💭 The elite players in the game of reality

Life is like a game—a serious one, but a game nonetheless.
If you ever played any game, you know there are exceptional players out there who’ve somehow figured things out. They move differently and play like magicians.
These are the elite players, the GOATs.
In real life, we have an equivalent: the gurus.
They come in many forms, from the spiritual to the material, and everything in the between: life coaches, self-help authorities, mentors and thought leaders…
They are often venerated like saints. Their words carry immense weight, shaping thoughts and choices. They have deep influence in people’s lives.

One might assume that gurus always have good intentions. But that’s a baseless expectation.
Just like in games, they’re under no obligation to share the knowledge or wisdom they’ve gained -if they possess any at all.
They are free agents, just like you and me. Some might even troll the game itself, playing unpredictably, less seriously, purely for their own amusement, leaving others confused in the process.
They owe no one guidance through the maze of life. And even if they do help, the walk is still ours to make. They cannot do the work for us.

Alongside the gurus, there are also the fake ones: scammers and shapeshifters. Tricksters who study the game just well enough to exploit it.
They’ve discovered a wicked way to grow richer, coming down from a higher level in the game just to farm the unaware and unlucky ones.
They may not know everything… but know enough to manipulate. Enough to extract wealth and worship from the naive and desperates. And tragically, that includes the majority.
They would use any means to gain influence: charisma, power, emotional hooks, even blackmail in some cases.
They are often gifted speakers and masters at hiding the truth in plain sight.
They use the same strategy as rodent traps: 99% food with less than 1% toxin.
The food is what people crave: promise, hope, clarity, motivation,…
The poison is the subtle manipulation, psychological trap designed to keep the victim dependent and easy to control.

Life is both amusing and challenging!
On one hand, we have gurus who might deceive, intentionally or not. On the other, we face deliberate predators who play a malicious game for personal profit.
They seem to have their own agenda, entirely disconnected from ours.
In the end, we are on our own, left to navigate this world with instinct, experience and the hard-earned fragments of knowledge we collect along the way.
Baits are everywhere, and if we don’t develop our own immune system—the power of discernment—then we walk straight into the traps.
Naivety and ignorance invite predators. They make us the most vulnerable.
As a rule of thumb: good and free food is too good to be true. If you didn’t pay a dime to earn it,… it’s probably a trap.

Seek knowledge. Seek wisdom.
More than anything, seek Understanding!