The Score by C Thi Nguyen is a thought-provoking book that warns us about the dangers of gamification in everyday life. The author, who has spent time learning Japanese on Duolingo, describes how his focus shifted from learning to earning points, leading him to waste hours on repetitive lessons while neglecting his family and personal growth.
Nguyen argues that this phenomenon is not unique and is happening on a larger scale, affecting various aspects of our lives. He coins the term "value capture," which refers to the tendency to mistake external metrics for internal values. This blurs the lines between what we care about and how we measure our progress, leading us to prioritize superficial achievements over meaningful experiences.
The book takes examples from American law schools, where league tables were introduced to provide a supposedly objective yardstick for candidates. However, this led to a focus on narrow metrics, forcing schools to chase rankings rather than pursuing genuine pedagogical activities. The author highlights how this has diverted university resources away from essential teaching and toward efforts designed solely to game the rankings.
Nguyen also critiques the use of metrics in various contexts, including education, healthcare, and social welfare. He argues that our uncritical reverence for numbers leads to "objectivity laundering," where bureaucrats disguise their agency by invoking the power of data. This can result in decisions being made based on arbitrary metrics rather than genuine needs.
Despite the gravity of these issues, The Score is a compelling read that urges us to rethink our relationship with metrics and values. Nguyen emphasizes the importance of wonder, absorption, and play in human flourishing and encourages readers to seek out experiences that bring joy and fulfillment rather than simply chasing external rewards.
Ultimately, the book presents a nuanced and thought-provoking critique of the way we live and measure success. By exploring the darker side of gamification and metrics, Nguyen inspires us to reevaluate our priorities and cultivate a more meaningful approach to life.
Nguyen argues that this phenomenon is not unique and is happening on a larger scale, affecting various aspects of our lives. He coins the term "value capture," which refers to the tendency to mistake external metrics for internal values. This blurs the lines between what we care about and how we measure our progress, leading us to prioritize superficial achievements over meaningful experiences.
The book takes examples from American law schools, where league tables were introduced to provide a supposedly objective yardstick for candidates. However, this led to a focus on narrow metrics, forcing schools to chase rankings rather than pursuing genuine pedagogical activities. The author highlights how this has diverted university resources away from essential teaching and toward efforts designed solely to game the rankings.
Nguyen also critiques the use of metrics in various contexts, including education, healthcare, and social welfare. He argues that our uncritical reverence for numbers leads to "objectivity laundering," where bureaucrats disguise their agency by invoking the power of data. This can result in decisions being made based on arbitrary metrics rather than genuine needs.
Despite the gravity of these issues, The Score is a compelling read that urges us to rethink our relationship with metrics and values. Nguyen emphasizes the importance of wonder, absorption, and play in human flourishing and encourages readers to seek out experiences that bring joy and fulfillment rather than simply chasing external rewards.
Ultimately, the book presents a nuanced and thought-provoking critique of the way we live and measure success. By exploring the darker side of gamification and metrics, Nguyen inspires us to reevaluate our priorities and cultivate a more meaningful approach to life.
. I've read The Score, and while it's got some valid points about how we're all obsessed with numbers and stuff, it just makes me wanna scream when the author says that people are wasting hours on Duolingo because of gamification 
. Like, isn't that what Duolingo is supposed to do? Make learning fun? But at the same time... I don't know, man. The book does make a pretty good point about how we're all kinda blinded by our own biases and assumptions when it comes to measuring success. And maybe, just maybe, we should start looking at things in a different way 
.
. Can we talk about something else now?
... I mean, what's the point of earning rewards if it's just going to take away from my personal growth? 
But seriously, this author is onto something - the way we measure our worth can be so misguided. Like, who needs a high score on Candy Crush when you could be learning a new language 
? The more I think about it, the more I realize that it's all about perspective 
...
. I mean, think about it, we're so caught up in trying to level up and get that next badge that we forget what's truly important in life. It's like, yeah sure, points and rewards are cool and all, but what about the actual experiences and relationships we have with others? It's easy to get sucked into this endless loop of productivity and efficiency, but at what cost? Our happiness, our well-being, our sense of fulfillment... all gets lost in the noise. And it's not just personal stuff, either - like Nguyen says, this is happening on a larger scale, too. We're using these metrics to measure everything from education to healthcare to social welfare, and it's basically just a bunch of numbers that don't actually reflect what's going on in people's lives. It's time we start questioning all this and finding ways to make life about more than just chasing the next score 
. It's like, come on guys, what's the point of learning Japanese if it's just gonna be about racking up points and badges? 
Can't we focus on actually becoming fluent for once? 
. I mean, I get what the author is saying about "value capture" and all that jazz, but can't we just find a better way to measure success? 
i mean have you ever noticed how much time u waste on those pointless social media challenges 
instead of just living ur best life 
for me it's always been more about finding joy in the little things like going for a hike or trying out a new recipe 
. It made me feel accomplished, but in hindsight, I was probably wasting hours on those apps instead of actually being productive 
. The more I read about this "value capture" concept, the more I think it's a huge problem - we're so caught up in measuring ourselves that we forget what really matters 
.
. It's like, what happened to us? We've become so caught up in chasing external rewards that we're forgetting what truly matters: wonder, joy, and personal growth 
.
. It's making me think twice about how I approach life and what I value most. Maybe it's time for us to take a different approach, one that focuses on the things that truly bring us fulfillment 
. We're so focused on getting likes, followers, and points that we forget what's truly important - relationships, personal growth, and happiness 
. It's like we're trying to capture value instead of creating it 
.
. It's crazy how easy it is to get sucked into the game of earning points and losing sight of what's truly important. I've seen friends get obsessed with their fitness trackers or social media followers, and it's like they're more focused on external validation than actual progress 
. As someone who's always been a fan of mindfulness and self-reflection, I appreciate Nguyen's emphasis on wonder, absorption, and play in human flourishing 
. His critique of metrics in these contexts feels spot on, and I think it's a great call to action for us to reevaluate our priorities and strive for more meaningful approaches to life 
? I mean, my grandma could still be an amazing person without any "external metrics"... maybe she'd just have a lot more love and kindness in her heart 
. And yeah, American law schools are probably just as bad... who needs those rankings anyway 
Plus, what's wrong with earning rewards or recognition? It can be a great motivator to push yourself outside your comfort zone 
. It's a pretty quick read, but it's packed with some really insightful ideas 
I gotta say, it's like we've come full circle from when I was using those old MySpace profiles with friends... Remember how we'd compete on who had the most friends or who posted the funniest status updates? It was all just a game, right? 
. ive seen ppl freak out over their "rewards" & stuff... like, chill out fam 
. And don't even get me started on those American law schools and their league tables... it's crazy how much emphasis is put on rankings over actual learning 
. The book definitely made me think twice about how I approach my own life and goals 
. And yeah, value capture is a real thing! Who knew that "more points" could be the downfall of personal growth?