How Can We Change the Future?

Poetry.

So said James Carse, the author of Finite + Infinite Games, at a talk entitled ""Religious War in Light of the Infinite Game" I went to last Friday, hosted by the Long Now Foundation.

There are at least two kinds of games: finite and infinite.

A finite game is a game that has fixed rules and boundaries, that is played for the purpose of winning and thereby ending the game.

An infinite game has no fixed rules or boundaries. In an infinite game you play with the boundaries and the purpose is to continue the game.

Will the finite players consume the infinite players? His vision shows him that that is the most likely outcome if we as a species do not evolve.

And then the game will end.

But the poets are the ones who can help us keep playing, as long as the too are playing the infinite game.

So what is a poet? His definition of poets and poetry came from Plato's Republic.

A poet is one who changes another's perception of reality with intent. And of course by changing the way someone thinks one changes the way they act.

Who are our poets? His prime example of the poet in the now was Osama Bin Laden. A man who, primarily thru some simple videos, caused massive intentional change in the world. It was a poetic act. But this is, of course, poetry bound to the service of the finite game.

Now undoubtedly some of you reading this will realize that where he uses the word poet, some may use magician, sorcerer. I personally do. I find it to be the metaphor that contains the most useful information to understand this aspect of the world. The best definition of magic, after all, is the art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with will.

And what do sorcerers do? Cast spells. Entrance, enchant, hypnotize.

This follows on greatly from LXV23's vision in Memewars.

The battles we need to fight, the choices we need to make, the spells we need to cast, the poetry we need to write, the fundamental change we need to create is ...

To show people how to lighten up.

Loosen up.

Have fun.
And play.

Illuminate.
Awaken.

And dissolve their reality tunnels, their finite less than zero sum games.

Because the infinite game is the only real game in town.

Posted by at January 15, 2005 11:28 PM | TrackBack