The Underlying Lesson From Squid Game

Photo by Jonas Augustin on Unsplash

NOTE: There are no spoilers in this post, but if you’re someone who wants to know nothing about ‘Squid Game’ before you watch it, save this post for later...

In the blockbuster Netflix show, Squid Game, 456 contestants are pitted against each other (unwittingly, at first) in what is essentially a death match to see who will claim the $38 million grand prize. These contestants are made to play a series of children’s games with the consequence that the loser(s) end up losing more than simply a shot at the money - they lose their lives.

As with anything that is a matter of life and death, we see, over the course of the series’ nine episodes, all sorts of individual motivations come into play, as the contestants are forced to come to terms with who they are and the limits of what they’re willing to sacrifice and do to make it through. 

Fundamentally, to me at least, it’s a show about the tussle between our ego and our more idealistic or altruistic tendencies. But, not in a ‘black and white’ sense. There are plenty of shades of grey. 

Those bred on an underlying positive, collaborative mental construct reflect that in their behavior, but their commitment to it is pushed to the very limit - sometimes, to the breaking point and beyond. 

Others who have spent their lives believing that the world is self-serving and that it's every man for himself, see this world-view become even more pronounced, and ultimately manifested in how they play the game.

And then there are those who are forced to reckon with what it is they truly believe. 

Is the world good or fundamentally bad? Is it worth exposing our vulnerabilities or should we hide them behind our facade of strength? Should we truly work together or is it really dog-eat-dog? In other words, do the ends justify the means? 

The characters in this quite brilliant show offer up a range of answers. And each individual’s behavior is colored by their upbringing, their world view and their experiences (both from their lives before ‘the game’ and while they engage in it). 

For some, the decision process - and the choices they make in each game - are straightforward, whilst it’s much more heart-wrenching and difficult for others as they grapple with the gravity of, the implications of, each choice. 

And that, of course, is the story of our lives. Certainly not to the grave extent in the show, but certainly in terms of the complexity of our decision-making and that of those around us. 

Because it’s rare for our consequential decisions to be simple ones - where there is simply a right and a wrong. We process these decisions via a range of variables, each of which adds its own color and context. The weightage of each variable also varies from one person to another, again colored by all of the factors above. 

The result is a decision that we perceive to be the “right” one for us, but one that may not meet with the agreement or approval of others. And that can be a dilemma for many of us, because, like it or not, we value approval. From one cohort or another, we crave it - from parents to relatives to friends to our peers and work colleagues. 

It’s worth remembering that as we navigate our own lives and the decisions that accompany it. 

We should be conscious about the filters we use, the variables we deploy, and the weightage we assign to each variable, as we’re in the process of doing so. Which also means that I don’t think we can predict these types of decisions ahead of time either, because we simply cannot predict how we will react when we’re in the moment.

The point is that we need to be aware of the complexities behind our personal decision-making and, at the same time, try and empathize with the decision-process of those around us as well. Including - and especially - those who make choices we don’t appreciate or understand. Because, quite possibly, their choices weren’t simple ones either. Rather, they went through the same complex calculations that we did - but filtered through alternative world-views and life experiences - and came out somewhere else. 

Note that I’m not saying you have to agree with their decisions. I’m just saying we need to try and understand and, ideally, empathize. That, while their decision may not be right, in their universe, they’re not wrong.