Week 9: The Game

Dear all,

We can play with words as much as we want. We can redefine, excuse, and explain. We can see the light and feel the cold darkness. Yet, the events unfolding around the world continuously remind us of the brutal, non-linear nature of space and time. The theory of linear evolutionary development has been discarded. What remains is unpredictability, non-linear game theories—or simply, the Game.

What are the main drivers? Who are the key players? Where are the centers of gravity, spinning our reality—not around its core anymore, but rather at the margins? A marginal game world. A casino. Winning against the “house” is as much a mathematical endeavor as it is a philosophical one. Once you're in, it's hard to stop.

Now, there are many games at the table: geopolitical games, economic games, tariff games, cultural games, sustainability (CSRD) games, democracy games, and, of course, war games. It’s the entertainment factor that makes the difference. All players understand this. More aggressive bets tend to be riskier, yet everyone knows that the rewards can be substantial—just as the fall can be. That is the nature of the Game.

Non-linear games don’t follow traditional logic. Apparent winners may turn out to be the biggest losers—only to cash out as winners two weeks later. No, it doesn’t make sense, and that’s the entire point of the Game. Lies become truths, and truths become lies. Virtue turns into vice, and vice into virtue. Just when you've learned the rules, they change—but the game remains the same. You need to see with your eyes closed on this one.

The sustainability game, no matter how dull and toothless it may seem at first glance, is drawing far more high-stakes players than you might expect. Out of more than 500 CFOs surveyed, 92% say they will increase their investments in sustainability, with more than half planning significant increases.