The Score by C Thi Nguyen review – a brilliant warning about the gamification of everyday life
The Score by C Thi Nguyen review – a brilliant warning about the gamification of everyday life
The Score by C Thi Nguyen review – a brilliant warning about the gamification of everyday life
Tim Clare
January, 06, 2026
Summary
The writer reflects on becoming obsessed with earning points on Duolingo, prioritizing leaderboard rankings over meaningful learning. Philosopher C. Thi Nguyen’s book The Score explores this phenomenon, which he calls “value capture” — when metrics meant to measure progress replace the original goal. Nguyen argues that society increasingly optimizes for quantifiable indicators, from university rankings to GDP, often distorting true values. Law schools, for example, manipulate admissions to improve rankings rather than education quality. He warns that blind faith in metrics enables “objectivity laundering,” where numbers mask human judgment. Ultimately, Nguyen advocates reclaiming intrinsic joy, play, and meaningful experiences over shallow numerical success.
Reference
Clare, T. (2026, January 6). The Score by C Thi Nguyen review – A brilliant warning about the gamification of everyday life. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/06/the-score-by-c-thi-nguyen-review-a-brilliant-warning-about-the-gamification-of-everyday-life