The point is a psychological trick our brains play on us. The left side is a fully fleshed out screen. It’s prettier, even having some fluffy clouds. <Awwwwwwww! How cute!> From a gameplay standpoint the right side is the exact same. It’s only the topmost blocks of the columns, yet somehow the yawning void of the emptiness seems more terrifying. More difficult because it’s a less friendly environment.
Years ago, engineer supreme Mark Rober had a Ted Talk about using Super Mario as an educational tool.
https://youtu.be/9vJRopau0g0?si=SrITiXol5EoQKLIe
Education can be terrifying. Like basic necessities failure in school can be a competition for resources. There’s a lot of focus on something called grades, where your parents will judge you for your success or failure based on those. Your friends, those tinier humans around you some of which you relate to will also be looking.
Your world can end up looking like the right side of the Mario screenshot. Devoid of comfort, risk of failure. Well at least you have the reset button and/or a friendly message that you can click a button and try again.
The masters of gematria have the art of the participation award down to perfection. From late in Rober’s video there’s this cartoon:
Rober’s point is that you can think your plan is smooth sailing. You might have a small incline to pedal your bike up, but the path to the flag is clear. Your brain associates the emptiness of obstacles with a prize, like a beautiful princess instead of a terrifying world with missing blocks and no clouds. And then reality smacks you in the face with traps, pitfalls, and endless problems. Note that there’s no big and bold checkered flag at the end. As you master getting beyond a single trap there’s a reward for having conquered a part of the big picture. Then a different skill is needed to pass the next hurdle. Another reward. And another skill and reward.
You’re learning. You’re being educated.
For an explanation of how gematria operates, take the Your Plan and Reality cartoon and flip the pictures.
People who have an inclination to not continue learning are being told that they can figure out a magic code. Your reality is smooth sailing once you figure out the magic code. Figure out that magic code and you’ll get the princess, and of course a boatload of cash for betting on who wins the MLB All Star game coming up soon. The reality IS smooth sailing. The education stops early, once you learn that being wrong is allowed to be ignored. What you chose 33 to be equal to today is the right choice, even though it’s so vague it could mean so many more and different things. There’s no actual skill involved, breaking anything resembling a rule is encouraged to make the magic code as easy to learn as possible. There’s no need for a reset button. That is as long as you keep donating to the leader’s Patreon and give him free advertisement on the internet.
The new bottom half of the picture is equally dangerous. Your plan is to paint the world to be as stupendously convoluted and bizarre as possible. The more bizarre the better. The more baseless the conspiracy is the bigger the illusionary prize is at the end. You can help stop the pizza shop pedophiles. You can stop the Deep State. You can stop the Jesuits. You can prevent the marginalized people from replacing patriot’s jobs. If you just keep repainting the plan as more and more difficult when even the tiniest actual reward flag is missing.
Super Mario Bros. has a defined start and end. All successful games do. Things start off as basic and easy while you learn. You defeat the level bosses and get to more difficult challenges. And if you’re good enough, and maybe get some tips from a real friend who doesn’t want your money you can win the Princess’s admiration. Not So Super Mario has no end to the game. Success is measured by what new and unnecessary challenges you create to rationalize the fictional Bowser’s within your head, because that’s better than the just the top blocks of the columns with no clouds or turtles to jump on.
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