Roles
The Characters We Play in Real Life
In life, we all play roles — not fake ones, but real ones like employee, friend, partner, parent. These roles help us fit in, belong, and make sense of the world. We usually don’t choose them at first; we’re handed them by family, school, or society. But as we grow, we start to question:
“Is this really me?”
- Early on, we follow the role like a script.
- Later, we customize the role to better match who we are.
- Eventually, we see through roles — knowing they’re useful, but not our whole identity.
Just like in an RPG, you start the game as a certain class — but as you level up, you might multiclass, change builds, or break out of the system entirely.
A role isn’t who you are, it’s a way to try on who you’re becoming.
Question to explore: Which roles in your life still fit? Which ones feel like armour that’s too tight?
Playing
Learning by Trying, Not Just Knowing
“Playing” sounds like something for kids — but in reality, it’s how we all learn and grow. When we play, we try things out. We take risks. We imagine new ways of doing things without fear of failure.
- Kids play to figure out how the world works.
- Adults play (often without realizing it) when they test ideas, start side projects, or take on challenges they’re not sure how to solve.
In an RPG, you don’t just read the rulebook — you explore, fight, fail, and grow stronger through experience. Real life’s the same. Play isn’t goofing off. It’s how we experiment with who we are and who we could become.
Play is practice for change. If you stop playing, you stop growing.
Question to explore: Where in your life are you still willing to play — to try without knowing the outcome?
Game
Reality As a Kind of Illusion
We think we see the world clearly, but we don’t. We each live inside our own “game world” — shaped by our beliefs, past experiences, fears, and habits. Like an RPG’s graphics engine, our brain renders a version of reality based on what it expects to see, not necessarily what’s actually there.
- Most people assume the game is real and fixed.
- As you grow, you start to see it’s a mental model — not the world itself.
- Eventually, you realize you can recode the game — change how you see, think, and act.
This is like going from a first-person player to a modder or game designer. You realize: “The rules I thought were fixed? Someone made them up — maybe even me.”
You’re not stuck in the game. You’re shaping it, whether you know it or not.
Question to explore: What if the rules you live by aren’t universal truths — but just part of a game you inherited?