8 lessons we can learn from Squid Game

Spoiler alert: read at your own risk!

Learn the value of money

The most simple and frequent advice you will ever obtain is to acquire good financial habits. In fact, it is so overstated that a majority of people do not follow it. Take the contestants of Squid Game for example. They clearly did not have the discipline nor sacrifice in their life to overcome or even prevent the debt they were in. However, some individuals, were in debt because they had no choice but to be because of how terrible circumstances may have been for them.

Learn that gambling is a risk

Squid Game explains that there are no quick fixes in life or “get rich fast” schemes. As with anything worth having, financial wealth is acquired through patience and diligence. You need to go through this process in order to grow. Therefore, the horse race gambling addiction of one contestant and risky investments that were made with client money by another contestant truly were not justified. 

Learn to protect your finances

If you watched Squid Game then you must recall that scene where a contestant steals their mother’s bank card to make some withdrawals. They were successful in doing so because they knew the PIN number. Protect yourself from these scenarios by creating a PIN that no one can guess and of course, keep it to yourself only. 

Learn to spend your money on things that you need not want. 

It is so important to spend your money wisely and that comes with the right knowledge and confidence to be able to do the most with your cash. Regardless of how large or small, your income is, there is no harm in developing good habits to prevent overspending. This way you will pave the gates to more opportunities by saving and allowing your wealth to grow. 

Learn to understand the value of insurance

In one episode of Squid Game, Seong Gi-hun’s mother is unsuccessful in obtaining the medical help she needed. This was because her son had cancelled her health insurance in order to profit from the money. It is important to understand how crucial it is to protect yourself and your loved ones from all the possible happenings that may come your way. I understand it is difficult to even begin imagining the worst-case scenarios but it is important to ensure you have that level of protection and can walk securely towards your future. 

Learn to seek support when you need it 

There are many characters in Squid Game who are in denial about their financial crisis such that they end up creating even more debt for themselves. I can understand that it may be difficult or embarrassing to speak of your financial hardships with others but there is no shame in asking for help. You should feel confident in your approach to find a way out and hopefully along the way you will meet the right people that will help you reach a better conclusion. 

Learn to understand who you can trust

Ali was killed in the Marbles game because he trusted his “friend” who had done so much for him in the past (i.e. buy him a ticket, give him advice for games, be by his side etc.). Ali was somewhat trapped in the sunk cost fallacy; he could not stop himself from trusting his friend because of the time and energy he had put into their friendship. However, I would argue that all of these favours did not put Ali in so much debt that he’d need to give up his life. 

Ali was gullible and naive when he trusted his friend. Often in life, we’d like to assume the best of others and while this is an amazing outlook on life, it is crucial to ensure you have your boundaries protected to prevent harm to yourself. You know yourself best. Always ensure to engage with those that you know will have your back and if this is not the case, then feel free to walk away from any situation that deprives you of your peace! Someone once said to me, “you’re so mean” when I tried to set boundaries in a polite way. To that, I responded with, “That was not my intention, but it is okay to come off as  ‘mean’ in order for me to be nice to myself.” 

Learn to have patience. 

After that cliffhanger of an ending, I am so ready to see what season 2 has in store. Who else can agree?