Beast Games

"Show me the incentive, and I'll tell you the outcome." The more I think about this statement, the more I realize how true it is. Or said this way: follow the money. This explains and predicts behavior.

When incentives are pure, people act with integrity. But when the rewards encourage short-term thinking, selfishness, or betrayal, that's exactly the kind of behavior you can expect.

And that’s why Beast Games is the perfect case study of our society.

The Price of Victory

A thousand contestants enter the game, promising to work together, but they know the truth—only one will walk away with the $5 million prize. Despite alliances and friendships, betrayal is inevitable because the game itself incentivizes deception.

Some say it’s harmless entertainment. But is it really? Or is it a sad indictment of our society?

Our entertainment choices reveal a lot about us. What we consume shapes how we think, and how we think shapes how we live. But these choices are also driven by our appetites.

Artists as Philosophers

Artists are entertaining and philosophers are boring. However, I once heard that artists are a society’s common-man philosophers. Their music, films, and creative works resonate because they capture something real about the culture. Sometimes, an artist simply "gives the people what they want." Other times, they hold up a mirror to what already exists.

Take Jordan Peterson, for example. He can deliver a brilliant, 15-minute lecture full of complex vocabulary. Yet, one simple line in a song can sometimes communicate the same idea in a way anyone can grasp.

So, what does Beast Games reveal about us?

A Society Conditioned for Betrayal

At its core, Beast Games is about survival. The underlying message is: stab them in the back before they stab you. Players aren’t just competing for money; they’re being conditioned to think, If I don’t betray them, they’ll betray me.

Viewers at home can’t help but put themselves in the game. What would I do? Who would I trick? How would I play them before they play me?

It seems harmless. But the truth is, what we think about matters. Our thoughts shape our everyday decisions. When millions of people find this entertaining, it should set off alarm bells.

Amazon didn’t give Mr. Beast $100 million because they thought it was just a fun idea. They knew it would make them even more money. And Mr. Beast himself invested an extra $15 million, confident that this game would resonate with people.

Why? Because they understand human nature.

The Love of Many Will Grow Cold

This isn’t just a reality show—it’s a reflection of real life. Many of us are tragically living that game already. And to make it worse, we don't even know what ultimate prize we are even fighting and clawing for.

Satan works the same way. He incentivizes short-term thinking. He convinces people to trade honesty, integrity and virtue for something immediate. We become so infatuated with it that we think betrayal is worth it.

It happened to Esau when he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. It happens in relationships when people trade commitment for momentary pleasure (Can anyone say divorce and out-of-wedlock births?). It happens in business when ethics take a backseat to profit. It happened to Judas.

Proverbs 1:10 warns: "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent."

In a world where deception is rewarded, it’s easy to justify dishonesty. People convince themselves, I have to do this—for my family, for my future. But what happens when everyone thinks this way? Society turns into anarchy and tyranny, where trust is a liability and selfishness is the norm.

Beast Games isn’t just a competition. It’s a glimpse into a world where people sacrifice each other for incentives.

And we wonder why there is a mental health crisis.

The way out is having the courage to choose differently. Yes, there is a risk others will mistake kindness for weakness. But the alternative is biting and devouring one another until things become even more unraveled.

Remember the ancient Romans used to entertain themselves with Gladiator fights? What did that entertainment reveal about their culture? No wonder they didn't like Jesus and his disciples. Are we any different?