In roleplaying XP is shorthand for Experience Points. They’re points that you get for doing things in the game and that you can spend on making your character better at things.
Had a conversation today about the way being born into a capitalist society is like being dropped into a game in which money is assumed to be your XP tracker.
Everytime you’re asked about something noteworthy in life it comes back to what you earn. “What do you do?” – they mean your job, “Do you own or rent?”, “house or flat?” etc. etc.
I have to admit I find this sort of conversation more prevalent in the south than the north but then I’m not sure whether that’s because I typically associate with more mainstream people down there whereas up here I have a collection of friendly oddballs.
I don’t do great with the mainstream XP tracker. I do ok, but I’m too busy getting experiences, getting emotions, making things. That’s what I want to count my life in, money is just not an optimal way of counting my life’s XP.