Finite and infinite games
I'm on Team Infinite Games, worth reading if the notion doesn't make intuitive sense to you. A book with one simple (but important!) idea repeated several times.
James P. Carse distinguishes between two fundamental modes of human activity: finite games, which are played to win and have clear boundaries, and infinite games, which are played to continue the play itself. Finite games are the familiar contests of business, politics, and sports, defined by rules, winners, and losers. Infinite games, by contrast, are unscripted and unpredictable, serving as the source of true freedom and creativity. Carse argues that while finite games are necessary for structure, infinite games are essential for a meaningful life, allowing for surprise, change, and the expansion of possibilities.
Description adapted from Open Library ↗.