Jenga: A Metaphor for Life's Challenges
Balancing Growth and Stability in Everyday Life
This is the humble story of a tower designed to reach an impressive 54 stories. However, there was a catch — local regulators imposed a limit that would crash the tower should anyone try to reach that lofty height. Nevertheless, one builder devised a strategy to outwit the naysayers. With each new floor added to the top, she simultaneously removed a lower floor. You may be thinking this is a case study from the Columbia University School of Architecture?
Not even close.
Metaphorically speaking, the anecdote bears more than a striking resemblance to the famous board game created by Afro-British game designer Leslie Scott. Jenga was inspired by a family pastime using wooden stacking blocks. She gave it the Swahili name “Jenga,” meaning “to build,” before selling the American rights early on, missing out on potential royalties. However, her fame continues to build as Hasbro, the U.S. distributor, has sold an astounding 80 million copies worldwide.
Whether you view Jenga as a simple children’s game or a lesson in navigating challenges, it has a few valuable insights that are worth noting.
Shedding Outdated Layers
Jenga teaches us to remove outdated layers that no longer serve a purpose. We do this every time we let go of relationships, jobs, move from an old neighborhood that isn’t working for us anymore, or shed obsolete ways of thinking. Like Jenga, we have to build onto the top as we remove from the bottom.
Embracing Moderation
A myth surrounds height restrictions in Washington, D.C. Some believe these limitations were implemented to preserve the visibility of iconic landmarks such as the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. In reality, they were practical measures. The 1899 U.S. Congress Height of Buildings Act aimed to ensure firefighting equipment could reach the top floors of buildings, prioritizing lives over monuments. In Jenga and in our own lives, we must strive for growth while respecting mortal limitations. The lesson is not to build higher than we can put out a fire.
Humbling Lessons
As the metaphorical tower rises to a great height, it inevitably encounters instability. In the same way, we find ourselves overwhelmed by taking on too much responsibility or becoming overly committed to a project. The allure of growth fades as our concentration frays and we begin to buckle under mounting pressure. Just as the builder carefully selects where to place each new floor, we too must navigate this delicate balance by looking at which way the stack is tilting.
Restoring Balance
When we disregard the importance of personal equilibrium it can lead to the collapse of the structure. The more common name is failure. However, instead of internalizing failure, we should embrace it. When our lives topple over, it serves as a gentle reminder that we may have reached too high or found ourselves leaning on a foundation that did not support our needs.
Order out of Chaos
Success lies in crafting the right strategy for the right time in our lives. As the tower of success becomes increasingly precarious, the true test lies in our ability to restore balance, as advised by the ancient Greeks: “Ordo ab Chao” or order out of chaos. Embracing calculated risks, shedding outdated layers, and constructing our lives with a blend of ambition and caution are key.
Let’s remember, with each added floor, our tower is defying gravity.
Soaring to New Heights
Whether we perceive Jenga as a simple game or a reflection of our life, it teaches us that progress relies on nuanced steps and occasional leaps of faith, supported by the stability of an underlying structure. This can be a family, a fulfilling job, or finding purpose. It is that stability that instills confidence to take the giant steps that propel us into the stratosphere of success.
PS In the 1980s, a Jenga player once set a world record by constructing a towering structure that reached an astonishing 40 levels. His tower toppled just one block shy of the 41st. Most of us give up long before they realize how much further we can go.
