All Fun & Games

A good game can provide encouragement that permeates every aspect of life.

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He raided the city with a sledgehammer, destroying every pinball machine in sight. It was the compassionate thing to do. 

The Mayor believed the arcade game promoted gambling, robbed school children of lunch money, and corrupted the youth to a life of crime. So you see, he was just trying to protect the children—an act of kindness, really.

Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s ban on pinball lasted for over three decades and only came to an end in 1976 when professional pinball wizard Roger Sharpe stood in a Manhattan courtroom as a star witness for the Amusement and Music Operators Association, testifying that pinball is a game of skill rather than mere chance. Playing a pinball machine set up in the courtroom, he called the shots:

“Look, there’s skill, because if I pull the plunger back just right, the ball will, I hope, go down this particular lane.”

When the ball landed precisely where Roger said, the astonished committee voted to remove the ban. But then again, the council may have had an interest in legalizing the game—since the city stood to gain roughly $1.5 million in revenue by imposing a licensing fee on each machine.

Compassion banned pinball; greed brought it back. 

All Fun & Games
According to Harry Williams, an early pioneer and innovator of pinball, there are three key elements that make a good game:

1. Sense of accomplishment.
​A good game makes players happy because it requires you to accomplish something. Just think of how good it feels to cross things off your to-do list. 

2. Develop skills to accomplish a goal.
​A good game provides players with evidence that they are a source of cause and effect in the world, empowering you with a growth mindset and an internal locus of control. This helps you become an engaged co-creator of your world.

3. Belief that what you do matters.
A good game provides players with meaning, provoking your natural evolutionary desire to feel like the hero of your own story. 
​

Reflection
Using these guidelines as a yardstick, sociologist Corey Keyes, in his research on languishing, says pinball is a good game—providing the joy of accomplishment, skillbuilding, and meaning. And whether or not you’re a Pinball Wizard, these same joys don’t just have to be all fun and games—they can also provide encouragement that permeates every aspect of your life.

1. What activities do you engage in that provides a sense of accomplishment? 
Maybe it’s by dividing your to-do list into manageable parts so you can cross off many individual tasks that tend to a larger task. Or maybe it’s by consistently showing up every day and putting in honest effort in pursuit of your goal.

2. What skills are you developing to accomplish your goals?
To win the Super Bowl, an athlete has to know more than just how to run around with a ball. They also have to master physical strength, mental resilience, nutrition, contract negotiations, and brand building, just to name a few. Developing peripheral skills can provide a sense of competence as you assemble a toolbox of skills for accomplishing meaningful goals.

3. How does what you do matter?
When what we do has a meaningful impact on the lives of others—with less greed and with more genuine compassion—we become a significant part of something bigger than ourselves. As Les Brown reminds us: “Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.” Put another way, when we seek significance, success comes along for the ride.

Final Thoughts
You don’t have to be a Pinball Wizard to gain the benefits of accomplishment, skill-building, and meaning—but since Mayor La Guardia isn’t around any more, you can give it a try for yourself. After all, the joy of pinball isn’t always just fun and games. If we approach it with fascination, curiosity, and wonder, it just may encourage us with a life of virtue.

And that is truly the compassionate thing to do.

Your Next Step
As a storyteller, magician, musician, and facilitator of fascination, my mission is to help individuals, teams, and communities experience abiding joy. You can get started today by accepting your invitation to Grow with the Flow, a self-paced personal growth journey.

With Joy --
Jonas

P.S. If you’d like to work together, here’s how:

• Buy a book.
• Enroll in an online course.
• Attend a workshop.
• Book me to speak with your group.