3 Life Lessons I Learned from The Monopoly Board Game

We’ve all played Monopoly.

We’ve all been there. The cheating. The family arguments. The secret bank heists.

Regardless, it’s always great fun, and one thing that can go under the radar is how relevant a game of Monopoly can be for the real world.

Today, I’m going to be sharing with you 3 life lessons you can take from playing the Monopoly board game.

A game known for improving the relationships of family members across the globe… not.

Ownership is Paramount

It’s the one major rule of Monopoly, and it’s why I was the champion for years in my family.

You cannot win a game of Monopoly without ownership.

I was always the one trying to get sneaky deals off of family members.

They’d laugh at me for doing it, but I’d eventually have my way, and it’s these deals which would end up helping me win the game.

I remember my Mum’s tactic would be to not buy anything, hold onto a lot of cash, and go round hoping the other players (me, my Dad and my Brother) would end up bankrupting each other.

At the same time, the three of us were constantly talking up trade deals and negotiations, which would result in us owning most of the board.

She’d never win, but it’s the taking part that counts, right? Right?!

Monopoly is about ownership and control, but to do this, you’ve got to spend money to make more of it back.

• You need to buy properties.

• You then need houses.

• Then hotels.

Only when you’ve bought all of this does the money start to really come in.

So it’s also about risk.

If you don’t take risks, you don’t win the game, and the same can be said in the real world too.

In life, ownership really is paramount.

It doesn’t matter what it is. Home, car, anything.

Build equity in things each month. Your future self will thank you for it.

The Wealth Gap Only Gets Bigger

At the beginning of every game, every player always starts with the same amount of money.

This means that at the beginning of the game, there is no wealth gap.

A game of Monopoly is meant to end when one person has everything (normally the person in charge of the bank!) whilst everyone else has nothing, or has gone bankrupt.

This means that the game ends when the wealth gap is at it’s biggest.

During the game, the wealth gap gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

As the players who begin to buy property start to take money off of other players, the power soon shifts into their hands.

The acknowledgement of this wealth game doesn’t only exist in Monopoly.

It’s in the real world too, and the gap between the rich and the poor has never been bigger.

One of the main reasons for this, is our monetary system.

Central banks like the Federal Reserve, and Bank of England, can print as much money as they want, much like the bank in Monopoly.

Those who know how to play the game benefit, by investing and owning assets.

Those who don’t keep their money which is continuing to lose value.

As a result, the wealth gap continues to widen, and it will only continue to widen.

When will it stop?

When those in charge have everything, and those who aren’t, have nothing.

Sound familiar? Oh yes, Monopoly.

Relationships Are Crucial for Success

Just picture it.

You’ve got two of a set. Greens. Yellows. Oranges. It doesn’t matter.

All you need is the final property, and you’ve got a full set.

All of a sudden, your Dad lands on it and decides to buy it.

You need the final property in order to stand a chance of winning the game.

But, you’ve already annoyed your Dad so much during the game, to the point where he refuses to do business with you, no matter how good of an offer you make him.

You’re never getting the full suit.

Your game is ruined.

You lose.

See the significance?

I’m clearly referring to the game here, but if you had a better business relationship with the owner of the property you needed, you’d have a much better chance of negotiating a deal.

Better relationships = better chance of winning.

And it’s the same with the real world too.

There’s a great amount of power in knowing people who owe you one.

Your network is your net worth, and it’s a huge part of success, not just in Monopoly, but in real life too.

Who you know can be pivotal in success, and healthy relationships with powerful people can do wonders for you.

Much like winning a game of Monopoly, good relationships can help you win the game of life, too.

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