Jay Jay's Thoughts Your Reactions: “Learning From the Angry Birds”

Jay Jay's Thoughts Your Reactions: “Learning From the Angry Birds”: Wednesday Wisdom by Jay Jay Speaks February 29, 2012 “Learning From the Angry Birds” I recently had to send my cell phone out to be repaire...

“Learning From the Angry Birds”

Wednesday Wisdom

by Jay Jay Speaks

February 29, 2012

“Learning From the Angry Birds”

I recently had to send my cell phone out to be repaired and the technician informed me that I’d have to download all of my applications again when my phone was returned. I didn’t think much of it until I got my phone back and began trying to capture all the games, books and applications I had previously used on my Smartphone. When I downloaded an updated version of “Angry Birds,” the smartphone phenomena that rocked the android market a couple of years ago, I realized all my scores and Angry Bird conquests had been wiped out and would have to be accomplished again.

As I started making my way through the various levels of Angry Birds it struck me that this silly, simple, addictive electronic application contained some key points for success in life.  Now this isn’t the most philosophically profound realization but it struck me as funny how much Angry Birds contained lessons for life.  For those who have never played Angry Birds let me give you a quick rundown.

The game consists of a series of screens that go from easy to more challenging or difficult. As you master and move through each scene you are slowing completing all the requisites for that level. Once you completely meet the challenges of one level you are elevated to a higher level of challenge which consists of another gauntlet of screens that you must master before moving on to a more challenging level.  In each scene you slingshot “birds” into structures that must be demolished. Within these structures, which are made of differing materials (glass, wood, metal, rock), you must also destroy the evil mocking pig heads. Your weapons are the angry birds, of which you are only given a limited number so you must understand the special skill each bird has and you must employ their skill at the right time.

Now here are the birds (weapons)

Red - The red bird is your most basic weapon. There isn't really much going on with this little guy. The higher you launch the bird before allowing it to strike a structure, the more damage it will do.

Blue - The blue bird will break into three smaller, but similar birds when the screen is touched. These birds are especially handy at taking out glass structures. If you touch the screen right before the bird strikes the glass, allowing the three birds to hit the glass at once, you will completely destroy it, allowing for some major damage to be dealt to your enemies.

Yellow - The yellow bird specializes in long distances. In fact, there will be levels where certain parts are only accessible by launching a yellow bird and activating its boost power right out of the gate.

White - The white birds can be used as a weapon in two different ways. When you hit the screen, causing the bird to drop a large explosive egg, your original bird still flies forward. This means that if you activate the egg just in front of a structure you can do damage with the egg bomb as well as your bird which will strike the upper portion of the structure.

Black - Black birds are the heaviest birds in the game, and can be used to topple structures in addition to the explosion it generates once settling. Launch the bird at a super steep angle and allow it to bust to the bottom of large structures for massive damage.

Green - The green bird is advertised as the boomerang bird, but it can be much more than that. You can use the bird to launch straight into a structure and deal intense damage. Remember though, once the bird has touched a structure it can no longer activate its boomerang function.

Now in life we may not be issued a collection of “angry birds” to fire at mocking pigs but we are given certain gifts and talents. We are given the opportunity to use these gifts and talents but sometimes that isn’t enough. For many of us we have to learn how to employ strategy to know when and how to use our gifts and talents to maximize our opportunity for success. Often we have to fail several times before we begin to recognize that using our weapons incorrectly is as disastrous as not using them at all. There is something about seeing and hearing that grunting smirking pig letting you know you failed that makes you wanna hit the TRY AGAIN button on the game to start the scene over.

Other lessons we learn from Angry Birds is that no matter how quickly or slowly, you conquer a scene there is another challenge waiting for you right around the corner. The frustration can be that once you get on a roll knocking out scene after scene the game will produce a scene that at first glance seems impossible to conquer based on the limited number of weapons you are given and the seemingly impenetrable structures that are protecting those miserably little pigs.  But Angry Bird veterans know, just like those who are wise in life, that if the game only gave you 4 birds, three of which are black and one tiny blue bird, that the enemy can be defeat by just using these weapons if we employ them strategically, appropriately and with the precise timing programmed into the parameters of the game.

So the next time you find yourself needing to knock down some arrogant pig-headed people, errr scratch that I meant, playing the game “Angry Birds” remember that the game is teaching you something about life. Study your opponent, take inventory of your gifts and talents, sharpen your skills, and LET THOSE ANGRY BIRDS FLY!!!!

Go play “Angry Birds” today, don’t wait until Monday, do it today (Wednesday) on HUMP DAY!