Playmate Of The Year
I think I've just found out one of the reasons for discontent and unhappiness. And that is boredom.
It probably goes for a lot of people, but I can only talk for myself. I see now that having someone to play with is very important, as playing isn't for fun but for learning. This most likely goes without saying regarding kids, but I'm thinking more of our adult lives. As we never stop learning, why should we stop playing? One definition of play is that it "is freely chosen, intrinsically motivated and personally directed". Well put.
I need to play, to stimulate my own growth. I need to be excited and inspired - on my terms. In order to stay alert I need to be challenged. And when I play I'm happy.
Remember from growing up that my friends thought I was creative; and even if I got the initial idea from my older brother, the intricate machines I built from paper, string and sticky tape fascinated the other kids. I'm not building machines anymore, and I think for a long time I didn't play at all. Of course I could play with myself, but it's so much more rewarding having someone to throw the ball to. The interaction gets more complicated if there's more than one participant in the game, and the reactions are harder to predict. Have to stay sharp then.
There are zillions of books discussing the topic of play, much due to the fact that it's so fundamental for human development, and I guess a lot of people think that by analyzing the phenomenon in such detail you might kill the spirit of it. I don't think so. The kids in the playground won't read Caillois or Jenkinson, and I don't play with buckets and spades anymore. This is my kind of game.
And here's a wicked one:
4 comments:
I was quite well underway writing a cheeky comment on this, but (fortunately) I stopped. Think I must re-think and then re-write. :)
Please, do that; and I'm glad you're having fun too...? ;)
To play, or not to play - that's the question.
There's a major error in your article. In the first paragraph you are talking about boredom. In my opinion, only boring people get bored - i.e. you can't be bored.
Playing alone has its advantages and drawbacks.
On one side you are in charge of the game and the outcome is known. On the other hand, there are no surprises or other positive inputs.
Playing with one or more players has the element of - hopefully - positive feedback, stimulating interaction and maybe an even better outcome than expected when entering the game.
Books alone will not give you a complete understanding of different games to play.
With your curious, openminded and explorative state of mind, I don't think you should be afraid of entering any game or play you would like to explore more carefully.
I couldn't agree more; the best results are always achieved, either they're academic or "just for fun", by the hands-on approach. Simply reading about something just wouldn't do it!
I'm also very intrigued by the different layers a game might be consisting of, and how some of them could be well disguised. In some cases the real game isn't even the visible one. Like chess. But I'm a lousy chess player, so I won't go into that metaphor. Or maybe I could? 'Cause I'd guess my poor chess skills only come from lack of interest, and not much else. Could probably yell out "checkmate" at least once in a while if I set my mind to it?
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