Brute Force: simulation

Simulation has got a pretty negative “rep” in recent years. It has come to be associated with faking it, inauthenticity and downright cheating. Simulation in sport is to feint injury or a foul in order to get an advantage or disadvantage the opposition. Players regularly throw themselves to the floor on a football pitch, arms out-stretched simulating a heinous foul so they can get a free kick or penalty or to get the other player booked or sent-off. Calling this simulation, rather than, say, cheating, is a relatively recent thing. Some football cultures see this drama as being clever, having the skill to convince the referee to be swayed in your favour. But this view point is in the minority, especially in the UK, and for a player to practice simulation is to be a bad boy.

Another use of simulation could be said when a participant is not being enough of a bad boy. By this I’m referring to the When Harry Met Sally sort of simulation. That is, simulation by the fairer sex in the act of love-making; hair swishing, table thumping faking. This particular form of simulation is also bad news, especially if your mates hear about it.

But it is not true that all simulation involves making a scene in one form or another. Faking it can be a good thing, and no-one’s feeling should get hurt in the process.

Simulation in a general sense is to make pretend and human beings do simulation every day, innumerable times. Simulation is what we do in our heads when we imagine something that isn’t real. Usually this is thinking of a fictional future to see what happens. These simulations take split seconds and often we’re not even aware of it. Simulation can be fun- imagining we win the lottery then what would we do with the money- to preventing serous peril- crossing the road in heavy traffic. Simulation in this form is called prediction and is how we can make half decent decisions. Prediction also happens when we want to approach a beautiful woman on the other side of the room. Our eyes meet hers and then “boom”, the minds races with chat-up lines and openers. We imagine what the response might be, the worst case scenario of a glass of wine in the face to the best- a wedding, kids, retirement on the beach.