Casino

Casino is one of the few movies that really manages to capture the reality of the mafia from its golden age but, what sets it apart from all the other ones is the fact that all the events are centered around gambling and the Las Vegas lifestyle; that whole world is presented through the perspective of the mob.

The movie is based on a true story even if some scenes might seem to be fiction, and that fact alone increases the validity of its lessons.

Disclaimer: I have to note that these are my opinions, that I took from the movie, but I advise you to watch it yourself, maybe you will feel differently or pick up on something I missed.

Gambling

The fact that the mafia controlled the gambling industry at that time and how this whole, glamorous in appearance, lifestyle was impacting the people from that era is the movie's central theme. Growing in a society that pushes secular values upon its individuals, instead of real and meaningful ones makes many people eager to pursue these shiny fantasies and, often, when they get tired of playing the just game, they fall on the so-called wrong track.

For many people that after years and years of trying to pursue that ideal without any results, the last option to acquire that wealth and the lifestyle that comes with it is either committing crimes or joining the gambling society that’s based on luck and the movie manages to capture that reality very well.

However, the best thing about the movie is that it gives its viewers an inside look into the world of gambling and what happens behind the tables. You see, this whole gambling industry is set up in a way that the house, the dealer has the most significant chance of winning and the players are always in a disadvantage, thus, the longer they are playing, mathematically, the more money they are going to lose.

But, the truth is that to some extent we are all gamblers even if you might not think so. We are all gambling; we are all taking a bet that is more or less risky, every day. Some are bets as small as taking a cab instead of walking and others are as big as picking a university or a job in the detriment of another but, they are all impacting our lives in one way or another. If you’re taking the cab, you’re getting home earlier thus winning more time but, what if by walking you could meet somebody that could shift your life around for the better?

Always try to make the bet that gives you the biggest edge, that gives you the biggest chance of winning and, the ultimate thing you can do is betting on yourself and your vision because you are 100% in control of that gamble.

Corruption

Another harsh reality of their and even our society that the movie focuses on is corruption and the fact that anybody, under the usage of the right tools, can be corrupted. In the film, many people are fraudulent, from doorkeepers to even directors because all of them are vulnerable since they are in the pursuit of something they think they don’t have enough.

For some, that object of corruption can be money, maybe a well-respected job and for others, it can even be even pleasures and fun. We’re all different but, the truth is that most of us, even if we think we’re incorruptible, we, in fact, can be bought. You might think that you don’t fall under this category, but if people could steal without getting caught, most of them would do it, it’s simply human nature.

We are all the same, and I am not trying to point out fingers but, I do urge you to analyze your values and morals. Put yourself in a position where somebody’s trying to corrupt you and see how you would react because only after you put yourself in such an uncomfortable situation and analyze all the possible options, you get to know more about your true self and your limits. Otherwise, if you don’t ask yourself this kind of questions, you will never get to discover and understand yourself, you will only live in a lie.

Trust

The idea of trust, of being able to trust the people around you and them being able to trust you back is one of the other subjects touched in the movie. As Ace, the main character needs somebody to entrust his money with, and that is Ginger, you need in your life, people that you can trust too. You might not need to trust somebody with millions of dollars, but you will probably have to trust people in the future with things as small as being there for you when you need them the most.

Even years after knowing somebody you still have that uncertainty in your heart, you are still not sure if you can trust that other person with something huge but that’s because this is our nature, we are made to survive. Humans have lived in caves and tribes for millions of more years than they have lived in a civilized society and in such a primitive world, if you trust somebody too much, they might end up killing you if they can win something because they are fighting to survive too.

But now, in the 21st century, we are not fighting to survive at that level anymore, we don’t have to fight for our food and our life literally, we have the luxury to trust somebody else because they are not in a race of survival anymore either. But, even so, as good as that sounds in theory because people are brainwashed to pursue other meaningless things, they still consider themselves in a race for survival, and they might metaphorically murder you for their good.

Finding somebody to trust even in a civilized a society is undoubtedly not an easy task either but, it all starts with knowing yourself first. You have to be aware of every depth of your mind so, when you meet somebody new, you can allow them to explore your personality as you can explore theirs and that’s when trust gets born. It’s certainly not easy but, you will have to emerge in it entirely if you want to find somebody worthy of your whole trust.

Lessons Learned

If you look past the surface of this movie, beyond all its shiny and eye-catching things, right into its depth, you will be able to notice and pick up some meaningful lessons that could positively impact your life.

Make your gambles and calculate their risks wisely and keep in mind that the best bet you can make, is on yourself since you’re the one in control at all times. Corruption is an ugly part of our world, and it’s going to be here for as long as people feel they are incomplete, but this doesn’t mean that you have to take part into it so best is to know yourself and your limits. Trusting somebody is never easy but today, is easier to do it than ever before and the only way to start trusting others is by trusting yourself first.

These are the lessons I have learned from this movie, and I do hope that they will have even a slight impact on your life.

Authored for ADSactly by @GuyFawkes4-20

Click on the coin to join our Discord Chat

---

Vote @adsactly-witness for Steem witness!
Witness proposal is here:

Witness Proposal
Witness Proposal Update

Go To Steem Witness Page
In the bottom of the page type: adsactly-witness and press vote.

Use small letters and no "@" sign. Or, click here to vote directly!
Thank you!

---