I don't know if its a lesson, but civ 5 helped me to understand something about my country i suppose.

I never understood why the hell we would create so many weapons of war, so much for the sake of being ready to absolutely obliterate anyone else, when that money could go towards bettering our home.

But then I played civ. I built my people from the ground up. I survived with them, expanded, learned everything from horseback riding to the use of the radio, built roads, traded, warred. All of it.

Then, there came a time of peace. There was nothing in sight that made me think I needed anything more than a small army in case of barbarians that are somehow still around.

But I got to thinking...man, France is really strong economically over there. If they wanted to, they could just take me out. They could end my people, and it would be my fault.

So, should I build an army, have an upkeep, so that I'm ready? Why devote so much money over time, when I could just...do it all at once, and take out France right now, when they're least expecting? Why not just kill them all, so they don't kill me?

...this game taught me a leader's fear. I actually haven't finished that game. But it could see me live in a world of lucky peace, a world where I was careless and let my people die because I wasn't ready, or a world where my people think im a monster, because I killed France for no reason in their eyes, when in reality it was all for them.

I guess I could just have the standing army, though. Weapons of mass destruction at the ready, at the expense of bettering my civilization. Just to ward off any might-be attackers. Seems to be working for the US so far.

I guess there's no lesson here, really. But it did bring me an understanding that I didn't have previously.