--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some twenty-five hundred years ago…" description: "\"“Some twenty-five hundred years ago, Herodotus looked back and saw the early games played by the Greeks as an explicit attempt to alleviate suffering. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/jane-mcgonigal-6871_herodotus_some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herod_3099997.jpg" --- # Some twenty-five hundred years ago, Herodotus looked back… ![“Some twenty-five hundred years ago, Herodotus looked back and saw the early games played by the Greeks as an explicit attempt to alleviate suffering. Today, I look forward and I see a future in which games once again are explicitly designed to improve quality of life, to prevent suffering, and to…” quote by Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/jane-mcgonigal-6871_herodotus_some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herod_3099997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/jane-mcgonigal-6871_herodotus_some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herod_3099997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/jane-mcgonigal-6871_herodotus_some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herod_3099997.jpg) > ““Some twenty-five hundred years ago, Herodotus looked back and saw the early games played by the Greeks as an explicit attempt to alleviate suffering. Today, I look forward and I see a future in which games once again are explicitly designed to improve quality of life, to prevent suffering, and to create real, widespread happiness. When Herodotus looked back, he saw games that were large-scale systems, designed to organize masses of people and make an entire civilization more resilient.”” [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. Suggests games can be purposefully designed to alleviate suffering and enhance societal resilience. **In simple terms:** Games can improve life quality and prevent suffering. Key Takeaway Design games for social good. Themes games design well‑being resilience Mood optimistic visionary Type technological social When to use this quote - education - healthcare - disaster response - community building Key Concepts gamification human flourishing collective health Questions to Reflect On - What real‑world issues could benefit from game design? - How can we measure a game's impact on happiness? A Different Perspective Relying on games alone may not address complex problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herodotus/) [Quality of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [“More than 2,000 years ago Herodotus wrote, “In peaceful times, children inter their parents. In war times, parents inter their children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/more-than-2-000-years-ago-herodotus-wrote-in-peaceful-times-children/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [We have to be able to execute early in games, whether it's a block, whether it's a throw, whether it's a catch, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-tannehill/we-have-to-be-able-to-execute-early-in-games-whether-it-s-a-block/) [Ryan Tannehill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-tannehill/) > [In these early games you're focused on your performance. Just coming out and playing hard. There's not a lot you can do in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dom-starsia/in-these-early-games-you-re-focused-on-your-performance-just-coming/) [Dom Starsia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dom-starsia/) > [In the single group format, where each team plays against the other, it gives a chance to the established outfits to make a comeback…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/in-the-single-group-format-where-each-team-plays-against-the-other-it/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [“Who the fuck's Herodotus?" Asked the Iceman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/who-the-fuck-s-herodotus-asked-the-iceman/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski, acclaimed as the most brilliant and perceptive reporter of his time, writes in "Travels with Herodotus" that with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mateo-cabello/the-polish-journalist-ryszard-kapuscinski-acclaimed-as-the-most/) Mateo Cabello > [“Herodotus says, "Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all: the conscientious historian will correct these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/herodotus-says-very-few-things-happen-at-the-right-time-and-the-rest/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“And it is plain enough, not from this instance only, but from many everywhere, that freedom is an excellent thing since even the Athenians,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lacey/and-it-is-plain-enough-not-from-this-instance-only-but-from-many/) Jim Lacey > [“People who dislike budging from their homes or walking beyond their own backyards--and they are always and everywhere in the majority--treat Herodotus' sort, fundamentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/people-who-dislike-budging-from-their-homes-or-walking-beyond-their/) [Ryszard Kapuściński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [“a historian named Herodotus, tells of a thief who was to be executed. As he was taken away he made a bargain with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/a-historian-named-herodotus-tells-of-a-thief-who-was-to-be-executed/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“Yeast. The word comes to us through Old English, from the Indo-European root 'yes'- meaning boil, foam, bubble. It does all those things, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-parrish/yeast-the-word-comes-to-us-through-old-english-from-the-indo-european/) [Christa Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-parrish/) > [“As to the ancient historians, from Herodotus to Tacitus , we credit them as far as they relate things probable and credible, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-to-the-ancient-historians-from-herodotus-to-tacitus-we-credit-them/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Here Herodotus can be of some help again. “As to the customs of the Persians, I know them to be these. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/here-herodotus-can-be-of-some-help-again-as-to-the-customs-of-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [Herodotus is not more indisputably the father of history than is Sir Boyle Roche the father of Bulls. No doubt there were makers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyle-roche/herodotus-is-not-more-indisputably-the-father-of-history-than-is-sir/) [Boyle Roche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyle-roche/) > [“Herodotus, the ‘Father of History’, records the moment – and you can hear the emotion in his voice as he does so, a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/herodotus-the-father-of-history-records-the-moment-and-you-can-hear/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) ## 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 Herodotus quotes > [“Herodotus, the ‘Father of History’, records the moment – and you can hear the emotion in his voice as he does so, a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/herodotus-the-father-of-history-records-the-moment-and-you-can-hear/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [Herodotus is not more indisputably the father of history than is Sir Boyle Roche the father of Bulls. No doubt there were makers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyle-roche/herodotus-is-not-more-indisputably-the-father-of-history-than-is-sir/) [Boyle Roche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyle-roche/) > [“Here Herodotus can be of some help again. “As to the customs of the Persians, I know them to be these. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/here-herodotus-can-be-of-some-help-again-as-to-the-customs-of-the/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“As to the ancient historians, from Herodotus to Tacitus , we credit them as far as they relate things probable and credible, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/as-to-the-ancient-historians-from-herodotus-to-tacitus-we-credit-them/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Yeast. The word comes to us through Old English, from the Indo-European root 'yes'- meaning boil, foam, bubble. It does all those things, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-parrish/yeast-the-word-comes-to-us-through-old-english-from-the-indo-european/) [Christa Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-parrish/) > [“a historian named Herodotus, tells of a thief who was to be executed. As he was taken away he made a bargain with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-niven/a-historian-named-herodotus-tells-of-a-thief-who-was-to-be-executed/) [Larry Niven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-niven/) > [“People who dislike budging from their homes or walking beyond their own backyards--and they are always and everywhere in the majority--treat Herodotus' sort, fundamentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/people-who-dislike-budging-from-their-homes-or-walking-beyond-their/) [Ryszard Kapuściński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [“And it is plain enough, not from this instance only, but from many everywhere, that freedom is an excellent thing since even the Athenians,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lacey/and-it-is-plain-enough-not-from-this-instance-only-but-from-many/) Jim Lacey > [“Herodotus says, "Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all: the conscientious historian will correct these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/herodotus-says-very-few-things-happen-at-the-right-time-and-the-rest/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski, acclaimed as the most brilliant and perceptive reporter of his time, writes in "Travels with Herodotus" that with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mateo-cabello/the-polish-journalist-ryszard-kapuscinski-acclaimed-as-the-most/) Mateo Cabello > [“Who the fuck's Herodotus?" Asked the Iceman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/who-the-fuck-s-herodotus-asked-the-iceman/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“Now if a man thus favoured died as he has lived, he will be just the one you are looking for: the only sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herodotus/now-if-a-man-thus-favoured-died-as-he-has-lived-he-will-be-just-the/) [Herodotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herodotus/) > [“Are you happy?” asked Mr. Nancy, suddenly. He had been staring at Shadow for several hours. Whenever Shadow glanced over to his right, Mr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/are-you-happy-asked-mr-nancy-suddenly-he-had-been-staring-at-shadow/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“The Greek historian Herodotus, writing over two thousand years ago, produced one of the first descriptions of one culture getting worked up over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-doughty/the-greek-historian-herodotus-writing-over-two-thousand-years-ago/) [Caitlin Doughty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-doughty/) > [“As the psychologist Steven Pinker puts it, “Exposure to worlds that can be seen only through the eyes of a foreigner, an explorer, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/as-the-psychologist-steven-pinker-puts-it-exposure-to-worlds-that-can/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) [Browse all 17 Herodotus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herodotus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Some twenty-five hundred years ago, Herodotus looked back and saw the early games played by the Greeks as an explicit attempt to alleviate suffering. Today, I look forward and I see a future in which games once again are explicitly designed to improve quality of life, to prevent suffering, and to create real, widespread happiness. When Herodotus looked back, he saw games that were large-scale systems, designed to organize masses of people and make an entire civilization more resilient.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane McGonigal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herodotus-looked-back-and-saw-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Herodotus" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herodotus-looked-back-and-saw-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/jane-mcgonigal-6871_herodotus_some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herod_3099997.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/jane-mcgonigal-6871_herodotus_some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herod_3099997.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b5/jane-mcgonigal-6871_herodotus_some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herod_3099997.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Some twenty-five hundred years ago, Herodotus looked back and saw the early games played by the Greeks as an…” — 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": "“Some twenty-five hundred years ago, Herodotus...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herodotus-looked-back-and-saw-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/some-twenty-five-hundred-years-ago-herodotus-looked-back-and-saw-the/#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 } } ] } ```