E38 - Zen, Identity & The Game of Childhood

E38 - Zen, Identity & The Game of Childhood

From The Game of Zen by Scott Berman and Paul Agostinelli

April 3, 2026 · 37 min · Season 1 · Episode 39

About this episode

Scott and Paul explore Zen as the 'Master Game' and its impact on identity and childhood experiences.

In this episode, Scott and Paul pivot to a new series: The Games of Life. They explore why Zen is the 'Master Game' that prevents us from taking social rules too seriously. By deconstructing the Game of Childhood and the Game of Education , they reveal how our earliest 'characters' are built and how Zen practice helps us question the identities we've carried since the playground." Detailed Episode Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & The Philly-Boulder Connection Scott and Paul check in from their respective coasts, discussing the seasonal shift as Paul prepares for the Spring Equinox retreat in Boulder’s uncharacteristically warm 80-degree weather. 01:15 – March Madness & Rooting Interests A brief detour into college hoops where Paul puts his money on Rick Pitino and St. John’s , while Scott sticks to his roots with the UConn men’s and women’s powerhouse programs. 02:10 – Defining the "Master Game" of Zen The hosts introduce a new series structure: viewing life as a collection of "games" (business, success, romance) and using Zen as the Master Game that makes all other social games more fluid and less "brutal." 03:45 – The Game of Childhood: Initial Rule Sets The…

People in this episode

Hosts: Scott Berman, Paul Agostinelli

Topics covered

  • Zen
  • Identity
  • Game of Childhood
  • Game of Education
  • Social Rules
  • Self-Discovery

Keywords

  • Zen
  • identity
  • Game of Childhood
  • Game of Education
  • self-discovery
  • social rules
  • Dungeons & Dragons

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: St. John’s, UConn

Books & works: Dungeons & Dragons

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