Play gives meaning to life
Play gives meaning to life, wrote the Dutch historian Johan Huizinga back in 1938. He christened us homo ludens—‘playing man.’ Everything we call ‘culture,’ said Huizinga, originates in play.1
Almost all mammals play, and many other animals can’t resist. It’s the most intelligent animals that exhibit the most playful behavior. Domesticated animals play their whole lives.
The opposite of play is not work. The opposite of play is depression. —psychologist Brian Sutton-Smith
Fear destroys curiosity and playfulness. In order to have a healthy society we must raise children who can safely play and learn.2
Rutger Bregman, Humankind: A Hopeful History ↩︎
Bessel Van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score ↩︎