out what there passions are and make a living out of it. I myself created a petition on change.org that talks about bringing mentors to schools so they can help these students in the high schools. 

I also want to know from all of you how you found your passions and if you are making a living off of them and how you did it. I hoping that finally on this forum I can find some like minded and deep thinkers who want to do something about living their lives to the fullest and how to help others who want to do the same thing. 

@Revolutionary Think I am COMPLETELY agreing with you.  As a 16 year old teen, i can really relate to what you say.  

In school they told you that to have what you want you have to repeat something again and again and again and that this is what is gonna' make you successful. This can be true to some extent but the problem here is that there is only rationnal progress and NOT Emotionnal Progress ( well a little bit ), Spiritual Progress and Creativity Progress and adding to that, that school is NOT a real qualitative representation of what life will delivers to you when you passed all your tests ( i think that you guys would agree ).

I think that everybody should know MORE than basic Spongebob teachings !

Edited March 22, 2017 by The Universe

[Revolutionary Think]

@The Universe Please read this and tell me what you think. http://bakshandehariel.wixsite.com/website/single-post/2016/12/30/Creating-Something-that-Lasts-Taking-You-Through-My-Past  

[The Universe]

@Revolutionary Think Yes ! That's that  ( Even if middle school is not THAT horrible but hey, that's just a change of perception  ). I support you in this project ( even if i had this idea before looking at this blog  ).

Edited March 22, 2017 by The Universe