Who, when and why invented the game "Stone, scissors, paper"

Can't decide what to choose? Need to determine who is washing the dishes today? Fight for who will take out the trash first? All these disputes can be easily resolved using the ancient Chinese decision-making method. Right: rock, paper, scissors. Some people remember her as "Tsu-e-fa", which literally translates as "please start." The origins of this trouble-free way out of controversial situations can be traced in China around 200 BC. The game has evolved over the years, but its basic meaning has always been the same. Her popularity has never diminished. The game is also in demand in Japan. Let's look at its earlier versions, and also find out how they turned into a global decision-making method.

The origin of "Stone, Scissors and Paper" dates back to the Han Dynasty in China. The game was originally called shǒushìlìng, which means “hand commands”, and the components had slightly different names: “Frog, slug and snake”. As in the current version, the choice was shown in gestures: the thumb symbolized the frog, the little finger - the slug, and the outstretched index finger - the snake.

For hundreds of years shǒushìlìng was exclusively a Chinese game, but, as you might have guessed, today it has gone around the world and has undergone some strange changes on its way.

In the 1700s, the people of Japan first became acquainted with the Chinese game, where it changed its name to jiang-ken. The characters have also changed. In the historical Japanese version, the fox (the so-called kitsune) beats the village leader, the village leader hits the hunter, and the hunter hits the fox.

Tsu-e-fa is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. It is often used to resolve disputes or helps make important decisions in business, politics, and technology. Perhaps many Japanese immigrants who arrived on the west coast of the United States brought with them jiang ken.

The story of a Japanese businessman named Takashi Hashiyama is widely known. In 2005, he decided to sell his impressive collection of works of art, and two eminent auction houses fought for his treasures. He could not decide which of the two houses to use, so he asked representatives from each to play jiang-ken to help him make a decision. Takashi insisted: "I think this is the best way to choose between two equally good and reputable auction houses."

Christie became scissors and Sotheby's became paper. Victory "Christie" brought the auction house several million dollars in the form of commissions from the sale of paintings. This is one of the most expensive known transactions carried out using the game.

From Japan, the game spread throughout Asia. In Indonesia, however, it took on a somewhat eerie character. Judge for yourself. Instead of harmless objects there were an elephant trampling a man to death, a man himself and an earwig. It was the latter, in the view of the Indonesians, who did terrible things - she climbed into the trunk of an elephant to enjoy its brain, drive it crazy, or kill it.

Watch the video: This Man Invented the World's First Video Game Console (March 2024).

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