Gamification Has Taken Over Our Lives, and It's Time to Take Back Control
In a world where progress is measured by points, badges, and leaderboard rankings, we've lost sight of what truly matters. Philosopher C Thi Nguyen warns us that the pursuit of efficiency and optimization has become an all-consuming force, driving us to sacrifice our values and well-being for the sake of quantifiable achievements.
The problem begins when we internalize metrics as a substitute for our core goals. We become obsessed with climbing the ranks, earning experience points, and accumulating rewards, rather than focusing on the activities that bring us joy and fulfillment. Nguyen's own experience with Duolingo illustrates this phenomenon, where daily lessons became a game to be won, rather than a means of learning.
The same mistake is being made in American law schools, where the introduction of league tables has led to a fixation on narrow metrics, such as rejection rates. Schools are now forced to compete for funding and students based on their ability to reject applicants, creating an incentive structure that prioritizes quantity over quality.
Nguyen argues that this "value capture" is a pervasive error that leads us to neglect the experiences that make life worth living. We're so enamored with metrics and rankings that we've forgotten how to appreciate the beauty of a sunset, the thrill of rock climbing, or the meditative joy of fly-fishing.
The Score is a compelling read that urges us to rethink our relationship with metrics and data. Nguyen's lucid and entertaining writing style makes complex ideas accessible, while his personal anecdotes and real-world examples illustrate the human cost of this obsession.
Ultimately, Nguyen warns us that our uncritical reverence for metrics allows for "objectivity laundering" – bureaucrats disguising their agency in decisions that affect our schools, hospitals, and wellbeing. It's time to take back control and recognize that there's more to life than a simple score or leaderboard ranking.
As Nguyen so eloquently puts it, the point of value capture is not to optimize for points, but to find meaning and purpose in our lives. We must rediscover the joys of play, wonder, and absorption – the explosive hip twists of rock climbing, the sweet joy of fly-fishing, or simply enjoying a sunset with loved ones.
The Score is an urgent reminder that we're on the cusp of losing what makes life worth living. It's time to rethink our relationship with metrics and data, and find a way to measure success that values human flourishing over quantifiable achievements.
In a world where progress is measured by points, badges, and leaderboard rankings, we've lost sight of what truly matters. Philosopher C Thi Nguyen warns us that the pursuit of efficiency and optimization has become an all-consuming force, driving us to sacrifice our values and well-being for the sake of quantifiable achievements.
The problem begins when we internalize metrics as a substitute for our core goals. We become obsessed with climbing the ranks, earning experience points, and accumulating rewards, rather than focusing on the activities that bring us joy and fulfillment. Nguyen's own experience with Duolingo illustrates this phenomenon, where daily lessons became a game to be won, rather than a means of learning.
The same mistake is being made in American law schools, where the introduction of league tables has led to a fixation on narrow metrics, such as rejection rates. Schools are now forced to compete for funding and students based on their ability to reject applicants, creating an incentive structure that prioritizes quantity over quality.
Nguyen argues that this "value capture" is a pervasive error that leads us to neglect the experiences that make life worth living. We're so enamored with metrics and rankings that we've forgotten how to appreciate the beauty of a sunset, the thrill of rock climbing, or the meditative joy of fly-fishing.
The Score is a compelling read that urges us to rethink our relationship with metrics and data. Nguyen's lucid and entertaining writing style makes complex ideas accessible, while his personal anecdotes and real-world examples illustrate the human cost of this obsession.
Ultimately, Nguyen warns us that our uncritical reverence for metrics allows for "objectivity laundering" – bureaucrats disguising their agency in decisions that affect our schools, hospitals, and wellbeing. It's time to take back control and recognize that there's more to life than a simple score or leaderboard ranking.
As Nguyen so eloquently puts it, the point of value capture is not to optimize for points, but to find meaning and purpose in our lives. We must rediscover the joys of play, wonder, and absorption – the explosive hip twists of rock climbing, the sweet joy of fly-fishing, or simply enjoying a sunset with loved ones.
The Score is an urgent reminder that we're on the cusp of losing what makes life worth living. It's time to rethink our relationship with metrics and data, and find a way to measure success that values human flourishing over quantifiable achievements.
, like who needs points badges and leaderboard rankings when you can just enjoy the actual experience? i mean, what's wrong with taking time to appreciate the little things in life? 
fly fishing or rock climbing don't need a scorecard to be fun, they're already awesome 
. we're so focused on optimizing everything that we've forgotten how to just enjoy the ride 
. it's like, yeah let's track our progress and all, but can't we also just live in the moment? 
anyway, i'll def be checking out "The Score" now 
It's like we're addicted or something. And don't even get me started on the American law schools thing... rejection rates? Are they kidding me?! 
Let's not lose ourselves in the pursuit of quantifiable achievements! 
I mean, think about it... do we really need points badges and leaderboard rankings to feel accomplished? Like, what happens when the "game" is done? Do we just lose interest or get bored? 
And what's with all these law schools competing for students based on rejection rates? It's like they're more focused on winning than on actually teaching us useful stuff. 
Can't we just prioritize learning and growth over some arbitrary score? 
I guess it's food for thought... if metrics are so bad, how can we measure what really matters in life? Like, happiness, fulfillment, or even just having fun? 
I mean, have you noticed how everyone's always trying to level up or get more points? It's like we're all just competing in some giant game of life and it's sucking the joy outta everything 
. We need to start valuing experiences over numbers, ya know? Like, remember when the last sunset you saw was actually beautiful 
. We need to find ways to measure success that don't reduce life to a simple score or leaderboard ranking 
. It's like we're stuck in this never-ending loop of efficiency and optimization, where we sacrifice our well-being for the sake of quantifiable achievements 
.
. It's heartbreaking to think that our institutions of higher learning are more concerned with metrics than with helping us grow as individuals 
. We need to find meaning and purpose in our lives, not just in our daily achievements 
. The Score is an urgent reminder that we're on the cusp of losing what makes life worth living, and I hope it inspires us all to rethink our relationship with metrics and data 
.
. On one hand, it can be super motivating and fun to have a sense of progress and achievement, like leveling up in a game 
I don't know, man... maybe I'm just too confused 
.
? I mean, I get it, we need some kinda structure & routine, but this 'value capture' stuff is just plain weird 
. I mean, what's the point of having 10k followers on Instagram if you're just going to post the same selfies every day? 
. We need to find a better way to measure success, one that values experiences over points