Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Finite and Infinite Games summary
James P. Carse
A Vision of Life as Play and Possibilities
Listen to the first key idea
Key idea 1 of 6
4.1 (81 ratings)
13 mins
6 key ideas
Audio & text
What is Finite and Infinite Games about?
Finite and Infinite Games (1986) offers two contrasting viewpoints on how to live your life, whether you’re engaging in sexual relationships or warfare. Carse argues that any activity can be seen as either a finite or an infinite game, the former being end-oriented and the latter leading to infinite possibilities. He reveals how the world appears through the eyes of those who play with the finite or infinite in mind, and concludes that how and what games we play are our own choice.
About the Author
James P. Carse is a professor emeritus of history and literature at New York University and was featured in the CDC radio series, After Atheism: New Perspectives on God and Religion.
Table of Contents
Key idea 1 of 6
You can see almost every part of life as a finite or an infinite game.
When we think of games, we usually think of hide-and-seek, truth-or-dare or similar children’s games. But if you reflect a little further, we adults have our own games too.
The games of adults, however, can be finite or infinite.
Finite games have specific temporal, spatial and numerical boundaries. A finite game always has a clear beginning, a particular playing field and a certain number of players. Besides these external restrictions, there are also internal limitations that mean that the rules of the game must be agreed upon in advance by the players. Then the players compete in line with these rules with the aim of winning.
Then the game is over.
If this doesn’t really sound like the real world to you, consider a general election. The rules of an election are clearly outlined; a winner is decided by the amount of votes on a given day, there are certain practices that are or are not permitted (for example, vote rigging is banned) and only one candidate is allowed per party.
Infinite games, on the other hand, are the polar opposite of finite games.
While people play finite games to win, infinite games are played with the goal of continuing the game. Therefore, infinite games don’t have external or internal restrictions. Anyone can participate in the game anytime and anywhere.
Consider music composition: there will never be a best symphony, because there will always be new composers writing inspiring music. No composer makes music to win or be the best, but because the compositions she writes are invitations for even more people to join in the game.
All this might sound a bit abstract at first, but read on to get a better grasp of what life looks like according to the finite and the infinite player.
Want to see all full key ideas from Finite and Infinite Games?
Key ideas in Finite and Infinite Games
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
Who should read Finite and Infinite Games
- Philosophy students
- People fed up of playing the game of life
- Anyone interested in game theory
Categories with Finite and Infinite Games
Books like Finite and Infinite Games
What our members say
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
Start growing with Blinkist now
25 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers