The Ultimate Lesson in Philosophy

Call me crazy, but I have found one of the greatest life lessons in a computer game.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of the game Assassin’s Creed. It’s people in the modern-day reliving the memories of their super cool assassin ninja ancestors through a machine called the Animus.

I was crazy about Assassin’s Creed. The “creed” or motto of the Assassin Order in the games makes sense in the real world and is perhaps one of the wisest lessons in philosophy for me. Their creed is:

“Laa shay’a waqi’un mutlaq bale kouloun moumkin.”

Or, “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”

In the words of Ezio Auditore, the protagonist of some games, “To say nothing is true is to understand that the foundations of the society are fragile and we are the shepherds of our civilization. To say everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.”

Let’s examine this:

The first part of the creed, “Nothing is true” says that we live in an imperfect world, which is full of flaws and irregularities; and that the social construct we have come up with over thousands of years, is fragile. All of it could go away instantly. It says that we created the world for us. It is up to us to decide where the world is going and where the future of human civilization lies. We guide ourselves towards a better tomorrow. All of it rests on our shoulders. One wrong move and all of it could go away.

The second part of the creed, “Everything is permitted” is more relatable. It asks us to be free, but wise. It asks us to take responsibility for our actions and live with their consequences. Shifting blames and running from your mistakes doesn’t work in the real world. You cannot evade your demons. You have to deal with them. So, know of your decisions and the repercussions they might have on you and those around you.

On first look, the creed seems very cynical, and it is, but if you look past the make-believe video game stuff, it is rather interesting.

The original phrase came from the book Alamut by the author Vladimir Bartol, who might have taken inspiration for this phrase from the works of Nietzsche.

That explains why it’s such a good lesson in self-realization.

So, the takeaway from today’s lesson is: Our reality is made-up and fragile. And we always get what we deserve.

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