Finite vs. Infinite Games

**Simon Sinek**, one of the _great_ communicators of 21^st Century,
has a new book out called "***The Infinite Game***"
https://www.amazon.com/The-Infinite-Game/dp/B07DKHFTB7

Sinek borrowed the basic premise from **James Carse**'s book "***Finite and Infinite Games***":

Some games are bounded and have a , like football or basketball or chess.
You see the **short-term immediate implications**, and you **play** them **to _WIN_**.
Other games, like **marriage** and **health**, are ***unbounded***.
You see the **long-term sustainability** issues, and you play them to ***keep playing***.

**_Finite_ Games** have **rules** and **timeframes**. There are players, and there are observers in
an established field of play. The rules for the games are set, and generally known by the
players. Someone is designated as referee to judge how well you play by the rules. It is
easy to see who wins. After the game, no one argues about the score. The objective of the
game is to **get** the **highest score** so you **win**.

**_Infinite_ Games**, on the other hand, are more open and less defined. Everyone plays in an
Infinite Game, and the field is not clearly defined. The rules of the game are not
constant. They change all the time, and there are no external judges or referees. The
players are accountable to themselves and each other for their behaviour in the game.
Ultimately, the rules of the game are devised to keep the game going - _infinitely_.

Text adapted from: [hsdinstitute.org/assets/documents/5.1.1.6-finite-and-infinite-games.pdf](https://www.hsdinstitute.org/assets/documents/5.1.1.6-finite-and-infinite-games.pdf)

The reviews on https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/1476731713
are polarising. Some people _love_ it and others _hate_ it. `#marmite`



> This review recommends reading The Evolution of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod
https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Cooperation-Revised-Robert-Axelrod/dp/0465005640
Good summary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Evolution_of_Cooperation

I find it _useful_ to think of a **_finite_ game** as ***competition*** and **_infinite_ games** as ***cooperation*** from a game theory perspective. Some people treat life as a zero-sum game and are constantly trying to compete with their peers while others have realised that life is an infinite game in which all humans are _temporary_ participants.

For an _extended_ review of James Carse's book, see:
https://www.nateliason.com/notes/finite-infinite-games-james-carse

---

Summary of Sinek's book:
+ https://hoij.net/news/nbf-sweden-simon-sinek
+ Snapshot PDF: [Simon-Sinek_The-Infinite-Game_Summary.pdf](https://github.com/dwyl/start-here/files/3821513/Simon-Sinek_The-Infinite-Game_Summary.pdf)

---

Simon Sinek - Be an infinite player:
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbYzF6Zy5tY)
https://youtu.be/KbYzF6Zy5tY

> "_Finite players play to beat the players around them.
> Infinite players play to be better than themselves._"

> "_Joy comes not from comparison but from advancement_"

> "_We all have a responsibility in this tribe. If you want to have a happy and successful, fulfilling, confident life, you have to commit yourself to take care of the people around you. That's just how it works._"

Why I Wrote "The Infinite Game"
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tRQGWo1p98)
https://youtu.be/0tRQGWo1p98

> "_So that we can recognised finite-minded companies and finite-minded leaders and avoid working for them_".

The Infinite Game - Simon Sinek (The Welcome Conference)
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFxIm7fcB7c)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFxIm7fcB7c

The Infinite Game (The New York Times Conferences)
[](https://youtu.be/tye525dkfi8)
https://youtu.be/tye525dkfi8

> "_There are multiple definitions of what winning and losing means._"
> "_If you have at least one competitor, you have a game.
and there are two types of game: finite and infinite.
A finite game has known players, fixed rules and an agreed up on objective.
In an infinite game there are known and unknown players, the rules are changeable and the objective is to perpetuate the game or stay in the game as long as possible.
When we pit a finite player vs. a finite player, the system is stable; football is stable.
When we pit an infinite player against an infinite player, the system is also stable; the **cold war** was stable.
The players play until one drops out because they lack the resources or the will to continue to play.
The game continues with or without them, the player just leaves the game.
Problems arise when you pit a finite player vs. an infinite player,
because one is playing to win, and the other is playing to keep playing._"

Responsible Leadership for Infinite Success - Simon Sinek - Full Session - WGS 2019
[](https://youtu.be/hgErG3NHBvw)
https://youtu.be/hgErG3NHBvw