Role-playing is life

Let’s begin with the notion that role-playing is an enjoyable activity where individuals take on one or multiple characters in a collaborative imaginary setting. While somewhat nebulous and indistinct, this concept is generally accepted (as attempting to pinpoint its exact definition can unexpectedly stir up controversy…).

In a role-playing game, you embody a character who may mirror aspects of yourself. While you can choose to play as yourself, the character is inevitably shaped by the game mechanics, blurring the line between you and the avatar you control.

Role-playing is an engaging activity where we immerse ourselves in being someone else, exploring the concept of becoming “other”.

Ah, but playing a role, we do that all the time. A teacher who enters his classroom does not have the same attitude as if he enters a bakery. His approach, his tone of voice, his appearance in general will adapt to his environment and his role. The reaction of others towards him will be different too. Students will see him as a teacher and act accordingly. The baker will see him as a potential or regular customer. And everyone will play their role: the dunce, the darling, the shy student, etc.

Throughout our lives, we navigate through a myriad of roles, each shaping a fragment of our identity. This intricate mosaic of diverse roles we undertake often blurs the lines of who we truly are, leaving us pondering the essence of our being amidst this complex interplay of identities.

In my opinion, this is one of the great absurdities of digital social networks like Faceboo. Having a digital identity that encompasses our friends, our hobbies, our work is contrary to the way we function as human beings!

So is role-playing the fun way to play life? This would mean that role-playing would be exclusive in its ability to allow us to play a role. It’s obviously not that simple, because the game (the fun activity) involves you playing (a role)!

However, those who play role-playing games are able to identify what they consider to be role-playing, as distinct from other forms of play activities. Debates can be intense about the boundaries of role-playing, but we are still able to perceive the specificity of this activity, at least intuitively.

This is because we are accustomed as human beings to evolving in complex imaginary constructions which influence our lives without us being able to fully understand them.

This duality between daily and playful roles raises a question about the way in which the experience of role play can nourish our behavioral repertoire in everyday life. Role-playing games place us in hypothetical situations that require adaptability, quick decision-making and creativity. These skills, once mastered in a playful setting, can prove valuable in professional or personal situations. For example, role negotiation and conflict resolution in a game can improve an individual’s diplomacy in social interactions. Thus, the boundaries between play and reality partially blur, with role-playing becoming a training ground for real life, where each role played enriches the spectrum of our social and professional “self”.

Few people have read the constitution, the regulations that govern the political life of their country, and yet these regulations have very important real effects on our lives. We are accustomed, every day, to establishing, modifying and following tacit and implicit social contracts.

We approach hierarchical relationships and our political systems as if they were real, but they are above all constructs of the mind. Companies, legal entities, are also pure constructions of the mind.

Video games, role-playing games, or literature aren’t the only gateways to immerse ourselves in fantastical realms. Surprisingly, we engage with fictional constructs regularly. Consider religions — elaborate creations of the mind. Money, too, derives its value solely from our collective faith. Role-playing, far from being peculiar, is a commonplace pursuit. Navigating these imaginary realms is an integral part of our daily existence.

Engaging in role play with awareness — not just as a game, but by contemplating its essence — offers a chance to ponder our connection to the world and our interactions with others.

Questioning role play means questioning the meaning we give to life.