In his unique philosophical discourse, Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility, Professor James Carse of New York University depicts life as a game populated by two types of individuals: finite and infinite players. Finite players embrace the roles assigned to them by life (e.g., student, manager, lawyer, parent, spouse) and adhere to established rules in pursuit of victory. Infinite players, on the other hand, engage with the roles, manipulating the rules not for the sake of winning but for the sheer pleasure of playing.
For finite players, uncertainty poses a threat because it introduces variables that could hinder their chances of success. In contrast, infinite players view uncertainty as a realm of opportunity, playing with the expectation of being pleasantly surprised! As Carse posits, “Being prepared against surprise is to be trained; being prepared for surprise is to be educated.” The paths to living as an infinite player are numerous.
Infinite players challenge the roles they inhabit. According to Carse, individuals often define themselves by the roles they fulfill in life, whether related to their occupation, relationships, or social standing (e.g., student, consultant, parent, etc.). Yet, by becoming attached to a particular role, one is less likely to experiment with it due to the fear that failing to perform it adequately equates to personal failure. In contrast, perceiving roles as temporary, mutable, and distinct from one’s true identity allows for greater freedom to experiment, evolve, and reshape those roles.
One of the most discernible traits of Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk is his readiness to challenge conventions. Sterling Anderson, the former head of the Model X, remarked, “The last thing you should ever tell Elon is, ‘That’s the way things are done.’” Musk’s strategy involves boiling down complex issues to their fundamental truths within a specific domain, proceeding to reason upward from that foundational knowledge. One notable instance is Musk’s challenge of the industry’s standard rate of $600 per kilowatt hour for batteries. By deconstructing batteries to their elemental components and demonstrating that these materials could be procured from the London Metal Exchange for $80 per kilowatt hour, Musk revolutionized the electric vehicle market.
Another approach to challenging the rules entails rethinking interactions with other players, including competitors. At Cisco, Kate O’Keeffe observed that some of the most promising and enriching opportunities emerge at the intersections of different industries. This insight led her to establish the Cisco Hyperinnovation Living Lab, a creative platform that brought together unlikely partners like Visa, Nike, Costco, and Lowe’s to explore potential synergies at their intersections, thereby reimagining retail and supply chain operations.
Infinite players also challenge the game itself. Zach Klein, co-founder of Vimeo, learned this lesson firsthand. He reflected, “In the current startup culture, it’s considered a plausible measure of success to launch a company with the sole intent of quickly selling it for a substantial profit.” Upon achieving remarkable success with Vimeo, Klein and his colleagues followed this path, reaping substantial financial gains. Yet, Klein now regrets his decision, expressing the desire to regain the sense of fulfillment and purpose associated with building something enduring. Seeking inspiration from Yvon Chouinard, the innovative founder of Patagonia, Klein discovered a different approach to entrepreneurship, one that emphasized ethical business practices and prioritizing corporate social responsibility.
Chouinard, characterized as a “dirtbag” climber who kickstarted his business by selling rock-climbing gear from his car, disrupted prevailing business norms by prioritizing employee welfare, promoting product repair over replacement, and committing a significant portion of profits to social and environmental causes. Chouinard encapsulated his philosophy in the manifesto Let My People Go Surfing: “I learned early on that it’s more rewarding to create your own game, ensuring that you will always emerge as the victor.”
Infinite players engage in the game for the sake of perpetuating play and encountering novel surprises. Crucially, infinite players embrace uncertainty. David Hornik, a distinguished Silicon Valley venture capitalist featured on the Midas List of premier investors globally, grapples with dyslexia. Hornik acknowledges, “I continually contend with uncertainty due to my dyslexia; the world doesn’t align itself as neatly in my mind compared to others’.” Yet, his experience at Harvard Law School taught him to approach challenges in a distinctive manner. “Enrolling in law school with dyslexia was a profoundly misguided decision,” he admitted humorously. “I would have been doomed if I had to read every single text.”
Instead, Hornik chose to assimilate himself into the system, enabling him to devise his own strategies. For instance, rather than struggling to absorb copious amounts of information before an exam, he crafted a prewritten essay centered on the philosopher John Rawls, anticipating the subject matter of the exam. When the exam topic aligned with his prepared essay, Hornik submitted his prewritten work, elucidating, “I have to comprehend the system because conforming to your rules leads to defeat, but adhering to my rules grants me unlimited possibilities.” Hornik excelled academically and eventually ascended to the role of editor at the Harvard Law Review.
While infinite games may seem daunting or counterintuitive to many, the findings of Karen Arnold’s fourteen-year study on valedictorians underscore the limited predictive value of college grades regarding future success. Arnold elucidates, “Academic institutions operate within clearly defined parameters… whereas life lacks such structure. Life is chaotic and unpredictable.” Consequently, challenging the roles, rules, and games one engages in can nurture a life teeming with fresh opportunities and enduring play.
