Play The Spoon Theory Demonstration!

Discussion in 'General disability topics and advocacy' started by Haveyoutriedyoga, Sep 30, 2024.

  1. Haveyoutriedyoga

    Haveyoutriedyoga Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    South West, UK
    https://thespoontheory.tumblr.com/game

    The Spoon Theory Demonstration is designed to be a short and simple text-based role playing game/demonstration for people who are not disabled to get a small glimpse into the life of a person living with a chronic illness. The game shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Feel free to play around, start over, and choose different options. For an explanation of the Spoon Theory, please go to the FAQ page.

    When you play this demonstration, please remember that this is not fiction! Disabled people face these situations on a daily basis. It’s important to remember everyone’s situation varies and not all people will experience any or all of these, but at the same time, these stories are examples of real-life experiences.

    Context: This game is a brief example of one day. A person who is chronically disabled only has a limited amount of expendable energy each day. The spoon theory uses a metaphor of spoons to turn energy into a measurable concept. For the sake of simplicity, you will start your day with 20 spoons, or 20 measures of energy. Depending on the tasks you choose, the amount of spoons you have will go up or down.
     
    Trish, oldtimer, Hutan and 3 others like this.
  2. Kitty

    Kitty Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    6,594
    Location:
    UK
    The problem is that there doesn't seem to be a follow-up game that goes:

    Now imagine you can never know how many spoons you started with, or how many you've already used, or how many you've unwittingly borrowed from tomorrow and the day, week, and month after.

    Then imagine dropping this metaphor into the crater of an active volcano, because it's such a terrible way of describing ME/CFS that it should never be seen in the same elemental form again.

    ETA: The Spoon Theory wasn't coined by the author to describe ME/CFS, so I'm not criticising her explanation for the energy limited condition she lives with.
     
    bobbler, Trish, alktipping and 5 others like this.

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