Kartik Vishwanathan
3 min readApr 19, 2022

Heard of Meta-Reverse? I am presently living in one!!

Metaverse by definition is a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.
Ever thought what the reverse of a metaverse (real life lived like a virtual game) or meta-reverse would look like? Presently at Level 2 of this real life experience at the city of Shanghai, I feel I am living in one.

Rules of this game implemented in real life are as follows:

Level 1) Closed area -
Lasts a minimum of 7 days. You have to stay in your respective apartments for the mentioned period. If everyone in the building are safe and do not get affected, you all collective move to the next level. If not, you stay locked for 7 more days since anyone in the building tested positive. This continues till you do not have any negative case in the building.
My contribution to affect success at this level with around 120 residents in the buidling is 1/120

Level 2) Controlled area

Lasts minimum 7 days. You get to step out of your buildings and move within the compound boundaries. The set of rules remain similar to level 1, however if anyone in the compound tests positive during this period you do not get to move to level 3. Infact if anyone in your building gets infected you slip to level 1 and start from there again
My contribution to affect success at this level with around 1200 residents in the compound is 1/1200

Level 3) Precautionary area
Lasts minimum 7 days. You get to step out of your compounds and move within the district boundaries. The set of rules remain similar to levels 1 and 2, however if anyone in the district tests positive during this period you do not get to move to level 4. Infact if anyone in your compound gets infected you slip to level 2 and if in the building then level 1 and start from there again
My contribution to affect success at this level with around 1 million people in the district is 1/1 million

Level 4) Free area (self coined term)
By now you would have got the hang of the real life game and you know what this level means.
With the population of around 28 million in the city, my contribution to affect success at this level is 1/28 million

You can add levels of the country and world, however your contribution and ability to influence success becomes that much lower

Currently at level 2 there is someway to travel to hopefully the finish line of level 4.

While my ability to influence the success gets lower at every level, one wrong move and I can bring down the efforts of a whole community hence this game can be won only as a team, with the size of team increasing at every level.

Doesn’t this principle of teamwork and related success probably holds true in many other games in our lives?

Kartik Vishwanathan
Kartik Vishwanathan

Written by Kartik Vishwanathan

I live in Shanghai, China, work in the business of media & communication. Life teaches us every moment, I try to capture some of those in my writings.

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