Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team  (UPSC CSE 2023)

Essay

“Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team”

Introduction Paragraph

 The moment man came to this earth, he was given a body in which he could hold the thoughts of his hopes, dreams, fears, expectations and beliefs and deal with the problems of the outside world. As a rational being, human thinking involves sensation, perception, attention and imagination which help us to find solutions to problems. But the reason for the beginning and end of thinking always remains a vague question. American philosopher and psychologist John Dewey defined the process of thinking deeply about a problem or idea, often beginning with opposing viewpoints or challenges.  

According to him, the process of thinking begins when a challenge or problem arises and it ends when a solution is found. Here the challenge or problem can be considered as an opposing viewpoint, belief, fear or any other form of challenge and thinking is the process of working out strategies to overcome these opposing thoughts. Various metaphors can be used to describe thinking within this perspective but particularly in it’s psycho- philosophical approach thinking can be thought of as a game.  

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 First simile about thinking that can be used when drawing analogies to with game is that all games and thinking are based on challenges. The purpose of playing a game is to feel the spirit of challenge, the spirit of struggle, but also the spirit of actual victory over a challenging opponent. If all the challenges and the feeling of victory are removed from sports then it will become a meaningless activity. Similarly, the process thinking approach determined how to deal with challenges that arise in the form of problems in the real world. For example, if a person is overweight and unhealthy, he may have two options, first to avoid his unhealthy condition and second to take up the challenge of becoming strong and healthy.  

In the first case no idea arises in him but in the second case, where he has accepted the challenge, the thinking process starts in the form of ideas and hope to face the challenge. When the task is completed and the result is what you want, you get a great sense of victory, just like you feel when playing a game.  

Similarly in another example, where you start your own business and quitting your hated job may bring challenges, but your determination to take on this challenge will give you a great sense of thinking with ideas and beliefs of victory and achievement. Thus, in thinking, like in games, there is a sense of challenge, a sense of struggle, but also a sense of actual victory over a challenging opponent.  

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Another simile of thinking that can be used when comparing something with a game is that all games are based on rules. This simply means that just as the actions in a game are performed according to the rules of the game, similarly, thinking too is governed through a series of logical and common sense rules. By becoming rational thinkers in facing the problems of life we can fully understand the rules of successful living and achieve what we want without letting all our negative or overly optimistic biases get in the way.  

Instead, the law of cause and effect is one of the main laws of thinking. For every effect there is a determinable cause. By understanding this force that operates throughout the universe we can utilize it to our advantage. Instead of saying that luck and circumstance are guiding our life, we can take a look at what is causing our current experience of life and change it.  

Thus, just as victory is not possible without understanding the rules of the game, similarly it is impossible to live a successful life without understanding the rules of thinking.

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If there’s one important lesson to be learned from describing thinking as a game, it’s to focus on the journey to the destination. The journey of the game begins with a comprehensive plan against the opposition team.

After some time the state of the game dictates what the strategy should be in that particular situation.  

For example, in a twenty over cricket match your team has decided to score two hundred runs but in the end your team is able to score only one hundred twenty runs then your game strategy will not be the same as you had decided before the start of the game.  

People have similar thinking that when we start thinking about one thing then another idea comes in our mind to deal with the problem. In this way, like a game, a sequence of thinking is formed in the journey from solving the problem to reaching the destination.  

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Besides these similar characteristics between thinking and games, creativity holds value in both contexts. Creativity is fostered through both games and thinking, as games can provide a playful environment for exploring ideas and problem-solving, while creative thinking involves generating novel solutions and approaches.  

For example, The creativity of games can be seen in games like Minecraft, The Sims and Grounded, where players build, design and interact in ways that are both imaginative and engaging.  

Similarly, the creativity of thinking is seen in the film industry, which involves everything from story and character development to cinematography and music, shaping the narrative and impacting the examiner. It is a process of exploration and refinement, where raw ideas are transformed into engaging stories.

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American philosopher Bernard Suits described games as a voluntary attempt to overcome necessary obstacles. In his explanation both game and thinking show similar characteristics, such as both face challenges, both have obstacles through rules, the destination of both is determined by their journey and both cannot start unless there is an opponent. In this way, the metaphor of game to describe thinking determines how we approach our challenge, which is in the form of opposite teams in the game, but in the context of thinking, it comes in the form of different approaches or perspectives.  

Furthermore, both game and thinking are defined by certain rules. Understanding these rules and then using them to your effectiveness shows a similarity between both game and thinking.

Conclusion Paragraph

From the above perspective it can be concluded that thinking and game have similar characteristics like the same coin having different sides. Creativity is an essential skill that is vital to both games and thinking which enables alternative ways to win over the opponent. Both starts when there is an opponent and ends with the result of victory when it comes in our favour, otherwise ends with the result of experience when it comes in the favour of the opponent.