Peeter Koppel: play foolish games, win foolish prizes

Columnist Peeter Koppel analyses why many things have gone wrong in Estonian society and what needs to change. Koppel examines the relationship between incentives and consequences in everyday life.

Columnist Peeter Koppel poses a sharp question to readers: why are so many things amiss in our society and what could be done about it? According to Koppel, the answers often lie in what games we play—or what behavioural patterns we consciously or unconsciously choose.

An old saying goes: if you play foolish games, you win foolish prizes. Koppel applies this principle more broadly: society as a whole gets exactly what its choices and structures actually reward. If the system rewards short-term gain and punishes long-term thinking, it is no wonder that the results leave much to be desired.

The columnist draws attention to the fact that solving problems begins with honest analysis—we must acknowledge what incentives actually work and whether they lead us in the desired direction. Instead of looking for culprits, according to Koppel, we should ask what kind of system produces such results.

In Koppel's view, change is possible, but it requires both individual and collective responsibility. Stopping foolish games means changing the rules that determine what counts as success and what does not.