what’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of play? what kind of emotions does it evoke? your earliest memories of playing. any sort of game might sound silly to you now. but at the time, however, it was probably the only activity you wanted to engage in. the instinct of play is inborn but whether you will harness it or leave it to atrophy through the journey to adulthood is the question.
nature or nurture
play is an innate instinct that all living creatures are born with. and while sport can be taught to children, the very act of playing can be initiated by a child or children without external expertise. a baby will play with anything it will come in contact with out of sheer curiosity. a parent may introduce it to certain toys but the playfulness of a child is inborn.
alone or with others
sometimes it was playing ball with others, sometimes it was just throwing stones into the pond alone. playing was never dependent on others. of course like most things, fun is always better when shared. so growing up, we always looked for someone to play with. however if you were stuck alone, it never stopped you from playing. you could play ball with friends or you could bounce it against the wall.
physical or mental
while the human-animal like all other species explores physical movement before all else, play is not just a physical activity. how many times have you sat daydreaming of what you wanted to become, what you wanted to do, who you wanted to meet, etc. this is role 'play' which is a mental game that everyone as a child indulged in at some time or the other.
play has purpose
nature doesn't have universities and centers of education. yet all lions are capable of hunting, all monkeys are capable of climbing, and all deer are capable of running. most humans, however, are not adept at the skills they spend years learning. how many educational courses can be described as playful? the purpose of playing is to learn. lion cubs learn hunting as a game they play with their mother. gorillas learn to wrestle by play fighting.
learning can be fun
the spirit of play leads to learning and growth more efficiently than 'study' with the best theories and models. imagine a child swinging on a tree branch and a young gymnast on the parallel bars. both are serious but only one looks solemn. excellence does not have to come at the cost of fun. no man in history found the truth through a standard process. yet we insist on drilling standards into everyone, rewarding uniformity. most of the greatest discoveries and inventions happened through a process of trial and error, inspired by the spirit of play and curiosity. Institutions enslave rather than liberate young curious minds, regardless of level. methods and techniques are best discovered not drilled.
competition kills
the system of learning today whether athletics or academics is based on competition acting as the motivating factor to the extent where eventually the end justifies the means. competition in college transforms into ambition in adulthood. but in the process, the spirit of play is killed. so you may learn to excel at your chosen profession, but do you enjoy it? play connects us to others while competition disconnects us. success is a positive-sum game, not zero-sum, but competitiveness leads us to believe that you can’t win without another losing. competitiveness can turn innocent playful mischief into malice. fear of this happening makes games structured.
here and now
play is about being and enjoying the moment instead of obsessing about the score or the outcome of the game. perhaps this is the best differentiator between playing the game and being a sportsperson. when you play with an end goal in mind, you will never be happy until you reach it, be it accolades, fame, or money. playing enables you to cherish and nurture the present experience deeply and thus is satisfying at the moment.
what can we do?
maybe you will refute the points mentioned above and choose to walk the well-tread path. but where's the fun in that? if you are curious, however, I'm not offering you an alternative path or chart you a course of action. I want you to imbibe the spirit, discover the process, and enjoy both process and results. discover your way to learn through play. 'play' is the rabbit hole to wonderland. are you ready to hop in?
If you’re not in a state of play, you can’t do anything - Paula Scher, Graphic Artist
When I'm having fun, I'm the best in the world - Israel Adesanya, Martial Artist
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