Life is not what it seems...

A long time ago, when trees were big and we were just starting to get into games, our team tracked a frequently repeated expression—“it seems.”

It seems like an elephant, it seems like a maple, it seems like someone smart, it seems to have worked.

After some thought and discussion, we concluded that this phrase shows that the speaker is not sure about what they are saying and is implicitly inviting the listener to check—is it an elephant or a mammoth, is it a maple or a plane tree, is it someone smart or just an impression, did it really work out or not quite yet?

Years have passed, and those who started this journey have been scattered by life.

The expression “it seems” is not used as frequently anymore. However, the need to understand and verify what lies behind a situation, actions, words, and positions has not only persisted but has become, as they say, “second nature.”

One of the most important skills that participants in our games—and even more so, students of the Key Figures School—acquire is “vision,” the ability to read and hear “between the lines,” to understand what lies behind the words, and, most importantly, to not just listen to the words but also figure out what the speaker is doing to the listeners with those words—whether they are scaring, provoking, manipulating, etc.

Because if a group of high young people approaches you in a dark alley asking for a cigarette or a light, it does not necessarily mean that they really need to smoke at that moment. Though this is not out of the question—it happens—“it seems like they want to smoke... :)”

The president of one country speaks about friendship and brotherly love, but what does that mean for those he considers brothers and at least friends? How do we understand and distinguish what his words mean? How can we verify the adequacy of our understanding? And how can we develop a strategy that minimizes problems and losses from hot brotherly love and tender friendship?

Life is not what it seems; sometimes, what’s hidden behind the wrapper is a chocolate bar, and sometimes it’s something utterly worthless. The skill to “read,” to understand, and to act based on that understanding helps to avoid trouble and be successful in many situations.

Wishing you all success and health!

Hugs! Tatiana Budantzova