How we find motivation in life as in games ft. 'Game Frame' by Aaron Dignan

Being a dilettante I've always wondered about motivations. I know I'm a fan of novelty, it's why I enjoy travel and have skimmed through several hobbies. I've dabbled with parkour, BJJ and dragon boat racing among others.

Most recently I've been big into board games. A component of that scene is perpetually trying out new games. I know almost immediately whether I'll enjoy a game in the first few stages of play. I don't find worker placement (aka action drafting) as engaging as social deduction (aka bluffing) games. I struggle, as it's about finding value in amassing wealth and resources. Simulating something I'm already at odds with inside a game only sets off an existential crisis. Deception games on the other hand play into my fascination with social interaction and charisma. The imperative to survive and not lose face in front of friends and strangers is a compelling one. As a fan of politics and pro-wrestling and an avid watcher of 'Survivor', this genre has given me a taste of that world in a fun setting.

A photo posted by Loz In Transit (@30homegames) on Oct 28, 2016 at 8:29am PDT

I have a preference for casual games and was starting to wonder why. I realised that if I could ascertain what it was I liked in board games, I could better understand my wiring and in turn inform my approach to career and other pursuits. 'Game Frame' by Aaron Dignan illuminates the appeal of games through behavioural psychology. Here he explains the two conditions we face when embarking on a new challenge:

'Game Frame' by Aaron Dignan 

Game Frame Using: Games as a Strategy for Success
Lack of Volition. Volition is the will to do something; the motivation and internal drive to see it through. Any kind of proactive or ambitious behavior is evidence of strong volition. People who lack volition feel lost, bored, or disconnected from the task at hand. They can't see why an activity or behavior is worthwhile. A lack of volition is defined by disinterest, low involvement, and arrested development. An individual lacking volition says, "I'm not going to do that. Why would I? What's in it for me?"

Lack of Faculty. Faculty is the belief that we have the skills and tools to handle the challenges we're facing; that we know how to begin and have the confidence to pursue our goals. People who lack faculty in a particular situation may feel that it's too hard, or that it's unclear what they need to do to succeed. A lack of faculty is defined by anxiety, submission, and ultimately, despair. An individual lacking faculty says, "I can't do this. I'm not prepared. I don't know how."

Its a straightforward summation of the dichotomy we face when trying something new. Hitting the point home with a Joseph Campbell reference, Dignan illustrates the edge games have over ordinary life.

One of the reasons we love games is because they instantly place us on our own hero's journey, and from the comfort (and safety) of our living room. There's something tremendously satisfying about playing out an archetypal struggle in which each of us, for the duration of the game at least, is the chosen one. Unlike so many other settings where seemingly meaningless and repetitive tasks frustrate us, in games we are at one with our story... Being part of a story, and one in which we know we're expected to prevail, plays to our sense of volition and faculty beautifully. We come to desire the victory that story presupposes, and we simply must find a way to win.

Games' afoot in Houston

This blog is on the analogy that Life is one big video game, that we do live in the "Matrix". It seems through board games I've just found an analog version of the simulation echo.

Video Game Playthroughs of life: 'Review' with Forrest MacNeil [or Myles Barlow]

I grew up playing Videogames but have not played obsessively for close to a decade. The last game I recall being committed to was 'Super Mario Sunshine' (2002) for the Nintendo Gamecube. In the intervening years games have developed more realistic graphics and incorporated more engaging, moralistic narratives. With the online component and achievement building of personas and worlds in Games like 'Minecraft' and 'Second Life' there's a whole universe of Gaming I'm unfamiliar with.

Several of my friends are gamers and I'm often tantalized by their gaming conversations. I've never revisited gaming as I like to manage my "time sucks" which I know Gaming would be. Instead I just ask a lot of questions, consume shows like 'Good Game' or 'The Indoor Kids' and watch IGN Video Game Reviews.

A good friend told me that he found watching Video Game Walkthroughs a satisfying replacement to actually playing Videogames. He could engage with the emotion by being alongside the Player without having to expend as much mental energy and stress. I found this amusing at first but realised that a lot of our entertainment is passive anyway. We watch Sports without playing and enjoy Cooking shows without picking up a utensil or sampling the meal. This is what cinema is built on.

The thing that's different with Playthroughs is that Videogames are already one level removed from reality, so observing someone playing is two levels removed from the actual experience.

VIDEO: The Last Of Us Gameplay Walkthrough Playthrough (Full game)

I started wondering how a Playthrough of life might look like and how appealing that would be. The closest I could come up with was the Documentary format, then I remembered 'Review with Myles Barlow', a satirical black comedy about a critic who reviews life experiences in response to viewer questions. The Australian show has since been adapted for American audiences by Andy Daly, 'Review with Forrest MacNeil'.

VIDEO: Review - Life as a Thief

A friend of mine recently Facebook posted that her Eevee evolving into Sylveon (Pokemon XY for Nintendo 3DS) was her "proudest achievement so far this year" which was met by congratulations all around. She remarked astutely "It's all the same to the reward centre of my brain".

Other posts on "Life as a Video Game"
- Dan Harmon and Duncan Trussell: We are in a simulation echo. God was originally a mortal programmer who "sacrificed himself as a player"
- Exploring Worlds in life and in Video Games - The Indoor Kids #59: Why we Play, with Pete Holmes
- Onnit Blog: Self Improvement in Video Games VS the "Real World"
- Kumail Nanjiani and Pete Holmes talk about "affecting the world TODAY"
- Skateboarders GoPro Train Derailment aftermath - 'Strange Days' visceral experience
- On being a Badass: Comedians Harland Williams and Pete Holmes featuring band 'Biting Elbows'

Exploring Worlds in life and in Video Games - The Indoor Kids #59: Why we Play, with Pete Holmes

This world is "Super"

Funnyman Pete Holmes in a discussion with the Indoor Kids' Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon describe the appeal of video games. The liberty and achievement found in them that isn't always as accessible in real life.

The Indoor Kids #59: Why we Play, with Pete Holmes
EMILY GORDON: (28m 22s) When you're a kid there's so little you have control over... when I was a kid playing games, part of it was that I got to exert control over a world. Because in this world I was a f*cking kid, I had no control whatsoever. And the older you get and the more control you have, you're just using the knowledge you have. "I can f*ck this up"
KUMAIL NANJIANI: And you trying to f*ck it up it is the ultimate expression of control. Like you're now even trying to control the boundaries of the game and get outside it.

What are we waiting for?

Travel to me is taking the time to discover the wonders the world has to offer. Exploring the many people, cultures and landscapes.

PETE HOLMES: (24m 38) Kids get more excited about how is this game going to be made, or what details and Easter Eggs are they going to put into the game... when I was kid I wanted to take it apart... let me give you an example because I'm not being very clear... everytime I got a new Sonic game the first thing I would do was start the level and then have Sonic stand still
KUMAIL: Oh yes so he could do the things, tap his foot, look at his watch
EMILY: Cause you feel like somehow its a communication between you and the people who made the game... what did they think of to thwart what you were thinking of
KUMAIL: So that's interesting for you its more of a dialogue between the makers and not what's inside the world. You're trying to sort of, in a way break the game but just sort of see what the boundaries of what they've thought of are

Backpacker life

In my travels I'll walk around aimlessly looking for things that pique my interest. I never found the appeal of guide books, preferring just to stumble onto things or take suggestion from others. Better yet ego-tripping with new running mates.

PETE: (30m 07s) Everytime I get Grand Theft Auto and I start from the beginning [I like to play the story] but then I'll try to go to parts of the island you're not suppose to because I want to see what happens
EMILY: and there's always a Police Line or something really stupid set up
KUMAIL: and you know what's really awesome, if you find a place that you're not suppose to get to and when you get there, there's like a little message on the wall and you're like "You knew I'd be looking for this. You win this one"

Other posts on "Life as a Video Game"
- Dan Harmon and Duncan Trussell: We are in a simulation echo. God was originally a mortal programmer who "sacrificed himself as a player"
- Exploring Worlds in life and in Video Games - The Indoor Kids #59: Why we Play, with Pete Holmes
- Onnit Blog: Self Improvement in Video Games VS the "Real World"
- Kumail Nanjiani and Pete Holmes talk about "affecting the world TODAY"
- Skateboarders GoPro Train Derailment aftermath - 'Strange Days' visceral experience
- On being a Badass: Comedians Harland Williams and Pete Holmes featuring band 'Biting Elbows'

Technology VS human instinct: From Inuits in Northern Canada to jungle guides in the Amazon

All Can Be Lost: The Risk of Putting Our Knowledge in the Hands of Machines 
The hunters’ ability to navigate vast stretches of the barren Arctic terrain, where landmarks are few, snow formations are in constant flux, and trails disappear overnight, has amazed explorers and scientists for centuries. The Inuit’s extraordinary way-finding skills are born not of technological prowess—they long eschewed maps and compasses—but of a profound understanding of winds, snowdrift patterns, animal behavior, stars, and tides.

Spending a few nights in the Amazonas I was mightily impressed by our Ecuadorian guide. I'm fascinated by human intuition and curious about the effects technology has had on our natural instincts and abilities. With his experience in the jungle and routine habits formed in a job, our guide was able to spot monkeys, frogs and tiny mushrooms with ease in the dense forest.

One of his most incredible feats was to steer the boat in pitch black darkness for 15 minutes after a night hike. I told him I'd recently read an article in 'The Atlantic' that referenced the astounding prowess of Inuit tribes and how recent forays using modern technology like GPS had dulled their abilities.

I quizzed him on his approach and how he viewed his own skill navigating the waters blind. He replied "To me, its just like a video game".

Like this. Except in pitch black.

All Can Be Lost: The Risk of Putting Our Knowledge in the Hands of Machines 
Whether it’s a pilot on a flight deck, a doctor in an examination room, or an Inuit hunter on an ice floe, knowing demands doing. One of the most remarkable things about us is also one of the easiest to overlook: each time we collide with the real, we deepen our understanding of the world and become more fully a part of it. While we’re wrestling with a difficult task, we may be motivated by an anticipation of the ends of our labor, but it’s the work itself—the means—that makes us who we are. Computer automation severs the ends from the means. It makes getting what we want easier, but it distances us from the work of knowing. As we transform ourselves into creatures of the screen, we face an existential question: Does our essence still lie in what we know, or are we now content to be defined by what we want? If we don’t grapple with that question ourselves, our gadgets will be happy to answer it for us.

- Comedians Pete Holmes and Eddie Pepitone on the phone as a "life companion"
- Comedian Louis C.K. on what smartphones are taking away

Dan Harmon talks television with Marc Maron on GT4: "Hamburger" Art and living in a "concrete, Orwellian honeycomb"

VIDEO: GT4 - Dan Harmon On What Really Happened With Community

Dan Harmon on his artistic aspiration for television

DAN HARMON: Why do they win? Why does the robot get to eat the people? The thought never crossed my mind Marc. I aspire to mainstream success. Television is a populist, derivative, democratic medium. You're suppose to make a hamburger that everyone wants in their mouth. That's when you know you're doing it well. I grew up on Zemeckis, Spielberg and people who believed that making things for everyone didn't mean it had to be stupid
MARC MARON: Do you think 'Community' was that hamburger.
HARMON: Sadly enough - Yes. I think in the third season you can start to see me go "Never mind, just give me a good review in the Times".
MARON: It's a very misunderstood hamburger... 

Dan Harmon on Television's role in society

HARMON: Good TV should be like crack in that every rock gets the job done. Yes you're meant to keep smoking it and there's a difference to a one rock experience and an overall crack experience
MARON: So you weren't really making burgers at all. You were making crack?
HARMON: I mean that's the goal in TV. Crack, cigarettes, pick your metaphor. Its not exactly a healthy thing we're doing. A mac and cheese isn't healthy. It's not good for you. You should be watching Nova. You shouldn't be watching Joel McHale and a couple of knuckleheads in a community college. But that being said, people work hard and they watch 6 hours of TV on average because they live in a giant concrete and steel honeycomb. What else are you gonna do? Rollerskating?... We live in an Orwellian system with a habit trail. With television you're engaged with the pacification of the masses but I think the masses need to be pacified, they deserve it.

Find other Marc Maron posts below:
- AV Club's Nathan Rabin talks about podcast culture on Marc Maron's 300th episode of WTF
- Actor, writer and traveller Mike White speaks to Marc Maron about adventure
- Dan Harmon talks television with Marc Maron on GT4: "Hamburger" Art and living in a "concrete, Orwellian honeycomb"
- Is Andrew W.K a persona that has been played by multiple actors? Marc Maron in conversation with Andrew W.K.

Onnit Blog: Self Improvement in Video Games VS the "Real World"

Still from 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010)

Onnit have compiled a list of reasons why people choose to dedicate their time "Leveling up" their Video Game avatars rather than their real selves:

Level up your Life
The appeal derives partly from the fact that these RPG (Role Playing Games) cut to the core of a basic human desire; To improve, and to conquer. But why is it so much more appealing to improve a virtual character, than to improve your real-life self? Countless teens and adults sit in their bedrooms or basements and work on their avatar so they can crush monsters and get new weapons. They could be hitting the gym so they could crush their rivals and get more dates! Somehow there is resistance in life that isn’t found in games. Besides just simply being entertaining and fun, here are a few reasons why games are more appealing: 

1. Games have concrete goals and a measuring stick. I have always said that the genius of traditional martial arts is the belt system. You always know where you stand and what it will take to reach the next goal. And much like a video game, once you achieve a certain level, no one can take that from you. For a casual kickboxer or MMA enthusiast, unless you are actively sparring, you really have no idea where you are at, or what your next goal is. You just do it with the faith that you will be better than you were before you started.

Kumail Nanjiani and Pete Holmes talk about affecting the world today

You Made it Weird #93: Kumail Nanjiani returns
PETE HOLMES: (1h 32m) We are stuck in these personas that are nice people. Sometimes I worry that... my ID is at the helm going "Get rich and famous"... and then you can do whatever you want or use alcohol - a cheap rich and fame - and say I was drunk... its just like a write-off
KUMAIL NANJIANI: Its an irresponisibilty
HOLMES: How are you giving yourself green lights to act the way you really secretly wanna?
NANJIANI: I think for me that anger or meanness, its power or a way to affect the world. You can affect the world in many ways. You can play the slow game which is what we're doing, working hard, doing bits. Working on TV shows, affecting the world slowly and through a lot of hard work in a positive way. You can also affect the world in a negative way today. You couldn't affect the world positively today by something you decided to do today. It would be hard. Something negative, just yell at a guy on the street. Punch a guy walking down the street
HOLMES: Shoot at a guy at the ATM
NANJIANI: That's power!
HOLMES: That's the appeal of the dark side, immediate results
NANJIANI: We've talked about this before, that's why Videogames are good. They give you power in a world where there are no real consequences

As a supplement, The Indoor Kids #93: Why we play, with Pete Holmes

Life is a sandbox and we create our reality based on the actions we take. VideoGames are getting closer to creating exciting sandboxes for us to play in.

VIDEO: Dishonored Video Review - IGN Reviews

Let's Get Real - Episode 2 preview: Pursuit of Happiness

'Let's Get Real' podcast -  Episode 2: Pursuit of Happiness

This is the second preview of the LGR Podcast, it was an engaging conversation with a fellow CouchSurfer I had just met. I'm still feeling through the format of the show, its fun watching it organically take shape. The Video Game metaphor actually came about after both conversations were recorded, I realised I had unwittingly dropped game metaphors in each one. The premise for LGR crystalised after hearing 'Community' creator Dan Harmon pontificating with comedian Duncan Trussell on his podcast about how our reality was just an advanced Video Game.

I'm still figuring out how to label each episode as the subjects can choose to remain anonymous or use it as a platform to promote their projects and themselves. For now I've assigned Video Game characters that are representative of the conversation had. I will likely label each episode with the subject's job title or field of passion and then a general outline of the material covered. Definitely open to suggestion.

The Episode 2 preview is a conversation about happiness, anchored by some real hardship regarding the lost of a loved one. The 'Pursuit of Happiness' is a topic I feel most long term travelers or anyone who feels they've experienced "living the dream" has wrestled with.

View the trailer for the happiness documentary mentioned in the episode - 'Happy' (2011)

- Comedians Pete Holmes and Ben Schwartz discussing Happiness and the Haters
- Marc Maron with Doug Stanhope: "Happiness is For Stupid People"

- Marc Maron with Adam Carolla: On being sedentary

Introducing the latest 'Loz in Transit' project - Letsgetrealpod.com

I'm proud to unveil my latest project, the 'Let's get Real' podcast.
Its the third enterprise under the Loz in Transit banner. Whilst 'Loz in Translation' covered travel and '30 Home Games' delved into Sports, 'Let Get Real' will tackle reality.

The blog will be incorporating a video game metaphor largely for stylistic purposes. I was bigger into games growing up but stopped playing heavily many years ago. It still forms my understanding of the world and I had brushes with gaming on my year abroad. I spent my birthday in Shoreditch, London retrogaming at Nintendisco and attended a Chip Music Festival in Edinburgh. The podcast will lightheartedly deal with big subjects like life and consciousness, the pop culture and video game references serve to help digest things easier.

I'm often thinking existentially and have a round about way of talking. I see into things and view the world in metaphors. My travel blog was less about tourist photos and destination tips and more grappling with the awe and transformation that comes with adventure. My basketball blog was less about highlights and player news and dealt more with the sporting spirit and hero narratives.

Find examples here:
Loz in Translation (travel)
- Traveling, living the dream and remembering it: The nostalgia for Wonderland and muscle memory
- Other people's stories: Tales of: Living in the moment

'Let's Get Real' is just my way of distilling my overthinking and assorted inspiration into one home without having to tether it to travel or basketball. Readers will know I'm a big fan of podcasts, I'll be drawing particular inspiration from comedians Marc Maron, Pete Holmes and Duncan Trussell.

I enjoy being social and have always used conversation to find my place in the world. This is best illustrated by the quote collection I amassed from the interactions I had around Europe. 'Let's Get Real' is essentially a podcast version of those interactions.

"Press Why?". Secret of Mana (1993)

Find the collection of quotables here:
- A question answered with a quote: German + Italian edition
- A question answered with a quote: Spain edition
- A question answered with a quote: Portugal edition
- A question answered with a quote: Holland Edition
- A question answered with a quote: UK Edition
- A question answered with a quote: Lithuania Edition
- A question answered with a quote: Latvia + Estonia edition
- A question answered with a quote: England edition
- A question answered with a quote: Germany Revisited edition
- A question answered with a quote: Turkey edition

Let's get Real. Let's talk about:

The choices we face and what it is we chase

The skin we're in and the suits we wear

The roads we take and the home we return to

Find the new site at www.letsgetrealpod.com
- Read the 'About' section
- Read the 'Talk' section
Tell your friends.

Tron Legacy (2010): "...The Universe up for grabs. Biodigital jazz, man"

Screenshot from www.FlynnLives.com

Tron: Legacy (2010)
KEVIN FLYNN: The Miracle...You remember. ISOs, isomorphic algorithms, a whole new life form.
SAM FLYNN: And you created them?

KEVIN: [Laughs] No, no. They manifested, like a flame. They weren't really, really from anywhere. The conditions were right, and they came into being. For centuries we dreamed of gods, spirits, aliens, and intelligence beyond our own. I found them in here, like flowers in a wasteland. Profoundly naive; unimaginably wise.
They were spectacular. Everything I'd hope to find in the system; control, order, perfection. None of it meant a thing. Been living in a hall of mirrors. The ISOs shattered it, the possibilities of their root code, their digital DNA. Disease? History! Science, philosophy, every idea man has ever had about the Universe up for grabs. Biodigital jazz, man. The ISOs, they were going to be my gift to the world.

I finally watched Tron Legacy. It was directly after unlocking the secrets of the universe whilst away at the Gold coast so it was quite profound. Interestingly the movie was mentioned during my *trip*.

Let's Get Real - Episode 1 preview: Change the Game, Change your Life

The Podcast is definitely a work in progress as far as form and process go. You'll notice the sound is quite patchy as there's a lot of ambient noise and movement. I'll be moving towards adding interstitial music, as well as intros and outros for the show. It won't be crisp for the few episodes but I'm trusting it will get exponentially better technically.

If you're handy with sound mixing, I'd appreciate some help.
Let me know what you think and how it sounds?

My 1st conversation is with a dear friend, a journalist embarking on a stint in China then Europe. I chose him as my first subject as he's a supportive running mate, an experienced interviewer and we're on the same wavelength. Ideally I'd like to access as many types of people as possible moving forward.

Update:
I've come to realise I unwittingly referenced Ernest Becker in my tag referencing Religion, Love & Art. I haven't had the chance to complete the book but was introduced to it during my travels and it has since been referenced in my two favorite podcasts.

VIDEO: Jason Silva - Dealing with Death

The conscious observer and what happens when Super Mario skips World 2

I've been exploring the complex field of quantum mechanics lately and have been fascinated by its implications on reality and consciousness. It's quite a dense undertaking but even the slightest understanding of it is enough to blow your mind. It only invites more curiosity. I'm particularly drawn to the idea that reality is manifested only once an observer arrives to "measure" it.

The Observer Creates Reality simply by Observing 
The truth is, everything in the universe is ultimately Energy, and Energy is influenced by Mind. Something only appears as matter when it is being observed. Quantum physicists talk about electrons, or events being potential, rather than actual physical entities. So that there are various potentials, basically until somebody looks, and then it sort of forces the universe to make a determination about which potential is going to be actualized. All of existence is fundamentally an unlimited quantum field of energy, a sea of infinite possibilities waiting to happen.

As I understand it, it's not unlike a video game only loading the maps that players have in use. True?

The following video from Dorkly apart from being hilarious touches on existence without a conscious observer. This raises the question of whether you believe animals and other living things are conscious. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does the program carry out the simulation? Is the following scene even possible without Mario?

VIDEO: Mario Skips World 2

- A Cybernetic Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
- Quantum Reality
- Quantum Double Split experiment (video)

'Wreck It Ralph' - Play the game that makes you happiest

'Wreck It Ralph' is an upcoming Disney movie about a Video Game villain looking to adopt a hero persona when he finds himself dissatisfied with his lot in life. Breaking from convention and searching for one's identity is an integral part of the human experience. This premise has been explored before in animations 'Antz' and 'Megamind'. The protagonist searching for more outside the frame of the Collective and the superhero Narrative respectively.

In 'Wreck it Ralph', Ralph explores others game universes to find an existence that might make him happier.

VIDEO: Wreck It Ralph - Official Trailer 

Wedding - Game Over

WOWW - World of Warcraft Wedding

My brother got married on the weekend.
This happened.
Scene: Bridal Party photos at Centennial park. We're having snacks as the couple take photos.

Maid of Honour: So now that he's married, how many in your group is there to go?
Best Man: Only one actually and he's as single as can be. Do you have any friends by the way?
MoH: I might actually
BM: What are their credentials?
MoH: Well she's got a got a good job, owns two properties...
BM: Oooo, that seems kinda intimidating
MoH: And what about him?
BM: Well he's a Level 60 Night Elf...

Dan Harmon and Duncan Trussell: We are in a simulation echo. God was originally a mortal programmer who "sacrificed himself as a player"

Mind-blowing comedian Duncan Trussell and community creator Dan Harmon discuss the idea that we are in one big simulation echo:

Duncan Trussell Family Hour - Episode 33: Dan Harmon 

DUNCAN TRUSSELL: (20min mark) We're getting really good at simulating reality... In the next couple of years we're gonna figure out a way to map the neural structure of the human brain and simulate that within one of these games - well its not gonna be a game anymore at that point. It'll be a habit trail for disembodied parts of the consciousness that think they're real right?
So the idea is if that could happen with us... Then it probably already happened
DAN HARMON: (in unison) already happened
TRUSSELL: We're in it
HARMON: If it probably happened then it did happen. Because its an infinite universe and time doesn't exist except within the confines of one universe... then what you have is an infinite simulation of universes. I guess the question is, is there something outside of that?
TRUSSELL: Well no that's the original programmer. Then suddenly that's where you get to this thing where - I never understood the whole Jesus died on the cross for our sins... I never could understand what's the magic behind that. How does that work? Of course that's just an archetype for humans eating the God. That's in a lot of different religions. Then suddenly you have this thing where No, the person who died WAS God. The original programmer was mortal, that was a mortal being that figured out how to make the simulator and that poor sonofabitch died so we could be infinite in this f*cking thing

HARMON: Because God so loved us he gave his only begotten son - He loved the videogame so much he went into it and found out that the way for the game to last forever is to sacrifice himself as a player
TRUSSELL: He had to die cuz he was mortal. He wasn't a simulation. Whoever started the f*cking echo of the simulation. Whoever started the simulation, creating the simulations inside the simulations. That was a mortal.
The paradox of God is that God was mortal, the programmer died a long time ago. He's long gone but the echo of his creation goes on infinitely folding in on itself perpetually...

Find other Dan Harmon and Duncan Trussell conversations here:

- Ousted 'Community' creator, Dan Harmon speaks to Duncan Trussell about "permanence"

- Dan Harmon and Duncan Trussell: We are in a simulation echo. God was originally a mortal programmer who "sacrificed himself as a player"

- 'Wreck-It Ralph' and Simulation Theory: Are we characters in a Video Game?

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Player 1: Select a Character

"I had a professor once who used to say there were 10 different plots in all of fiction.
I'm here to tell you there is only one - Who am I?" 

- Teacher, The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Read more about:
- American mythologist, Joseph Campbell
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

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- What is an Ego-Trip?
- Ego Tripping with American TG* in Portugal
- Ego Tripping with American TG* II in England
- Ego tripping with Slovakian DK* in Estonia