Are You Playing a Game You Actually Want to Win? | Seth GodinAre You Playing a Game You Actually Want to Win? | Seth Godin
The One You Feed
Eric Zimmer and Seth Godin talk about feeding the good wolf and building a life strategy based on time, empathy, games, and systems. Their conversation questions common ideas of success and asks whether the game someone is playing is truly one they want to win.
50:08•16 Oct 2026
Seth Godin on Choosing a Life Strategy You Truly Want to Win
Episode Overview
- Feeding the good wolf daily means consistently choosing thoughts and actions that support kindness, courage, and love.
- A good decision is judged by the information and intention behind it, not just by whether the outcome is favourable.
- Clear strategy rests on four elements: time, empathy, games, and systems, all of which shape how life unfolds.
- False proxies like follower counts or download numbers can distract from the real change and growth someone is aiming for.
- Questioning the systems you’re in helps you stop feeling like a victim and pick your moments to act differently on purpose.
“When the person you could have been meets the person you are becoming, is it going to be a cause for celebration or heartbreak?”
How do different strategies aid in addiction recovery? This conversation between host Eric Zimmer and author Seth Godin offers a fresh angle: instead of chasing vague ideas of "success", ask whether you're playing a game you actually want to win. Eric, who has his own history of homelessness and heroin addiction, frames the discussion with the famous "two wolves" parable.
Seth recalls hearing it from Zig Ziglar in his twenties and expands on it with a simple question: "Why don't we feed our good wolf every day?" He points out that feeding stories of anger and revenge harms us more than anyone else, summing it up with the memorable line, "The problem with holding a grudge is your hands are too full to hug somebody." From there, Seth breaks strategy down into four parts: time, empathy, games, and systems.
You’ll hear him explain why a disappointing outcome doesn’t automatically mean a bad decision, and why a good decision can still have a rough result, like buying a lottery ticket that happens to win. For anyone rebuilding life after addiction, that distinction between decision and outcome can be a huge relief. Seth and Eric talk about families, parenting, and education as examples of everyday strategy.
Seth’s story of directing a chaotic but unforgettable fourth-grade Wizard of Oz shows how a clear strategy (help kids grow) leads to unusual tactics (four Dorothys, multiple dress rehearsals) and lasting confidence. They also look at how larger systems – school, technology, even status-obsessed culture – can quietly push us towards feeding the "bad wolf" with stress, comparison, and false measures of worth.
Seth’s parting challenge is simple yet emotional: "When the person you could have been meets the person you are becoming, is it going to be a cause for celebration or heartbreak?" If you’re trying to build a sober, meaningful life, this conversation may nudge you to ask: what game are you playing, and is it really yours?
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