The Power Strategic Game Theory

A few years back I created a concept called Harrison’s Applied Game Theory (HAGT)

HAGT (pronounced “hacked”) is an umbrella term for hundreds of game and gamer-based approaches to problem-solving, and self-awareness. HAGT is strongly influenced by John von Neumann's original ideas concerning gamer-thinking as well as economic game theory. HAGT expands von Neumann's seminal work by combining logic, rational thought, deep introspection, and intuition. These processes create practical, efficient, precise, and productive strategies for solving problems. The goal of HAGT (pronounced "hacked"), is to enable anyone to maximize love, kindness, compassion, empathy, joy, freedom, clarity of thought, emotional balance, personal contentment, inner wisdom, and happiness,?in creating a meaningful life and forming collaborative communities.

I was supported in creating this concept through a retired mathematician named Harvey Slatin (2012). Dr. Slatin was also a?physicist?and inventor, and was the 23rd scientist recruited to work on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1942 where he worked on the isolation of plutonium. During his time at the Manhattan Project he often played poker with the pioneers of game theory including John von Neumann.??

Dr. Slatin was the last surviving member of his Special Engineering Detachment (SED) relating to the?Manhattan Project.

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“By coincidence, while researching the pioneers of game theory online I came across Dr. Slatin’s name. Later, when I and my wife moved to the small and isolated Hamlet of Stamford, NY it turned out Dr. Slatin lived there. I reached out to him and he befriended me. During the last three years of his life Dr. Slatin generously mentored me as I created my practical philosophy, including Harrison’s Applied Game Theory.?Much of my work is built on what I learned from him.

I always enjoyed exploring the art and science of problem-solving through gamer-thinking. It is based on my two decades of study concerning the thought patterns common to master gamers.?I have systematized my discoveries in this area and have named it - Harrison’s Applied Game Theory (HAGT). Anyone can effectively apply what I offer here to maximize their potential while reducing and even eliminating unnecessary struggle. All this is done through the application of gamer influenced strategies to solving specific problems. The ‘end-game’ here is to solve problems effortlessly while achieving a more successful, happier, and meaningful life.

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Essentially, HAGT and its application to daily life - Gamer-thinking* - are easy to understand, practical approaches to living your best life. Gamer-thinking can help you to become more effective, efficient, precise, productive, and self-aware (EEPPSA), thus maximizing individual or group potential at the lowest possible cost.

We are living in a world that is functioning evermore on game-based models. If you don’t get on-board with gamer-thinking, you will be left behind.

My company, AskLewis.com is an extraordinary group of mentors, business people, professional problem solvers, game theorists, and practical philosophers who came together in 2007 to support and expand my practical philosophy. As a peak performance game theory-based coach my work has helped to develop ways of Problem-Solving Project.

The research of the Problem-Solving Project explores various models for greater efficiency, effectiveness, precision, and productivity, and offers help and support to individuals and organizations in developing tools, tips, and strategies for solving problems of all types.

AskLewis.com and the Problem-Solver Project embrace all approaches to personal development built on love and compassion and use the writings of Lewis Harrison and his team as a fundamental guide.

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Since the present work is not meant to be a textbook or a scholarly presentation, I beg the readers Indulgence, hoping that he or she will not find any?shortcomings too obtrusive or too prone to interfere with the coherence of thought concerning gamer-thinking or game theory.

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When you are ready, willing, and able, any number of unforeseen events, and circumstances, arise unexpectedly, and spontaneously, without requirement of discipline or willpower to bring your visions, and dreams to fruition

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Games

One of the very first things we do in life is play games. To play - engage in a wide range of?voluntary activities for learning, as well as for recreational pleasure and enjoyment -is inherent in our makeup. It doesn’t matter, where in the world we are, what country we are from, or the culture that defines us. ?The need to play is instinctual – in other words, it is something hardwired into our brains and nervous systems. To play is so much a part of who we are, that if we don’t play, we become unhappy and even sick. ?As babies, we often and easily play alone. In time we may expand to playing with a toy, pet - possibly a bird, puppy, or kitten. As we become a little older, we are instinctively drawn to other people, and are likely to play with other children, especially those with whom we may have a natural rapport.

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As children reach the ages of 7 and 12, they naturally begin to play organized games that are a bit more complex than merely making sandcastles in a sandbox.

From a very young age, children often play traditional or folk games. These games have been passed down from child to child, from generation to generation, formally or informally, and usually by word of mouth. Here, we have learned what the rules are intuitively without reference to written standards.

The next step may be new, easy to play games where all that is required are simple rules and equipment. In these games or puzzles, such as Frisbee, or Lego, we learn by example from other children. Simple?puzzles come into play in that they test a child's ingenuitity ?or knowledge.

Soon it is on to team sports, video games, and as a child explores these, they are introduced to and explore the game of life.

The term “knowing how to play in the sandbox” is often used by adults to describe those who are pleasant to be around, know the rules, and who agree to play the game of life fairly.

Many adults don’t know how to behave properly because they were never taught these gamer-thinking skills when they were children or teenagers.

In recent years,it has become apparent to any attentive observer that game-based scenarios are becoming an increasing element of daily living.

For today’s youth, the steadily extending period of 'play' and schooling in the 21st century comes as a result of the increasing complexity of our world and its technologies.???

These changes demand an increasing intricacy of skills as well as a more exhaustive set of pre-requisite abilities.

In these complex times, many of the behavioral and emotional problems associated with adolescence are likely to increase in numbers and intensity. These problems can distort the thinking of young children, and teens as they cope with the increased demands placed on them – demands which have become increasingly abstracted from the work and expectations of adulthood.

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With software developed explicitly for them, many young children will learn to use computers and develop gamer- thinking and strong competitive skills before they ever get to the sandbox.

By their teen years, they may have mastered game-thinking or be crushed by the competitive gamer-thinking of their peers.

Soon, the more skilled a game player a person is, as they move into adulthood, the more they will prosper.

Over time, the gamer-thinking process can become ever more complex, and stressful. This is because, in part, the norms in our fast-paced digital world change so quickly, that there is a constant reshaping and redefining of many Life Games.

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When viewed from the perspective of gamer-thinking, the immaturity of childhood is a time for experimental play without severe consequences. Here we can spend a great deal of time observing the actions of skilled others in coordination with oversight by, and activily with our guardians.

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In time we learn to re-interpret, imitate, and practice, in various forms of play (sports, games, and puzzles.)?We also learn to survive and prosper as we explore the limits of our natural ability to interact with the world.

There was a point for many of us, usually in our teen years, when our parents and guardians told us it was time to grow up and stop playing games.

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Though this advice was certainly offered with good intentions, it was probably the worst advice they could have given us. What they needed to tell us was that “at some point, you will need to see the world through adult eyes, and it is now time to learn about adult games.”

Author: Lewis Harrison is a best selling author and speaker on applied game theory and strategic thinking.

#gametheory #strategithinking #businesssuccess #selfimprovement

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