Don't hate the player, hate the game?

[Amelia G]

Anyone think that 50 Cent propped up the rapper with the moniker of The Game because he wanted to be able to say, "don't hate the player; hate The Game"?

Do you think that the idea of hating the competition but not how someone plays it makes sense?

[One Eyed Cat]

Anyone think that 50 Cent propped up the rapper with the moniker of The Game because he wanted to be able to say, "don't hate the player; hate The Game"?

Do you think that the idea of hating the competition but not how someone plays it makes sense?

It would depend what the game was. I understand people will tend to act out of self-interest within a social and/or economic context. I certainly don't understand people who act like life is zero sum game. It seems like people try to make competition out of nothing. So yeah, it works ... when the game has tangible rewards.

OEC

[a_small_death]

I believe it was best said this way, "Screw the rules, play the game."

[Bacchus88]

in economic screw the government, make your own rules and play the game as you want to..

[Amelia G]

I certainly don't understand people who act like life is zero sum game.

OEC

Amen to that sentiment, brother. I really do believe that the right tide raises the water level for all the boats, if I may mangle a phrase past my bedtime. Some people would rather leave scorched earth behind them than have anyone else have anything at all either materially or more intangibly.

[Head Wreck]

allways taught. never pull up the ladder behind you, and beware of kharma

[One Eyed Cat]

Amen to that sentiment, brother. I really do believe that the right tide raises the water level for all the boats, if I may mangle a phrase past my bedtime. Some people would rather leave scorched earth behind them than have anyone else have anything at all either materially or more intangibly.

True. The phrase does work in that context btw.

OEC

[Bikerpunk]

I understand the expression to mean "don't be mad at me for winning, be mad at the fact that someone has to, and it wasn't you."

[One Eyed Cat]

I understand the expression to mean "don't be mad at me for winning, be mad at the fact that someone has to, and it wasn't you."

Clinton finally conceded at least.

[Mr Karl]

rappers are strange people

[Morning Glory]

I was trying to find a way to sum up that statement. I think you got it pinned down Bikerpunk.

The expression as it's commonly used refers to a man who has many sexual partners which is known as a "player". That term most likely comes from the expression "playing the field", a sports euphamism meaning to experiment with many sexual partners; this also stems from the competetive nature of trying to find a mate, which gave rise to the expression "the dating game."

These analogies have became a part of our cultural language, and so they are referenced in the aphorism "don't hate the player, hate the game."

This is really nothing new and can be found in describing many different situations. We are all familiar with such similiar phrases as "Dog eat dog world" and "survival of the fittest." And "making a killing" in regards to the cost of victory.

Moral hypocrisy is indeed a time-tested quality of our society. Not always untruthfully. The person that steals a loaf of bread to feed his family is both victim and criminal. It's apparent that injustice follows injustice, and when a person is given only bad choices to make, they cannot help but make a bad choice. On the other hand, a great many people also act callously and they merely make an attempt to justify thier misdeeds.

What is more remarkable is that such a person who hurts others for thier own personal pleasure and takes satisfaction or just lacks empathy at the endevour is consideried a sociopath and shunned. While at the same time a person who does this but attempts to cover up the fact, admitting to the crime, but denying responsability for the outcome of thier actions, is not given the same outlook, and often times is celebrated for thier achievements.

I guess that should really be no shock. We live in a society that is predicated on violence. When violence is used to enforce the principles and goals of society it is praised, when it goes against them, it is condemned.

PS. I don't really have much comment on rapper The Game. I suspect any seeming conflict between him and 50 Cent, as well as most of thier image in general, is simply a crafted marketting ploy.

[Bikerpunk]

Well, when you look at "player" in a sexual context it means one of two things:

"guy who has sex with multiple women in a supposedly monogamous relationship"

but also:

"guy who gets a girl to have sex with him but doesn't give her what she expects in return" e.g. relationship, ring, etc.

[Bikerpunk]

I find the second definition fascinating because it implies that sex is a zero sum game.