The Danger of Keeping Score

In this episode of On the Media's Midweek Podcast, host Michael Owinger explores the cultural and philosophical implications of our obsession with metrics and scoring systems through a conversation with philosopher C.T. Nguyen, author of 'The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game.' The discussion begins with a legal case against prediction market platform Kalshi, highlighting how real-world betting on events like geopolitical outcomes blurs the line between entertainment and manipulation. Nguyen uses games—board games, sports, and digital play—as a lens to examine how scoring systems shape our values, desires, and behaviors. He introduces the concept of 'value capture,' where individuals outsource their moral and personal values to external metrics like law school rankings, bestseller lists, or social media likes. Drawing on thinkers like Bernard Suits and Theodore Porter, Nguyen argues that while metrics offer portability and simplicity, they erase nuance and distort what truly matters. The episode contrasts the healthy, intentional use of scoring in games—where the process is valued over the outcome—with the dangerous tendency to apply such systems to real life, where they often misrepresent complex human values. Ultimately, Nguyen advocates for mindful engagement with metrics: recognizing their utility while resisting passive surrender to them, and reclaiming the joy of meaningful action over outcome-driven performance.