How to play rock, scissors and paper and how Chinese vice was born

Born as simple gesture with your hands, paper-scissors-rock is today a global phenomenon. The popular game of hands is used to decide who washes the dishes, to break aimpasseto play with children or to challenge strangers and make decisions lighter and more fun.

But what is behind this triadic system so intuitive? Its history spans imperial dynasties, commercial exchanges, symbolic interpretations and cultural transformations. Discover his origins it means telling how humans found it ritualized ways to resolve conflicts minimal and more.

The origin of the game: how it was born

The first ones testimonials of the game appear in China during the Han dynasty, in 2nd century BCwith a version called shoushling: the gestures were not the same as today but the central idea, a system of three signs in circular balancewas already present.

From here it spreads in Japanwhere it takes on a form defined in 17th century BCand is called jan-ken. The modern triad, in fact, was born right here, composed of: Guu (literally translatable as “fist”) our stone; Choki (literally “two fingers”) scissors; And Paa (meaning “open hand”) the card.

Unlike many more elaborate forms of gaming, the jan-ken Japanese has simplified over time to become a universal language. In the 19th century arrives in Europe through merchants and diplomats, becoming rock-paper-scissors in the Anglo-Saxon world.

A curiosity is that in some areas of Japan one still exists ancient variant call mushi-kenwhere you play with frog-snail-snake according to one food logic for which the snake eats the frog, the frog eats the snail and the snail wins because it poisons the snake.

The rules of Chinese morra

As we all know, the goal of rock-paper-scissors is to defeat the opponent by playing a sign that beats the other player’s. Specifically:

• The stone wins over scissorsbecause it breaks it.
• There scissors wins over paper, because the size.
• There paper wins over stonebecause it envelops him.

Some global variants of Chinese morra

One of the reasons for game survival it’s his cultural plasticity. In fact, it seems that every society has its own culturally adapted version.

Some examples can be found:

1. In Indonesiasome versions actually feature the triad elephant-man-ant. In which, the elephant crushes the man, the man tramples the ant and the latter bites the elephant in a vulnerable place.
2. A further variant developed in Thailand: in which they use monkey-man-God. A non-circular hierarchical system, for which God always wins and is however used as a moral metaphor, not so much as a fair game.
3. A final variable, geographically closer, has appeared in some municipalities in the region Pugliawhere the “card” was changed to the “net“. Thus creating the triad: net-scissors-stone. It is thought that the development of fishing has accentuated the change of objects.

The universal diffusion and neuroscientific theories of the game

There universal diffusion Of paper-scissors-rock in West it is relatively recent and follows the trajectories of trade between Europe, the United States and Japan. Although hand games like the already existed in Europe diesthe circular triadic system was not known.

The real turning point comes in 19th centurywhen the Japan opens up to international contacts: The jan-jen it began to be described by travelers and merchants as a simple and fascinating game, easily exportable.

The decisive step, however, occurred in post-war period. THE American soldiers in Japan they learn the game and bring it back to the United States, where it quickly becomes a informal method of making decisions.

In the 60s and 70s reaches the schools, television and pop culturelosing any exotic connotation and becoming an everyday gesture. From there it bounces around Europe, especially in the Anglo-Saxon countriesto the point of becoming a universal reference.

Beyond its informality, rock-paper-scissors is a mathematical model perfect to be replicated. The probabilities are indeed balanced, no move dominates and the only optimal strategy is distribute choices unpredictably and hope for luck.

Statistical studies, which have applied the human behavior and the neurological reflex to the game, show that they tend to after a victory we tend to repeat the same move; after a defeatinstead, we change according to a regular pattern and, finally, after a tiethe brain enters “extreme analysis” mode, activating neurological areas responsible for predicting the behavior of others.

From the point of view of science, the rock-paper-scissors game is valuable because it shows how we make decisions under pressure in a controlled environment. This is why it was used in research on impulsiveness, executive control And interactive learning. The strength of the game in fact lies not in its complexity, but in its ability to be one universal tool: no language to translate, no skills to learn, no powers or strategies to use.

An ancient game that continues to work precisely because, after all, it reminds us of something simple but essential: the possibility of resolve the smallest conflicts together, lightly.