Why you were never meant to enjoy playing Monopoly at Christmas
- The board game was originally created to be an insight into the trials and tribulations of money
- That probably explains why it has been the reason for family quarrels over the holidays
For most people, Monopoly is not an enjoyable board game in any sense of the word. Almost every family breaks out the box around this time of the year, but it inevitably always ends in fallouts, arguments, and hours of not talking to each other afterwards.
On the internet there are also tales of flipped tables, break-ups and even stabbings, after someone does not follow the rules or steals money from the bank.
The problem is, we all seem to have an obsession with a game that makes us miserable. For one player, their good fortune will make them feel like a king for a few hours, while everyone else will steadily abandon the game. Ultimately, all it comes down to is luck.
Monopoly is derived from an original board game called The Landlord’s Game, and rather than being good family fun, it was actually created to be an insight into the trials and tribulations of money, and the negative implications of capital accumulation.
It was made up by a woman named Elizabeth Magie in 1903, who wanted it to reflect her political views.
She was a georgist, which meant she believed people should own the value they produce themselves, but that anything earned from the land, such as natural resources, should belong to everyone in the community.