We need to define fair

[Guest]

Games mirror life. Life is not fair. We all know that.

That said, productive longterm relationshsips have to be based on mutual benefit and trust. In life, we call people who do not understand this stupid sociopaths. This is because even a smart sociopath realizes that life has a context, and consequences. If you do not understand this, people stop interacting with you.

There is a word for this virtue: it is called being "trustworthy".

For me, one of the great things about games is it is a place I can be competitive and noone really gets hurt. A good example from my life is football/soccer; when you get on the field, you know that you might get hurt, and so does everyone else. Consent is implied. At the same time, if you go out of your way to hurt people, people don't want to play with you.

There is a word for this virtue: it is called being "polite".

Neither of these virtues have a thing to do with being "fair".

Another word I have seen thrown around in these forums is "entitled".

While this word has a place in bills of rights and law, which I support fully, it has not place in capitalism, or Kapilands.

Capitalism is not a behavior. It is a value system. The behaviors we associate with it are results of that value system. That value is profit.

If you get your feelings hurt in a game, well, thats on you. If you are surprised when other people are competitive, thats on you too. If you choose to play with a different goal in mind, that is you choice. If you are smart enough to realize that helping people can be a way to help yourself, well, thats you too. If anyone is curious, that is what TiB (and CMB) does.

Basically, if you want better prices, back it up with reason. Manipulate the market so you get them. Talk to other players and try and get them to raise prices. Go nuts - get creative.

In all games, cheating is always an option. To me, this destroys the point of games. Accomplisment means nothing if you did not work for it. Having the maturity to understand that has another word for it as well. It is being an "adult".

Within the rules, "do as thou will is the whole of the law".

Except whining. I have a personal law against that: the punishment is that I stop paying attention to you. I don't think I am the only one.

[Guest]

Actually I think "it" - meaning life or the game - is far more fair than you give credit for.

Oh I know randomness and "luck" plays its part. But the sum total of what you get (or miss out on) by chance is nothing compared to the results of your own actions (or inactions). People who complain about unfairness are frequently doing so because it's easier to complain than to take proactive control.

I could complain that power is too expensive.
Or I could just make some.
Or I could buy a lot the next time it goes down and stockpile for a rainy day.
Or I could switch to products that use relatively less. (e.g. Plastic uses 150 power while Gas uses 5.)

It's all "fair" because nothing is stopping me from chaning my behavior if I want different results.

[Guest]

We can just trade concern for "fairness" for concern with "responsibility". I can live with that.

[Guest]

Buddha said: "Life is suffering..."

That's why I drink coffee without cream, as well as a lot of other things. I still like 3 spoons of sugar though.

Now don't start with the Tripitaca jokes.

[Guest]

If you feel that this game is too competitive, throw down your clothes and wear a shirt and hat with a giant red star on it and declare a Communist Revolution. I'd like to see how long you last.

[Guest]

Do communists have cream in their coffee?

Life is not fair.

I'm not too sure what you mean about life not being fair. I understand life in terms of conservation, meaning that it all balances out in the long run. We are all one whether we are conscious of this fact or not. Capitalism is only fair if all parties concerned profit from the exchange of products and money.

"It's just not fair that I wanted a Q6 Apple and they charged me a huge price for it ."

If you didn't want to pay the huge price then eat an Orange instead, or maybe even a Q5 Apple. On the other hand if nobody wants to buy your Q6 Apple at a huge price, then eat it yourself or reduce the price.

I have worked in many different places within Australia some of which include... Science Lab, Butcher, Taxi, Fishing Trawler, Fruit Orchard as well as for myself from home and from what I have seen it all pretty much is the same hum drum sort of existence. Work is called work because it takes work to get the work done. Sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is funny and yet sometimes it doesn't seem like work at all.


Can I use soccer as a context??? Anyway here it goes.
Soccer is a game. Now soccer isn't really fair either. Soccer involves two groups of people doing different things in order to score against the other team. Some teams are better than others!!!!! How is this fair?

Now in the big leagues they have this thing called a salary cap and if I'm not mistaken (I'm not a lover of soccer really) a salary cap helps to make the game more fair. If they didn't have a salary cap then the richest team will win. This is because people with better skill or talent manage to get offered more money for their time and experience.

Soccer is a game. Games aren't really fair either. If soccer was fair then nobody would be able to score a goal let alone win the "fair" game.


Now Life is another context. In some (if not most) ways life is also a game. Or rather it can be perceived as a game. However I'm not sure you can actually win/lose at life. Life is all about getting a good return from your investment. You invest time into life and you are returned with experience. If you invest in the less profitable pastimes your returned experience may not be as good as someone else's.

So... If you ask me "fairness" is an illusion. It works to drive you onto better experience/understanding. Life is fair. Life is a game,,, but we all play for the same team. How can life not be fair?