Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Power of Play

It has been quite a while since I posted my last entry. I think I was kind of hibernating. What woke me up from this frozen state is the April showers- loud, abundant and nourishing. I naturally anticipate beautiful May flowers.  

In such a blissful spring morning, when skimming through the various online news sources, I came across an article about "play" ...it can't get any better. Play has been considered by many as a "kid thing"-  a childhood pastime. Yet, recently there is a shift in this view and most parents realize that play "plays" a crucial role in the overall development of the child. But, realizing this fact does not free many of us from seeing "play" as something that belongs to the sphere of childhood. 

The article that I have read in this rainy spring morning talks about David Graeber's suggestion that "there is a play principle at the basis of all physical reality," that it is universal and it does not necessarily serve a function. It can be an action for the sheer pleasure of acting. 

According to Graeber, "to exercise one's capacities to their fullest extent is to take pleasure in one's own existence, and with sociable creatures, such pleasures are proportionally magnified when performed in company." What I understand from this statement is that not only that pleasure is a vital part of play, but also performing it in company enhances its effect. As relational creatures, who mostly gravitate towards pleasure, we are bound to play at any age. It is my personal observation that those of us, who can bear irrationality and uncertainty of the existence remain  more playful than the others.  

Have a playful rest of Sunday. 

To read the NPR article, click here.
To read the original article of David Graeber, click here




No comments:

Post a Comment