--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reality is broken and we need to make it…" description: "\"Reality is broken and we need to make it work more like a game.\" — Jane McGonigal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/jane-mcgonigal-6871_broken_reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it_1380447.png" --- # Reality is broken and we need to make it work more like a… ![“Reality is broken and we need to make it work more like a game.” quote by Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/jane-mcgonigal-6871_broken_reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it_1380447.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/jane-mcgonigal-6871_broken_reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it_1380447.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/jane-mcgonigal-6871_broken_reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it_1380447.png) > “Reality is broken and we need to make it work more like a game.” [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Proposes gamifying reality to increase motivation, engagement, and problem‑solving by applying game mechanics to life. **In simple terms:** Make life like a game. Key Takeaway Apply game design to real challenges. Themes motivation engagement innovation Mood enthusiastic creative Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - education - workplace productivity - health habits - social change Key Concepts gamification behavioral design psychology Questions to Reflect On - What real‑world tasks could be gamified? - What risks arise from treating life as a game? A Different Perspective Not all aspects of life suit game structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Broken Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-need-2459940/) [Designer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designer/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-broken-3168084/) ## Related quotes > [Reality is broken. Game designers can fix it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/reality-is-broken-game-designers-can-fix-it/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Where there are laws, he who has not broken them need not tremble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vittorio-alfieri/where-there-are-laws-he-who-has-not-broken-them-need-not-tremble/) [Vittorio Alfieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vittorio-alfieri/) > [Woman who have been broken need a man who's a mender not a pretender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isiahnunn/woman-who-have-been-broken-need-a-man-who-s-a-mender-not-a-pretender/) [IsiahNunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isiahnunn/) > [“Many times, I’ve been broken. Often used and abused. Many trials go unspoken. Often leaving me sad and confused. But Lord if you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-m-hardin/many-times-i-ve-been-broken-often-used-and-abused-many-trials-go/) [B.M. Hardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-m-hardin/) > [“The real tragedy is; they rely on each other for the very existence of their identity, which they confuse with their reality. They both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-blizzard/the-real-tragedy-is-they-rely-on-each-other-for-the-very-existence-of/) [RJ Blizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-blizzard/) > [We don't need a resume to come to God. It's not our good deeds. We come broken, and we need a savior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-sandoval/we-don-t-need-a-resume-to-come-to-god-it-s-not-our-good-deeds-we-come/) [Sonny Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-sandoval/) > [“The Web is broken and we need to fix it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-seibel/the-web-is-broken-and-we-need-to-fix-it/) [Peter Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-seibel/) > [“Homosexuals are not broken, and do not need repair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/homosexuals-are-not-broken-and-do-not-need-repair/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [The only thing that preoccupies me is that France has broken down, and we need to start up the engine again - all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marc-ayrault/the-only-thing-that-preoccupies-me-is-that-france-has-broken-down-and/) [Jean-Marc Ayrault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marc-ayrault/) > [You are not broken and you do not need to be fixed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-estrin/you-are-not-broken-and-you-do-not-need-to-be-fixed/) [Joshua Estrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-estrin/) > [“...'Not all dreams get broken. We all need dreams.'...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapka-kassabova/not-all-dreams-get-broken-we-all-need-dreams/) [Kapka Kassabova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapka-kassabova/) > [Every game designer should make one explicitly world-changing game. Lawyers do pro bono work, why can't we?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/every-game-designer-should-make-one-explicitly-world-changing-game/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Designers may be the true intellectuals of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paola-antonelli/designers-may-be-the-true-intellectuals-of-the-future/) [Paola Antonelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paola-antonelli/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [I fell in love and got broken, for it is said that everything that falls gets broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-fell-in-love-and-got-broken-for-it-is-said-that-everything-that/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) ## More by Jane McGonigal > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Urgent optimism is the desire to act immediately to tackle an obstacle, combined with the belief that we have a reasonable hope of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/urgent-optimism-is-the-desire-to-act-immediately-to-tackle-an/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [“Over time, even the tiniest meaningful actions add up, each one bringing you closer to a life that is truer to your dreams and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/over-time-even-the-tiniest-meaningful-actions-add-up-each-one/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [We've been playing games since humanity had civilization - there is something primal about our desire and our ability to play games. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/we-ve-been-playing-games-since-humanity-had-civilization-there-is/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [“Traditionally, we have needed instructions in order to play a game. But now we’re often invited to learn as we go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/traditionally-we-have-needed-instructions-in-order-to-play-a-game-but/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [“No object, no event, no outcome or life circumstance can deliver real happiness to us. We have to make our own happiness—by working hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/no-object-no-event-no-outcome-or-life-circumstance-can-deliver-real/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Gamers always believe that an epic win is possible and that it's always worth trying, and trying now. Gamers don't sit around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/gamers-always-believe-that-an-epic-win-is-possible-and-that-it-s/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Cory Doctorow is a fast and furious storyteller who gets all the details of alternate reality gaming right, while offering a startling, new vision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/cory-doctorow-is-a-fast-and-furious-storyteller-who-gets-all-the/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [“Gamers who have grown up being intensely engaged by well-designed virtual environments are hungry for better forms of engagement in their real lives. They’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/gamers-who-have-grown-up-being-intensely-engaged-by-well-designed/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Games are work. There are economies popping up in games now because people value them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/games-are-work-there-are-economies-popping-up-in-games-now-because/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [We are moving towards a new form of collective intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/we-are-moving-towards-a-new-form-of-collective-intelligence/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [I ran through most of college and ran through most of grad school. When I was writing my dissertation for my Ph.D., it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/i-ran-through-most-of-college-and-ran-through-most-of-grad-school/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Every game designer should make one explicitly world-changing game. Lawyers do pro bono work, why can't we?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/every-game-designer-should-make-one-explicitly-world-changing-game/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [There are people who are very dismissive of games and gamers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/there-are-people-who-are-very-dismissive-of-games-and-gamers/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [A game is an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something we’re good at (or getting better at) and enjoy. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/a-game-is-an-opportunity-to-focus-our-energy-with-relentless-optimism/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) [Explore all 97 Jane McGonigal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) ## More Broken quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. 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I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/) [Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/) > [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/) [Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/) > [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/) [Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/) [Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reality is broken and we need to make it work more like a game.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane McGonigal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it-work-more-like-a-game/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Broken" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it-work-more-like-a-game/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/jane-mcgonigal-6871_broken_reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it_1380447.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/jane-mcgonigal-6871_broken_reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it_1380447.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/jane-mcgonigal-6871_broken_reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it_1380447.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Reality is broken and we need to make it work more like a game.” — Jane McGonigal", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jane McGonigal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Reality is broken and we need...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it-work-more-like-a-game/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/reality-is-broken-and-we-need-to-make-it-work-more-like-a-game/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```