Previously, We Discussed How Play is Non-Instrumental, Voluntary, and Unnecessary. And yet, as will discover this episode, it is a necessity for human flourishing. It is the "necessary unnecessity."
Playfulness is ubiquitous for animal life
Playfulness in Ubiquitous to Human Experience Since the Beginning - For Adults Too
- Royal Game of Ur (2500 BC)
- Barbara Ehrenreich - Dancing in the Streets - A History of Collective Joy
- Herodotus - Games invented in Lydia (450 BC)
- Chess, Go, Backgammon, Mancala - Africa, Asia, Middle East
- Alfonso's Book of Games (1283)
Playfulness is Behind Creativity and Cultural Advancement
- Steven Johnson - Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World
- Banu Musa Brothers (9th century Baghdad)
- Merlin's Magical Museum (Thomas Denton, 18-19th century England)
- Punchcards lead to looms lead to computer programming
Play is Essential for Human Development
- Dr. Stuart Brown has written and taught extensively on this topic, discovering that play is essential for emotional, physical, and mental development and health--and that the absence of play can lead to social and emotional challenges later on in life.
- Jonothan Haidt has recently also argued for the importance of free play for human development
Play is Therefore a Basic Human Right
- J. Drew Lanham - People have fought and died for the right of others to play
- It is not a luxury; it is an essential part of being human
- Dave Bindewald - In the face of suffering, our task is not to marginalize play, but to double-down on its importance.
Jane McGonigal - Given that We are Wired for Play, How Can We Gamify Life?
- Would probably still define work and play a little differently than she does (she says play is work we enjoy), but she is great at exploring ways to bring elements of play (voluntary, unnecessary obstacles) to work
- What are some examples?
- Quests to do chores
- Tombstone Hold-Em
- Crowdsourcing Research - Three Body Problem
- However, they are still a means to an end.
So What's Going On Here? If Play is Unnecessary, Why is it Such a Necessity?
- On our next episode, the spiritual necessity of play
Takeaways
- Play is a universal and essential part of the human experience, not just for children but also for adults.
- Playfulness and play have been present throughout history and across cultures, from ancient games to modern-day fashion and coding.
- Animals also engage in play, demonstrating the innate nature of playfulness.
- Play is a catalyst for human creativity and cultural achievements, shaping our society and civilization.
- Play allows for experimentation, exploration, and the development of new ideas and concepts. Play is a universal and essential part of the human experience.
- Bringing elements of play into other areas of life can lead to increased creativity, team building, and enjoyment.
- Games can be used to crowdsource solutions to complex problems.
Sound Bites
- "Play is a universal and essential part of the human experience"
- "Animals play on various levels, demonstrating the innate nature of playfulness"
- "Playfulness is a major part of human culture and has shaped our creative and cultural achievements"
- "Energy and capitalism and growth, you know, these new areas and fields inventions come about really through play"
- "You know, can bypass our normal systems"
- "Play is not a luxury. It's an essential part of what it means to be human. It's a human right."
CALL TO ACTION
