There is much that you can learn from just spending a little time in the game, Minecraft. When you think about it, playing the various modes in Minecraft can teach you so much about life and how things work. Most people don’t even realize they are learning valuable life lessons when they play this seemingly simply yet highly complex video game. Let’s take a look at some of the life lessons you can learn just by spending a little time in one of the randomly generated worlds.
What Is Minecraft?
For those of you who may have been living under a rock in the last few years, Minecraft has risen to become one of the most popular games of all time captivating gamers of all ages from kids all the way up to adults. The game is built around mining and placing blocks and allows you to create virtually anything you can imagine just by using these simple blocks. The game features two main modes – Survival and Creative, and even includes a server feature that allows you to connect to other people’s worlds both on your local network and across the Internet.
In Survival Mode, you are dropped in the world with nothing but your own two hands and ingenuity. You have to collect everything you need to survive and even find food. In the beginning, this can be tough but with a little work you can create a sprawling homestead to sustain you as you reach out to other areas of the game.
Creative Mode, on the other hand, is for anyone who loves to create impressive builds. In this mode, all of the building tools are available to you and you don’t have to spend time mining to collect what you need. You simply build it. Using this mode, players have created some truly impressive builds that would wow even the most advanced architects today.
Network play allows you to connect to other players’ worlds and interact and even chat with them in true multiplayer style. You can build and create and work together to accomplish larger goals and tasks that you probably couldn’t complete on your own.
Minecraft offers you the tools to create your own adventure. While it does have a few, more advanced features for you to explore as you advance in the game, the goals are largely left up to you. The only limit is your imagination and, of course, how much time you have to devote to the game.
Life Lessons from Minecraft
1. Life is hard, but with a little work, you can make it much easier.
There is no denying that life can be hard. However, with a little hard work and perseverance, you can make it a little easier. That’s not to say that you won’t run into obstacles along your path, but at least you won’t have to sweat all the little things on your journey.
2. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
No matter how dark and desperate things may seem at the time, there is always a way out and a light at the end of the tunnel. Even in the darkest times, call on your inner strength and stay true to yourself as you work to through life’s toughest problems it throws your way. While it may be hard to realize at the time, you will survive and be stronger for the experience.
3. Having the latest and greatest stuff won’t make you happy.
How many games have you played that featured some of the most impressive graphics but were just, well, terrible. Then you load up Minecraft. Its 8-bit styled graphics and blocky design isn’t the best out there, but the gameplay is truly one of the most engaging you will find. In the end, this relatively dated looking game blows some of the fanciest out of the water. The same is true for life. Just because you have the latest toys, doesn’t mean you will be happier.
4. Treat others with kindness, and you will receive it.
Make sure you always treat others with kindness and how you want to be treated. Remember that Golden Rule? In Minecraft, you never know when that one villager you are nice to might have just what you need to survive another night, and the same goes in life. If you treat others right, they will be there for you in your hour of need.
5. Whatever you decide to do or create in life, do it with pride.
Whether you create an enormous sprawling building or just build an incredible family, do it with pride and love. In the end, it doesn’t matter how much money you make or how big your house is. It’s about the journey. Whatever you do in your life, do it proudly and rejoice in your accomplishments no matter how small or how large they may be.
6. People will try to stop your success.
No matter what you are trying to accomplish, people will stand in your way. Instead of helping you or, at the very least, getting out of your way, they work to undermine what you try to do or put you down for daring to try something in life. Ignore them and continue pursuing your goals. After all, in the end, it is your life.
7. With any big project, spend more time planning.
Have you ever tried to create a huge build in Minecraft only to be thrown off half way through it because you didn’t plan it out properly? The same goes with everything in life and especially big projects. Plan out the biggest projects carefully, don’t just jump in without knowing what you are doing and where you are heading every step of the way.
8. Embrace the differences of the world.
People running around with pumpkin heads? Really? That’s right, and just as in Minecraft the world is filled with people who do things different. But that’s ok. In fact, that’s what makes the world a great place. Embrace others and their differences and your life will be much happier.
9. Do not ever underestimate yourself.
How many times have you told yourself, “I can’t do that.” I’m sure more times than you can count. The world is filled with possibilities just like in Minecraft. How many builders out there thought they could never create one of those impressive builds in Minecraft only to accomplish that very task by just pushing themselves a little further. The same goes for life. Push yourself and never underestimate what you can and can’t do if you put your mind to it.
10. One person can truly make a difference in the world.
If you take anything from Minecraft, remember this. It only takes one person to truly change the world. Minecraft was the brainchild of Markus Persson. He created Minecraft basically in his spare time and look at what it has become today. Was Minecraft a fluke? Maybe. But even still he was dedicated and passionate and managed to create something that is loved by millions all over the world.
Should You Try Minecraft
With all of these wonderful lessons you can learn about life from Minecraft, it may sound like the game for you. However, just because Minecraft can teach you so much, doesn’t mean you will enjoy it, as a gamer that is. Minecraft is a sandbox game that leaves the goals of what you want to do entirely up to you. Want to build a house? Go for it. Do you prefer to explore the world? No problem. There are no set goals. If you prefer a game that has predesigned goals for you to achieve then this is not the game for you.
You will spend a great deal of your time in Minecraft doing, you guessed it, mining. If this sounds boring to you, then this game may not be the right fit. However, mining can be fun and through it you will discover networks of caves and other treasures to make your game an even more pleasurable experience.
It all comes down to this, do you enjoy open world sandbox games where the goals aren’t necessarily crystal clear? If so, then this is absolutely the game for you. With it you can create almost anything you want and carve your own path as you live and interact in the world on a scale that has never been done before.
Conclusion
Who knew you could learn so much about life from playing just one simple game? Of course, there is much more to glean from Minecraft than just these life lessons. When you play the game you can learn other valuable skills as you learn to control the scope and manage resources for your latest project. You can then take these lessons with you in life as you go out in the world and try to make a difference. What have you learned from playing Minecraft? Has it taught you something about life that you had never known before you decided to try the game? Let us know in the comments below and we can talk about everything that Minecraft has taught us over the last few years.
