The Game of Life

This week we’re talking about Neal Freyman’s post in the Morning Brew. He asks,

“What is the goal of Life? To accumulate the most money.

That’s what I learned from reading the obituary of Reuben Klamer, the creator of the board game, The Game of Life, who died this week at 99.

When The Game of Life was introduced, in 1960, the purpose was to earn the most wealth. The way you got there was simple enough—by going to college, getting a job, buying insurance, saving for retirement. That was “indicative of what sold in that era,” a former Hasbro VP told the NYT.

Over time, designers realized that the game didn’t reflect consumers’ changing views of #lifegoals. So they gave it a big update in 2007, allowing players to score points for virtuous deeds like saving an endangered species, opening a health-food chain, and recycling. And instead of starting the game at point A and finishing at point Z, there is no fixed path: You decide how you want to spend your time.

One question that popped up for me: If the popular view of what matters in life changed so much in less than 50 years, who’s to say it won’t shift again in the next 50? How will you win Life in 2057?”

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