The end game is the same as in Monopoly: the last man standing. The thesis on gamification is correct. We all want to be wanted. We all want respect. I think this is being played out differently across various classes in society. There’s a layer of people competing for likes on apps, but above them is a layer of people who own the apps, and they’re competing for money. Beyond them, there is a political class competing for clout.

Like in Monopoly, the winner is the last man standing, but in real life, that man will stand alone, so really, we all lose. I think the only way to avoid this outcome is to, like the computer in War Games, realize that the only way to win is not to play. How do we not play? It’s the death of self. Many religions have a version of the death of self. From Jesus to Buddha, they all allude to not playing this gamification within society.