War games, business simulations, fantasy feeder games and the like are all models. Models are fantasies we create about people and places as we’d like them to be. Advertisements are models. Marketing is one big model. Political hackphrases are models. They primarily attempt to put flesh on the dry bones of the greatness we aspire to. That is one manifestation of the human condition.

People who have realistic expectations of what the outcomes of their decisions might be also indulge in modelling. Conducting endless “war games” in the hope of discovering a glimpse of what lies ahead can certainly be useful. It can and has yielded positive insights into what might lie in the “unknown unknowns” and help chart a workable way forward. How to posture in what positions to choose, for example.

Do you conduct “war games” to help guide future decisions? Careful. The exercise can yield reasonable forecasts or cause fantastic foibles. Keep your head in the game!