Squid Game: Symbols, Survival, and the Price of Playing Society's Game

Why do people follow systems they know are unfair?

Why do people accept rules created by others?

What happens when desperation becomes entertainment?

These questions are at the center of Squid Game, a story that uses a deadly competition as a metaphor for modern society, human desperation, and the choices people make when pushed to their limits.

At its surface, Squid Game is a survival story.

But beneath that, it is a story about:

• Money

• Power

• Inequality

• Human nature

• Choice

• The systems people create

The Game: A False Utopia

The participants enter the game because they believe it offers a solution.

They are promised:

• A chance to escape debt

• A chance to rebuild their lives

• A chance at freedom

The game presents itself as equal.

Everyone starts with the same rules.

Everyone has the same opportunity.

But the reality is much more complicated.

A central question emerges:

Is a choice truly free when someone has no real alternatives?

This connects to the idea of dystopia.

A dystopian society does not always look like a prison.

Sometimes it looks like an opportunity.

CONSUME: When Human Life Becomes Entertainment

The strongest connection to Designed by Concordia is:

CONSUME

In Squid Game, the suffering of ordinary people becomes entertainment for wealthy spectators.

The players are not viewed as human beings.

They become a product.

A show.

A source of amusement.

This raises a modern question:

What happens when society consumes everything, including human experiences?

Modern culture constantly consumes:

• Movies

• Sports

• Reality television

• Social media content

• News stories

The question is not whether entertainment is wrong.

The question is:

Have we become so accustomed to watching that we forget the humanity behind what we see?

OBEY: Who Creates the Rules?

The players agree to participate.

They know there are risks.

But once inside the system, they must follow rules created by someone else.

This connects to:

OBEY

Every society has rules.

Rules create order.

Rules allow cooperation.

But Squid Game asks:

Who creates the rules, and who benefits from them?

A system may appear fair because everyone follows the same rules.

But fairness depends on more than equal rules.

It depends on whether the system itself is just.

The Masks: Symbols of Hidden Power

One of the most memorable elements of Squid Game is its symbolism.

The masks worn by the workers hide their identities.

They become symbols rather than individuals.

The shapes represent hierarchy:

• Circle

• Triangle

• Square

A simple symbol communicates:

• Rank

• Authority

• Control

This connects strongly to Designed by Concordia's interest in symbolism.

Throughout history, humans have used symbols to organize society:

• Crowns

• Uniforms

• Flags

• Logos

• Religious symbols

Symbols can unite people.

Symbols can also separate people.

The Eye: Who Is Watching?

The game is constantly observed.

The wealthy spectators watch from above.

They see everything.

But the players do not know who they are.

This connects to the theme of:

The Eye

The eye represents:

• Observation

• Knowledge

• Awareness

• Power

The question:

Who is watching, and who controls what is seen?

This connects to:

• 1984 → surveillance by government

• Silo → controlled information

• Squid Game → entertainment through observation

Memento Mori: Remembering Mortality

The title itself points toward mortality.

Every game reminds participants that life is fragile.

This connects directly to:

Memento Mori

Remember that life is temporary.

The skull symbol throughout history has reminded people:

• Wealth disappears

• Power disappears

• Status disappears

What remains is how we lived.

Squid Game asks:

What would you sacrifice if your life depended on it?

THINK: Are We Playing the Game?

Perhaps the deepest question in Squid Game is:

Are we all participating in systems we do not fully understand?

Every society has "games":

• Economic systems

• Social expectations

• Status competitions

• Cultural pressures

The challenge is not escaping society.

The challenge is understanding it.

This connects to:

THINK

Question the rules.

Understand the incentives.

Recognize the systems around you.

Squid Game and Designed by Concordia

The themes connect naturally:

CONSUME

What happens when people become entertainment?

OBEY

Who creates the rules we follow?

THINK

Are we questioning the systems around us?

The Eye

Who is watching, and who controls information?

Memento Mori

What truly matters when everything else is removed?

Explore Designed by Concordia

Symbols and stories have always reflected humanity's deepest questions.

Explore designs inspired by philosophy, history, symbolism, and culture:

https://www.concordia.style/shop

References

Squid Game — Netflix series
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squid_Game

Consumerism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerism

Dystopia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia

Symbol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol

Memento Mori
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori

Ancient Questions

• Plato → What is the ideal society?

• Socrates → Why should we question?

• Marcus Aurelius → How should we live?

Modern Warnings

• Orwell → Who controls truth?

• Huxley → Who controls desire?

• Silo → Who controls history?

• Squid Game → Who controls the game?