#600: What Board Games Teach Us About Life

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2020

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Board games have long been a source of social activity and family entertainment. But my guest today makes the case that board games can be more than just a way to while away the time, and can also offer insights about relationships, decision making, and the changing currents of culture. His name is Jonathan Kay and he's a co-author of the book Your Move: What Board Games Teach Us About Life. We begin our conversation discussing the board game renaissance that has taken place in the past twenty years and how today's board games are much more nuanced, complex, and arguably more fun than the classic games you probably played as a kid. Jonathan and I then discuss how the evolution of the board game Life can give us insights into our culture's changing ideas of virtue and how board games often reflect the attitudes of a given time. We then discuss what cooperative games like Pandemic tell us about how to handle overbearing people and how the game Dead of Winter highlights the way private interests often conflict with group interests. Jonathan then shares why Monopoly is such a divisive game and whether board games can teach resilience. At the end of the show, Jonathan gives his personal recommendations for board games to check out that are way better than the chutes and ladders type games you played growing up. Get the show notes at aom.is/boardgames.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We're at McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness podcast.
0:11.6	Board games have long been a source of social activity and family entertainment, but
0:15.2	my guess today makes the case that board games can be more than just a way to while away
0:19.2	the time and can also offer insights about relationships, decision making, and changing
0:23.3	currents of culture.
0:24.3	Same as Jonathan Kaye, he's the co-author of the book, Your Move, What Board Games Can
0:28.3	Teach Us About Life.
0:29.3	We begin our conversation discussing the board game Renaissance that has taken place
0:32.7	in the past 20 years, and how today's board games are much more nuanced, complex, and
0:36.8	arguably more fun than the classic games you probably played as a kid.
0:40.3	Jonathan and I then discuss how the evolution of the board game life can teach his insights
0:44.2	to our cultures changing ideas of virtue and how board games often reflect the attitudes
0:48.5	of a given time.
0:49.5	We then discuss what cooperative games like Pandemic tells us about how to handle overbearing
0:53.1	people and how the game, dead of winter, highlights the way private interests often conflict
0:57.3	with group interest.
0:58.3	Jonathan shares why monopoly is such a divisive game and whether board games can teach resilience.
1:02.9	At the end of the show, Jonathan gives his personal recommendations for board games to
1:05.8	check out that are way better than the shoots and ladders type games you played growing
1:10.0	up.
1:11.0	After the show is over, check out our show notes at a-wim.is slash board games.
1:23.5	Jonathan Kaye, welcome to the show.
	...

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