CxD #105
untitled goose; Brand = ? ; What the 2010s looked like; Book recommendation
It’s been a turbulent year for Character: some folks dismiss its importance and look the other way while others continue to find that nothing is a better measuring stick for what our lives truly add up to. But no matter your limited human view, our cumulative delusions are inexhaustible and we must get out of bed each morning and do our work.
One of the most highly acclaimed games of the year is a curious eccentricity called “Untitled Goose Game.” The premise is simple: you go around town controlling a mean-spirited goose who honks at the town’s citizens and causes all kinds of ruckus.
The question for us as character designers is whether there’s any value to this kind of role-play, where you get to take joy in being the anti-hero. The argument against it seems obvious: the more you think a certain way, the more engrained the squawky-goose habit becomes.
But is there any virtue to letting your inner curmudgeon have some virtual fun from time to time so that it feels seen and gets to unburden some steam? Would being a somewhat evil-mischievous digital goose allow us to be more kind and gentle in the non-digital world? Thoughts?
I’ve been continuing to listen to Seth Godin, a brilliant marketer with non-materialist values. Consider this insight: Your Brand = Your Character = Your Promise. So if you’re building a brand, what you’re really doing is building your character. And if you’re forgetting the main ingredients––generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation and wisdom, what are you putting into your brand, really?
What’s the one thing most marketers do wrong? Listen to Seth Godin’s answer here.
What happened this decade? (A majestic and often brutal reminder why our work on Character is the most important thing we can do with our time.)
I’m ending the decade by trying to shift my understanding of time. Sean Carroll’s book From Eternity to Here: the Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time is my guide. If you’re a physicist of any capacity whatsoever, who can speak slowly and clearly, let me buy you a beer or seven.
A tree in Saint Augustine Florida with lots and lots of character. Her name is Zaliki.
Thank you for being with CxD these past two years. Lots of new character building adventures up ahead! Please don’t be shy to speak your minds in the comments section. Or send krzysztof@characterbydesign.org an email. See y’all next decade!