Gah. It pains me to see Simon Sinek referenced instead of James P. Carse. Sinek’s treatment of Finite and Infinite Games was hollow, and missed much of the nuance, depth and grace of Carse’s work.
Here’s a snippet, somewhat apt but best read in context.
“Death is a defeat in finite play. It is inflicted when one's boundaries give way and one falls to an opponent. The finite player dies under the terminal move of another. Although infinite players choose mortality, they may not know when death comes, but we can always say of them that "they die at the right time" (Nietzsche).”
I'll confess that I haven't actually read Sinek's book. My intuition lined up with your assessment; I felt it was going to be surface level and somewhat repetitive, so I avoided it. Interesting concept though. James Carse's book is now on my reading list. Thanks for sharing.
Gah. It pains me to see Simon Sinek referenced instead of James P. Carse. Sinek’s treatment of Finite and Infinite Games was hollow, and missed much of the nuance, depth and grace of Carse’s work.
Here’s a snippet, somewhat apt but best read in context.
“Death is a defeat in finite play. It is inflicted when one's boundaries give way and one falls to an opponent. The finite player dies under the terminal move of another. Although infinite players choose mortality, they may not know when death comes, but we can always say of them that "they die at the right time" (Nietzsche).”
I'll confess that I haven't actually read Sinek's book. My intuition lined up with your assessment; I felt it was going to be surface level and somewhat repetitive, so I avoided it. Interesting concept though. James Carse's book is now on my reading list. Thanks for sharing.
Ah, this is heartening and reassuring. Avant!