Children Play Upon Us (introduction to games theory practice)

On holidays I played computer games with my son. To be more precise, it was he who was playing more, as for me, I was just sitting and observing this process. But if to tell the bare truth - I was showing off my intelligence and playing old “Fathers and Sons” game, or just was trying to teach to something during the process. The result is: I don’t really know, could I explain to my child the difference between tactics and strategy and the importance of strategic approach, but I realized, that I was come to agreement and got completely different results, I never thought to aim in the meanwhile. At least, I promised to buy the next version of that game the following day, to go to a circus to see performing zebras, and it could be good to buy new collection of soldiers-knights.

So, the question is who did gain the most in this game? Me or my son? It seemed to me the child was much more likely to have gained if to study the results.

Why is it like this? The question is simple – child’s desires are sincere, and the child always knows exactly what he wants. Any child always clearly knows and follows his own interests. He has very little limits and restrictions in relation to what is good or bad, or how he can behave and how not. But adults often realize dimly and unconsciously what they do want in fact or their interests are so abstract that, consequently, they gain much fewer, especially if to measure results in real “toys”.

That is why children will play upon us. And they will always get much more from game than adults.

Concerning adults - the situation is more interesting. We are all in non-stop play. Always. But we do it unconsciously for all that. Who will win? That one exactly, who is more accurate and clear in realizing of what he wants to get. That one who realizes his own interests and understands how to reach them using  others’ forces.

Who understands that he plays. That he plays constantly, always, everywhere and with everyone. And these games are not just to win at the first round, but may last for years.

That is why I want to learn to be a child. No goal to play as an adult. The goal is the ability to accomplish your interests. To do it simply and effectively. The ability to see others’ games and create my own ones, to reveal game participants and their interests, to raise a notion about models of other players’ behavior.

But I’ll be maturing into a child – in adult’s way. It’s because what the child do intuitively, the adult should investigate and adapt. For this purpose, I’ve chosen “The strategy of conflict” by Thomas Shelling.

Choice reason is that unlike to other books about games theory, there are no technical buzzwords, multitude of special terms and awful formulas in this book. Its annotation states that this book is consecrated to general logic of participants in conflict situations or to the games theory. It seems that this book describes right the practice of the games theory, i.e. games theory elements are explained through the everyday life examples. Or the real live is explained through the games theory there. But I won’t get ahead. It will become clear while reading. At the same time I’ve set the task for me – I’m going to read the book and write small articles in the meanwhile. Using simple language in these articles, I’ll try to arrange the games theory in the fields more understandable for me, e.g. in the field of project management.

P.S. To be continued…