Lessons from Magic the Gathering

Today I decided to take a step back and talk about games from the point of view of a player. Recently I have been reading a lot about games that teach about specific subjects and this brought me to think about what I have learned during my life by playing the game I played the most: Magic the Gathering. So, without further ado, these are 3 life lessons from Magic.

1. The Right Decision is Independent from the Consequences

In MTG, players constantly make choices based on limited information. Sometimes, things don’t turn out as planned—your carefully constructed strategy might falter due to an unexpected card or a shift in the opponent’s moves. However, that doesn’t make your initial decision wrong. The right decision is one made with the best available knowledge at the time, even if the result is unfavorable. In life, it’s important to separate decision-making from outcome—what happens after doesn't always reflect the soundness of the choice.

Life Lesson: The right decision is independent of its consequences. Just because the outcome wasn’t favorable doesn’t mean the decision was wrong. Make decisions with confidence based on what you know at the time.

2. Be Optimistic 

MTG can often put players in tough situations, sometimes making victory seem out of reach. But optimism can be a game-changer. It’s not just about maintaining a positive attitude—it’s about engaging your mind to discover new ways to win. Optimism helps you see creative paths and possibilities that others might miss when feeling defeated. In life, optimism encourages you to look beyond setbacks and find solutions even in the face of adversity.

Life Lesson: Optimism fuels creativity. By staying optimistic, you allow your brain to find opportunities and envision paths to success, even in challenging situations.

3. Learn from Failure

No one wins every game of MTG, and that’s okay. Every loss provides valuable lessons. When a strategy fails, it’s not the end—it’s an opportunity to reflect, reassess, and improve. In MTG, learning from failure means tweaking your deck, adjusting your gameplay, and coming back stronger. The same applies to life: failures are inevitable, but they are also our greatest teachers. Embrace them as stepping stones toward personal growth and success. This is true for most games, but MTG has so much randomness that it’s easy to blame luck for your losses. For this reason, I think improving in Magic requires a lot more analysis and a conscious effort, improving your ability to criticize yourself when it’s necessary.

Life Lesson: Failure is a valuable teacher. Each mistake is a chance to learn, grow, and come back stronger. Reflect on what went wrong, and use those lessons to refine your approach.

Ciao!

That’s all for today, hope you enjoyed this article. See you next week!