Earlier today I ran into a hairy situation in Minecraft. Here I was, loaded up with a ton of mined iron and gold and wearing my only diamond breastplate. It’d taken me some time to get to this point. I worked hard and suffered through many setbacks to get the level of kit and building that i’d accomplished. In fact I was on my way to developing a train line between two cities. I was doing my thing. Then I made a simple misstep. I tried to clear out a lava spot and stepped into the remnants, lighting myself on fire. I did not make it out in time.
The next two lives were spent dying quickly, trying to find my way back to the spot where I was before my stuff vanished. I failed. Then I lost all composure, shutting off the game and reloading it in creative mode–cheat mode. In an instant I’d ruined the game entirely. I invalidated everything I’d done on my own and moreover everything my boys had done. The world I built was no longer considered ‘survival’ it was instead a cheat world where nothing I built existed without the possibility I’d simply spun it all up in creative mode.
So what? It is just a silly game.
Indeed, but the lesson is far more real and human than the game would indicate. I tried to take a shortcut because a setback upset me. The result was a greater loss and me becoming a huge disappointment. All of this based on the fact that I was impatient and unable to deal with failure. Losing is a consequence of action and without the fear of consequence, some terrible things can unfold. Beyond that, the lack of consequence creates a meaninglessness and a false sense of confidence that can be detrimental.
All of this, from a silly game.