Unexpected Philosophy in Animal Crossing
I think Animal Crossing is the perfect scenario to have philosophical conversations. I don't know what it is, but there is something about an animal wearing a cute little sweater and walking around an island doing nothing that prompts philosophical contemplation.
Maybe it's the similarity to what we know about the ancient Greek lifestyle, or at least what we think we know about it. Or maybe it's the estrangement from ordinary life that a place like the virtual world offers. But, undoubtedly, Animal Crossing stimulates all sorts of uncanny and involuntarily wise conversations.
The characters don't have jobs or pressing responsibilities, and just like our unemployed friends or cousins, they have a lot of time to think about transcendent matters. Also, when you're talking to somebody else through a character, you tend to be a lot more uninhibited and even witty, so the format sure helps.
The contrast between the scale of their observations, their bluntness, and the cuteness of the animals' appearances will forever be funny to me. Someone will tell you something that sounds like it's been taken straight out of a Shakespeare novel and then ask you to bring them three pieces of fruit; it cracks me up every time.
Animal Crossing is like a constant Sunday. You spend the entire day rearranging flowers and talking to neighbours, and that seems to be a valid lifestyle around there. I love it, and I wish real life were a little more like that. They said we should dream big, right?
Each villager has their own personality and quirks, just like humans and Sims do. They can be ridiculous at one moment and surprisingly insightful a couple of seconds after.
I literally remember more Animal Crossing dialogue than phrases my friends have told me in real life, but maybe that's just because I'm crazy and I love the game. This particular weekend, I'm trying my best to go out and not stay in playing video games the entire time because it's clearly no good for me; we'll see how that goes.
I'm hoping that if a cartoon duck can make you reconsider your relationship with time, a real person can say something as insightful in a random bar on a Saturday. At least I have to go out in the sun for a while; this excessive computer usage is driving me crazy.
My screen time is through the roof lately, so even though I remember Animal Crossing very fondly, I cannot play it right now. I'm definitely going to play it when I deserve a virtual treat, but I swear I don't deserve it right now. I deserve to touch grass, and I know that is not a bad thing. It's just that I've gotten used to staying inside.
After all, I'm not an Animal Crossing character; I have pressing responsibilities and human needs to take care of. I can't spend my days rearranging virtual flowers and talking to strange creatures even though I want to.
Oh, how I miss you, Animal Crossing!
