--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea that a game is anything more…" description: "\"The idea that a game is anything more than a game... You know, there are people who are basically unbalanced who are going to misuse a game and have ba..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/gary-gygax-18290_dying_the-idea-that-a-game-is-anything-more-th_1324346.jpg" --- # The idea that a game is anything more than a game... You… ![“The idea that a game is anything more than a game... You know, there are people who are basically unbalanced who are going to misuse a game and have bad results. If a golfer who insists on playing during a lightning storm gets hit by a stroke of lightning and is killed nobody says, 'There's…” quote by Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/gary-gygax-18290_dying_the-idea-that-a-game-is-anything-more-th_1324346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/gary-gygax-18290_dying_the-idea-that-a-game-is-anything-more-th_1324346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83e/gary-gygax-18290_dying_the-idea-that-a-game-is-anything-more-th_1324346.jpg) > “The idea that a game is anything more than a game... You know, there are people who are basically unbalanced who are going to misuse a game and have bad results. If a golfer who insists on playing during a lightning storm gets hit by a stroke of lightning and is killed nobody says, 'There's golfers dying by the droves being hit by lightning!' You can overdo what you really like, and if you're unbalanced you go overboard.” [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It warns that treating a game as more than a game can lead to harmful excess, especially for unbalanced individuals. **In simple terms:** Treating games as life can cause danger for unbalanced people. Key Takeaway Balance play with reality and self‑awareness. Themes balance responsibility excess Mood cautious thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - sports - gaming - hobbies - stress relief Key Concepts psychology game theory risk management Questions to Reflect On - Do you set limits on your hobbies? - What signals show you’re becoming unbalanced? A Different Perspective Enjoyable activities can become risky if taken too seriously. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf/) [Golfers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golfers/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning/) [Lightning Overdo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning-overdo-4422186/) [Misuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misuse/) [Overboard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overboard/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Playing Lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-lightning-3654400/) [Results](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/results/) [Says Golfers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-golfers-4422185/) [Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storm/) [Strokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strokes/) [Unbalanced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbalanced/) [Unbalanced Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbalanced-going-2758084/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes you go up to people who look totally normal and then you talk to them for a few seconds and you are like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/sometimes-you-go-up-to-people-who-look-totally-normal-and-then-you/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [I know, I know that it's a little bit frightening. 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Every thought and action is a light-wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/perfection-of-rhythm-balanced-perfection-of-rhythm-everything-in/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [Capitalism, as a result of its own inner contradictions, moves toward a point when it will be unbalanced, when it will simply become impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-luxemburg/capitalism-as-a-result-of-its-own-inner-contradictions-moves-toward-a/) [Rosa Luxemburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-luxemburg/) > [Our physiology creates disease to give us feedback, to let us know we have an unbalanced perspective, or we're not being loving and grateful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frederick-demartini/our-physiology-creates-disease-to-give-us-feedback-to-let-us-know-we/) [John Frederick Demartini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frederick-demartini/) > [In case you guys didn't catch last week's episode, I'm out of the flock," I informed them. 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Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/the-pentacle-the-ancients-envisioned-their-world-in-two-halves/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Feminism died in 1998 when Hillary allowed henchlings and Democrats to demonize Monica as an unbalanced stalker, and when Gloria Steinem defended Mr. Clinton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/feminism-died-in-1998-when-hillary-allowed-henchlings-and-democrats/) [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) > [How weak our mind is; how quickly it is terrified and unbalanced as soon as we are confronted with a small, incomprehensible fact. Instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/how-weak-our-mind-is-how-quickly-it-is-terrified-and-unbalanced-as/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) > [Idealistic reformers are dangerous because their idealism has no roots in love, but is simply a hysterical and unbalanced rage for order amidst their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-irwin-thompson/idealistic-reformers-are-dangerous-because-their-idealism-has-no/) [William Irwin Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-irwin-thompson/) > [Despite the perception, players possess little free time in the cities they frequent on the road. They spend an extraordinarily unbalanced percentage of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-kapler/despite-the-perception-players-possess-little-free-time-in-the-cities/) [Gabe Kapler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-kapler/) > [When a human body is out of balance we call that disease, which indicates dis-ease of the body. Likewise, when the body of Christ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/when-a-human-body-is-out-of-balance-we-call-that-disease-which/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“It's beyond him now. It's time for you to do your own thing." "My thing? My thing only worked if Grace was here to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/it-s-beyond-him-now-it-s-time-for-you-to-do-your-own-thing-my-thing/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“She had started driving past his apartment to see whether or not his car was out front. She had looked up his phone number,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/she-had-started-driving-past-his-apartment-to-see-whether-or-not-his/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) ## More by Gary Gygax > [“Do not be sidetracked. A good referee will have many ways to distract an expedition, many things to draw attention, but ignore them if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/do-not-be-sidetracked-a-good-referee-will-have-many-ways-to-distract/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [Anyone wanna play Dungeons & Dragons for the next quadrillion years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/anyone-wanna-play-dungeons-dragons-for-the-next-quadrillion-years/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [If you are an inventor, then you are destined for blood, sweat and tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/if-you-are-an-inventor-then-you-are-destined-for-blood-sweat-and-tears/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [I hated school, didn't like the discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/i-hated-school-didn-t-like-the-discipline/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [Send anyone claiming that their RPG activity is an art form my way, and I'll gladly stick a pin in their head and deflate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/send-anyone-claiming-that-their-rpg-activity-is-an-art-form-my-way/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [The essence of a role-playing game is that it is a group, cooperative experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/the-essence-of-a-role-playing-game-is-that-it-is-a-group-cooperative/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [Games give you a chance to excel, and if you're playing in good company you don't even mind if you lose because you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/games-give-you-a-chance-to-excel-and-if-you-re-playing-in-good/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [Some of the roots of role-playing games (RPGs) are grounded in clinical and academic role assumption and role-playing exercises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/some-of-the-roots-of-role-playing-games-rpgs-are-grounded-in-clinical/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [I foresee online gaming changing when there are good audio-visual links connecting the participants, thus approximating play in a face-to-face group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/i-foresee-online-gaming-changing-when-there-are-good-audio-visual/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/i-would-like-the-world-to-remember-me-as-the-guy-who-really-enjoyed/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [Role-playing isn't storytelling. If the dungeon master is directing it, it's not a game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/role-playing-isn-t-storytelling-if-the-dungeon-master-is-directing-it/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [ When you master role-playing \[gaming\], you become immersed in an activity that is peerless among leisure-time pursuits. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/when-you-master-role-playing-gaming-you-become-immersed-in-an/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [Pen-and-paper role-playing is live theater and computer games are television. People want the convenience and instant gratification of turning on the TV rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/pen-and-paper-role-playing-is-live-theater-and-computer-games-are/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [Gaming in general is a male thing. It isn't that gaming is designed to exclude women. Everybody who's tried to design a game to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/gaming-in-general-is-a-male-thing-it-isn-t-that-gaming-is-designed-to/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) > [I wasn't popular in the home office because I wasn't chicken. I'm just a risk taker. I have gut instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-gygax/i-wasn-t-popular-in-the-home-office-because-i-wasn-t-chicken-i-m-just/) [Gary Gygax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) [Explore all 35 Gary Gygax quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-gygax/) ## More Dying quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Just living my life till I die...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-mixer/just-living-my-life-till-i-die/) [Willie Mixer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-mixer/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) > [The world's history is a divine poem, of which the history of every nation is a canto, and every man a word. Its strains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/the-world-s-history-is-a-divine-poem-of-which-the-history-of-every/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [I don't want to just die a normal death, I wanna be killed twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-don-t-want-to-just-die-a-normal-death-i-wanna-be-killed-twice/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [Poor David Hume is dying fast, but with more real cheerfulness and good humor and with more real resignation to the necessary course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/poor-david-hume-is-dying-fast-but-with-more-real-cheerfulness-and/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Got to say, dying would really wreck my best day. Been there, done that, and now that I think about it, Artemis forgot to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/got-to-say-dying-would-really-wreck-my-best-day-been-there-done-that/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“There is more to living than not dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/there-is-more-to-living-than-not-dying/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I want people to think they can't die until they see me play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-williams/i-want-people-to-think-they-can-t-die-until-they-see-me-play/) [Ricky Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-williams/) > [... there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/there-are-far-far-worse-things-in-the-living-world-than-dying/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Life has no guarantees, though. What good is living if all you think about is dying?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-garvis-graves/life-has-no-guarantees-though-what-good-is-living-if-all-you-think/) [Tracey Garvis-Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-garvis-graves/) > [“And if you can’t say yes, answer anyway. Because I’d rather live with the answer than die with the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ellis/and-if-you-can-t-say-yes-answer-anyway-because-i-d-rather-live-with/) [Jon Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ellis/) > [If you feel like you want to die, it's time to sit down and make a list of all the things you haven't done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deacon-jones/if-you-feel-like-you-want-to-die-it-s-time-to-sit-down-and-make-a/) [Deacon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deacon-jones/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) [Browse all 6,374 Dying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The idea that a game is anything more than a game... You know, there are people who are basically unbalanced who are going to misuse a game and have bad results. If a golfer who insists on playing during a lightning storm gets hit by a stroke of lightning and is killed nobody says, 'There's golfers dying by the droves being hit by lightning!' 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