On gaming

During the past Holiday season, motivated by helping my daughter to set up her new virtual reality (VR) headset, I’ve noticed my own renewed interest in computer games, and I must say that I am quite happy about it. In the past, I’d been fascinated both by the gaming technology and the deep storytelling aspects of some of the best games. However, gradually, I came to see gaming as such a profound waste of time that I somehow managed to convince myself that I didn’t enjoy it anymore.

Well, I am happy to report that this is not true. In fact, I think I can quite easily rationalize that gaming (in moderation, of course, etc., etc.) is good for you, or at least for me. Seriously though, I do believe that it healthy to have something in your life that you do in small amounts and without expecting any recognition for your efforts. This idea reminds me of the book I read last year called “The Little Book of Ikigai” by Ken Mogi. Whether it could be called ikigai in the lofty sense of the word, like something that gives a meaning to life, or not, but solving puzzles is a fundamentally fascinating activity, and it is even more so in VR!