{"id":44,"date":"2024-12-22T17:01:22","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T17:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letsnotplay.com\/?page_id=44"},"modified":"2024-12-29T20:55:05","modified_gmt":"2024-12-29T20:55:05","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/letsnotplay.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Care To Play\nTic-tac-Toe?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Neither Do We ...<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Games.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Absent careless error, the end result of a game of Tic-Tac-Toe is a stalemate. Played skillfully, there is no winner.\u00a0
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Games involve winners and losers. Some board games, video games, and competitive sports games often involve a variety of wins. The win can be educational or simply enjoyable, even to the non-winning player or team.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Those are common types of games we all know.
But, they are not the types of games we are here to discuss.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sadly, some Games\nYield Dirty\nConsequences ...<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Political Games.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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One of the most notable games is that of our political culture. Sometimes political groups have different underlying philosophies \u2013 where participants debate and learn both within and between groups. Today, our Red and Blue opponents dominate with only two sharply defined agendas. Deviate ever so slightly, and you are canceled. To be accepted and popular, one defends the party at all costs. When conflict occurs, one may change their opinion or even an earlier professed value in order to save embarrassment or face being cast out of a group entirely.\u00a0

When a public leader is found to engage in unfavorable conduct, it is all too easy to justify such behavior based on someone else having done something similar or perhaps worse in the past. This is merely a diversion. Two wrongs not making a right, a lesson often taught to us as children, remains selfishly disregarded. This Tit-For-Tat is common and is a spectator sport the world loves to not only watch but also to participate as fans. News and social media thrive on moderating the scores.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Are you<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>all in<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0…<\/strong>
<\/strong><\/span>or\u00a0<\/strong>cast out<\/strong><\/span>?<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Are We Friends?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We Used To Be ...<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Relationship Games.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Perhaps the most dangerous of these games may be less obvious.\u00a0 Personal relationship games might be the oldest and most selfish of games.\u00a0

Frequently, a major disagreement is a simple battle of opinion of who is right. There are many tactics we use.\u00a0 After all, since the news I disagree with is all “fake news,” I must be right. \u00a0Another way I might try to get my way is to say, \u201cI\u2019m offended\u201d Or, I might even demand an apology. These tactics don\u2019t build relationships, foster empathy, or involve learning about each other.\u00a0 They build resentment and make our relationships more fragile. \u00a0

Facebook redefined “friend” many years ago. As a result, a relationship game, at its peak, is easily completed with a simple and often prideful unfriend \u201cclick\u201d of justice. The end result is often a major loss for all, even for the \u201cwinner.\u201d

Relationship games are not limited to social media. We may permit ourselves to stray from good values in order to keep a job, appease a friend, avoid responsibility or conflict, or maintain a facade of popularity. Whether it be who we are or what we believe, the appreciation for diversity has often been replaced with an abrasive attempt to make\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0comply with\u00a0my<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0defined values, which again are often based on no more than chosen opinion. Historically, we valued\u00a0our<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0collective freedoms. Today, my freedom is more important than yours.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Do you value freedom for\u00a0<\/strong>everyone<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0or just\u00a0<\/strong>your own<\/strong><\/span>?<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Are We In Control?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Or are they?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Consumer-Business Games.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Many people are persuaded by the deceptive gimmick offered by a company for which you already know the consumer is doomed to lose. Free trials, introductory offers, and even \u201cIt\u2019s your lucky day.\u201d\u00a0
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You simply choose what you want to believe.\u00a0 The things you want to be true, simply are (true). It takes little effort to convince yourself, or validate your bias …<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u200dI mean, your\u00a0<\/strong>facts<\/strong><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If we are not just another game,<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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who are we?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If we\u2019re not here to play,<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Let\u2019s Not Play.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Let’s Not Play is an\u00a0initiative<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0to promote\u00a0divergent thinking<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and to apply this to all aspects of our life. \u00a0Our focus is both education and application.

We have come to allow opinions to be enough. \u00a0They are at least sufficient to put up a good fight with little effort to understand other views. The truth is we rarely have all the information. \u00a0And, we often disregard the damage caused by our defensive posture.

The public has subjugated to censorship, hate, cancel culture and embellishment.

We chose to leave these socially adopted norms.

While games will not be eliminated, they can be reduced or changed. \u00a0Here, we don’t seek to validate our own bias or opinion; we strive to challenge it, refine it, and build synergy. \u00a0We do this as we value freedom and diversity without shaming others as a tactic to attain conformity.

Imagine how politics would be different if people could advance their convictions rather than what a group or corporation might push them to do. \u00a0Imagine a relationship that could undergo change or make it through a storm with mutual respect. \u00a0And what would life be like with fewer gimmicks? \u00a0What if apologies were not forced or relegated to just simple words but genuine actions to address consequences. \u00a0After all, our world is composed mostly of shared space. \u00a0How do we maximize this for all?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We believe ...<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The only winning move\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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is to not play.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you are fatigued by misinformation, the political climate, unjustified violence, personal attacks and deceit, you are amongst like minds.<\/p>

This is not a for-profit endeavor. This is not social media. There are no nicknames or alter-egos. You are not our product to sell. We will never exploit your information. If you feel a genuine concern for others and are willing to come to the table with an open mind and a willingness to be part of a better way of living, come and be a part of our discussions. Together, we will not just share words, but transform them to actions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stay Informed<\/h3>\n\t\t