When I said I was “addicted” to The Sims, I didn’t mean that I play The Sims 3 every single day (although it’s close) and I definitely don’t stay up all night with it or The Sims 2. However, I do spend a decent amount of time playing and building “lots”. I love to create homes in both games and I’ve “designed” a couple of business lots for The Sims 2 “Best of Business” because I took Architectural Drafting in college.
In addition to letting me “design” and “build” things, The Sims 2 and 3 have taught me several things. Some of them are “life lessons” that anyone can use and others lessons are about me as a person and/or game player. Below, I’ll give you some examples:
Life Lessons
- Always take time to make friends and socialize with people. — Even if you’re a shy, quiet person like me, you need friends and can be social without breaking your comfort zone.
- Wash your dishes as soon after you dirty them as possible. — This may seem like a “well, duh” sort of observation to some people, but I’m the type of person who used to let her dishes stack up. Washing them ASAP makes it an easier task plus you don’t wind up with some science experiment growing in your sink.
- Make time to have fun. — If a Sim doesn’t have any fun during the day, he or she will be in a very bad mood. The same is usually true for real people. Plus, having fun of some type does relieve stress.
- Get out of the house! – Even the Sims who “Hate the Outdoors” still want to go shopping or to a ballgame or something. I used to be such an outdoor person that television and later computers were ignored unless it was dark or raining outside. If you suffer from agoraphobia, at least try to look out your window or stand in an open doorway.
- For everything you buy, give away or sell something similar! — A Sim is only allowed a certain number of outfits including what he or she wears to work. In addition to that, they are taxed on how much they own. Therefore, I’ve learned to delete extra clothes and sell other items. It makes sense to give away or sell extra possessions in real life, too!
- Save up for big purchases. — A Sim doesn’t have a credit card and unless you use a cheat code, they will have to save up for major purchases. That’s a good idea for the rest of us, too. Don’t bury yourself in debt like yours truly has.
- Don’t always buy the cheapest product available. — Now having said, “Save up for big purchases”, I will also add that you can save up an extra $50-$200 to purchase at least a mid-priced object such as a computer. In The Sims, the cheapest objects need repaired much more often or, in the case of cook stoves, catch on fire more easily. I know for a fact that the low priced items in the real world will need repaired more often or maybe even replaced!
Personal Lessons
- Having mentioned “fire”, I will now tell you that I’m afraid of it! I can’t even stand to see my Sims fight fires on a game. Therefore, I would most likely be terrified by a real house fire!
- It’s okay for me to change my mind from time to time! In The Sims 3, you can change a Sim’s “promised” wishes whenever you see a better one. You can even change their “Goal In Life” after they’ve earned enough Lifetime Reward points. So, why not change my own wishes or even my life goal?
- I am a very softhearted person that goes out of her way to not hurt people or animals! Well, I already knew that, but I can’t even bring myself to purposely hurt or imprison a Sim! Some people will remove a Sim’s doors to watch him or her go crazy or, worse yet, remove a swimming pool ladder. I can’t do even the first one and still continue to play!
Well, I guess that’s enough for now. I’ll tell you more about what we can learn from The Sims as I think of them.
Until later,
T. J. Pinkston
