SuperBetter summary

On average, over one billion people spend at least one hour per day playing video games.

And those games lend themselves to more than just fun. They can actually alleviate physical pain and help people overcome trauma!

When confronted with a big challenge, it’s easy to feel alone. But remember: you’re never really alone! Everyone is surrounded by potential allies – you just have to find them.

Humans naturally mimic those around them. They imitate each other’s speech patterns. They fall into step when walking down the street. And the more time people spend together, the better they get at predicting each other’s thoughts and actions.

Do you struggle with motivation at times? If you feel unmotivated or discouraged, don’t fret – because games are here to help!

Games boost your motivation, confidence and strength. They can also build character by improving your work ethic and sense of compassion. After all, they make you the hero of your own story!

Video games cause some people to become antisocial shut-ins; others become more creative and hardworking. What accounts for this difference?

The effect games have on your life doesn’t depend on which games you play or how long you play them. It depends on why you play.

Now let’s get back to SuperBetter. SuperBetter gives your life structure. It consists of seven simple steps – no matter what kind of challenge you’re trying to overcome or what kind of positive change you’re trying to achieve, there are always seven steps.

The philosopher Bernard Suits defined a “game” as a “voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” There’s no logical reason for attempting to hit a small white ball into a hole with a thin metal club – but we do it because golf is fun.

Super Mario fights walking turtles and seeks out mushrooms as power-ups to get stronger. As a player in the game of SuperBetter, your next two steps are to identify your power-ups and bad guys, too!

You need your own little boosts of power, just like Super Mario – and it’s up to you to collect those boosts and activate them!

It’s much harder to achieve great things when you’re all alone. That’s why allies are so important!

Allies are friends or family members who help you move toward your goal. And games are a good way to get social support. It’s much easier to ask someone to play a game with you than to ask them for help!

Your secret identity is something that empowers you. It plays off your personal strengths and makes SuperBetter more fun! That’s why the next step in SuperBetter is to do some self-reflection and develop a secret identity of your own.

A secret identity works like an avatar for the real world. The author thought of herself as Jane the Concussion Slayer when she was recovering from her brain injury and Jane of Willendorf (after Venus of Willendorf, the symbol of fertility) when she was trying to get pregnant.

Every video game hero has their own overarching adventure that frames everything they do. For instance, in Zelda, Link is trying to save princess Zelda.

Your quests, power-ups and bad guys all make up your adventure. Your adventure could be aimed at managing the stress of college admissions or becoming a vegetarian. The habits and skills you acquire from your daily quests move you toward achieving whatever your adventure is about.