As a child you believe that, if you follow the rules outlined for you, you will be achieve anything and everything you've ever wanted. The world is a ripe orchard of opportunity waiting to be picked at a moment's notice. But anyone over the age of 20 knows this isn't always the case. In fact, the most valuable lessons of life are learned outside the government-required methods of teaching and learning. As I grew up, I encountered some harsh realities that no one really prepared me for. However, they seemed familiar, as if I had lived another set of lives that gave me an insight - albeit the slightest one - into how to best deal with what was happening to me. That's when lightning struck, and I realized that any reality check or life lesson I would encounter, I would already be prepared for thanks to video games. Yes, video games. Throughout my 30 years of life there are five main lessons I've learned because of my digital adventures and tribulations, and chances are, you've learnt the same things...
5. Most People Are Out To Serve Themselves
One thing I came to grips with through my 20s was the fact that, no matter what field you work in, you will be surrounded by people whose main objective is to further their own lives. It doesn't matter if you're working for a non-profit, or deal in some kind of client services; the services rendered are often fueled by an individual's desire to increase their own repertoire of accomplishments. If it so happens that they are able to do it in a field that allows them to help people, all the better. Those are called psychic benefits. Although nice, most people understand that you can't pay rent with good vibes. In the gaming world you often see a similar situation in FPS multiplayer games particularly in team deathmatch mode. Your teammates aren't there to help you get the highest score, and you aren't there to help them. You are all there to achieve as many unlocks and points as possible with the added benefit of being able to use your teammates as distractions. A few games reward the "support" role, like Ghost Recon, or the Battlefield series, but unless you're playing Journey you won't find anyone rooting for your cause. The incentive just isn't there. Helping others may give you a brief feeling of accomplishment in the vein of psychic benefit, but it won't get you the rifle decal you crave so much .