The Shameless Things Squid Games Teaches Us About Survival

I’m conflicted because I just finished watching the Netflix show Squid Game.

I’m trying to decide if it’s “good”?

For example, is it good enough to recommend to a friend?

My Answer IS: It depends on the friend…

For some sick-minded friends, it’s a definite YES.

For those with weaker stomachs, I caution them…

I will say, it’s DEFINITELY got a shock factor.

But as far as deep character development, and overall dialog, well… it’s hokey as hell.

But there are some survival lessons we can learn from this psychological mind-bender.

And that’s what I want to share with you today.

SPOILER ALERT: Lots of spoilers throughout this article.

You’ve been warned.

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NOTE: Here’s my recent video reviewing the Squid Game survival lessons.

↓ 11 Squid Game Survival Lessons

1. The More Fragile You Are, The fewer Options You Have

It’s hard to imagine ever being in such an insane situation as playing child games with “Elimination” (a.k.a Death) as the cost of loss.

It’s demented.

It has a stupid “risk vs reward” proposition, it’s easy to assume NO ONE would choose this in Real Life.

But some folks put themselves in terrible REAL-LIFE situations ALL THE TIME.

For example, the more debt you have, the more fragile you are to future turmoil.

Owning others undermines your financial resiliency, and if you owe the wrong person (such as the mob), you could pay with your life.

The bottom line is:

By living a resilient life, you have more options.

And can avoid situations where you’re forced to make such insane sacrifices.

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2. Keep Your Mind Flexible, Be Ready To Adjust Quickly To New Information

When everyone gets shot in the Red Light, Green Light game, about half of the players start running away.

Fear grabs hold, and they bolt.

But moving during a Red Light is the thing that gets you killed.

Your instincts may be shouting “RUN” in certain survival situations, but that may be the worst choice.

For example:

running may not be the wisest choice in an active shooter situation.

By running, you may become more of a target.

Why? Because the movement may attract the attention of the shooter more than someone hunkering down.

The point is:

You must remain flexible, control your initial emotions, and try to think and process new information quickly.

Often, it’s better to do that opposite of what everyone else is doing.

3. Under Extreme Pressure, Your Best Friends Turn Into Enemies

As humans, we like to “think” we’ll always take the moral high road, even in the most extreme situations.

But the truth is, if you’re ever in a true “me vs. them” survival situation, trust can be tough to come by.

Hopefully, you can trust close family members.

But close friends may not be as close as you think IF they realize you both cannot survive…

For example:

In the Squid game, before the marble game, the players were told to team up (without knowing beforehand what the game would be).

So naturally, players choose a partner who they trust.

One team was made up of a husband and wife.

And another was made up of a younger player and an older man who had created a bond.

Once the game started, they realized only 1 could win; the other got “Eliminated.”

This game created the ultimate “you vs. your friend (or lover)” choice.

Yeah, it’s pretty messed up.

4. Never Underestimate Human Capacity For Evil

While it’s easy to assume Squid Game is so far from reality that it could never happen, Human history is filled with equally awful tragedies.

Genocide, War, Human Trafficking, Child Abuse…

How are these human activities on a different scale than Squid Game?

They’re not, and worst yet, they’re not a movie; they happen in our sick world.

Humans’ beings as a “moral species” are broken, and we do horrendous acts to each other for nothing more than money, power, and pleasure.

How is that less grotesque than Squid Game?

It’s sad and sick.

And Squid Game is a bit like looking in the mirror.

5. Never Give Up, Even If The Odds Seem Impossible

There are several games throughout the Squid Game where the odds seem impossible for the protagonist to survive.

But he never gives up.

For example:

He discovers that licking the fragile honeycomb helps remove the umbrella shape without breaking it.

He didn’t give up; instead, he kept working and thinking and trying – and figured out how to survive.

He blocked out all the assassinations going on around him and figured out a way to survive.

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6. Having The Proper Tools Can Make All The Difference

Again, in the same honeycomb shape removal game, one of the players had snuck in a needle and lighter.

These tools allowed her to heat the needle and use it to melt the shape out.

This was a huge advantage and allowed her to survive into the next round.

Having the right tool for the job is a significant advantage in ALL projects, especially in survival situations.

7. The Higher Your Morals, The More Serious You Should Take Preparedness

This lesson may be hard for some to hear, but having a high moral standard is not resilient.

It’s the opposite.

It limits your options in a survival situation.

Without ethics or remorse, you’re “free” to do as you wish, kill, rape, cheat, steal, etc.

A psychopath who takes what they want in a lawless world will rule. Just watch “The Walking Dead” for an example of this.

In the Squid Game, a few unethical players make it far into the game by using others for their gain.

And those with higher morals… tend to get eliminated along the way.

The only way to combat this reality in real life is to focus on being more prepared.

The more resources, tools, and skills you have, the more resilient you are.

So, you must be more prepared to avoid the worst moral compromises.

As a Christian, I’ve come to grips with this reality.

I believe there’s more to life than just living.

If you believe in a higher power or just morals in general, then jeopardizing these morals to survive is not worth it.

But the lesson here is:

The more moral you are, the more prepared you should get now – before your morals are really tested.

8. Dumb Luck Plays a Bigger Role In Survival Than Most People Think

In the Squid Game, I was reminded that the protagonist must choose between going first or last.

You see, the players don’t know what the game is at thing point…

But are forced to choose a number between 1 and 16 (only 16 players left).

The protagonist was about to choose 1, thinking:

“It’s best to go first because the games have all been timed, and more time might be a significant advantage.”

But then he thinks:

“Perhaps, I should go last and learn from others.”

In the end, someone else steps forward and asks for number 1, and our protagonist gets 16.

Well, in this game, going first is essentially certain death.

And going last is the better choice.

But it’s just dumb luck.

Without knowing what the game will be, it’s a random crapshoot.

And nobody knows what the next major worldwide crisis will be.

So, it’s a bit of dumb luck if you focus your time and energy on preparing for one event.

Instead, focus on making yourself a more resilient person across the board.

That way, you’ll be prepared for whatever the future holds.

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9. A Weaker Group Working Together Can Over Come A Stronger Dysfunctional Group

In the tug of war game, the weaker team overcame a stronger team, using a better plan of attack and better coordination.

The stronger team assumed more strength was all they needed and overestimated their own abilities.

They were pulled from the ledged and dropped to their death.

The idea behind this happens ALL the time in life – especially in sports.

So, if you’re a part of a survival coalition, it’s best to be BOTH skillful and coordinated.

You need everyone to pull their own weight and to be honest and trustworthy.

I’d rather join a team of folks who are honest and caring, and trustworthy.

Instead of a group of egomaniacs who are big and strong.

10. Think About The Rules Carefully; Make Sure You’re Not Making Unnecessary Assumptions

Sometimes, we make assumptions about the rules that are not there, to begin with.

This lesson comes from the one-on-one marble game.

You see, the rules of the game are simple:

“In this game, using your set of ten marbles, you will play the game of your choice with your partner.

“The player who manages to take all ten marbles from their partner wins.”

LadyAnne, a Squid Game enthusiast, posted on TikTok:

“The rules said you must take your partner’s marbles, but it didn’t stipulate that you must have all 20 marbles.”

IF two players each start with ten marbles, and then throughout the game, take and give, back and forth, then each player will be able to take ten marbles from each opponent by the end of the game, which means they both “technically” stay alive.”

But unfortunately, the players in the Squid Game never realize this “technicality,” and someone ends up necessarily “Eliminated.”

Too bad.

But it just goes to show that you must fully understand the game’s rules, and perhaps you’ll figure out a better way to survive.

11. Being Terrible At Math Can Be A Major Disadvantage

Here’s the deal:

I think anyone who decided to play Squid Game are like folks who regularly play the Lottery.

Now, of course, this is an absurd comparison.

Losing a few dollars in the lotto is not even in the same lead of risk as “permanent elimination,”

But the MATH is somewhat similar….

In most statewide lottery games and Squid Game, one person can win, and everyone else loses.

So, the odds of winning in the Squid Game or the Lottery is astronomically low.

Your odds are better in the Squid Game than statewide lotto games.

For example:

Your odds of winning the Squid Game (not taking skill, strength, etc., into consideration) are: 1 in 456

0.219%

And the odds of winning the Power Ball recently was 1 in 292 MILLION:

0.000000000342%

I’ve heard it said,

“The Lottery Is A Tax On Those Who Are Bad At Math.”

If you’re looking purely at the math, it’s true.

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Final Thoughts

No matter what I’m watching or reading, I always look for life lessons.

And the Squid Game is full of them IF you know what you’re looking for.

If you haven’t yet watched the Squid Game, well, now you must decide if it’s worth it to you.

But keep an eye out for all these survival lessons.

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