110 - the Play Instinct (Showmanship & Play 10)

5 snips

Jul 9, 2024

Explore the fascinating idea that play may be an inherent human instinct. Discover how this drive could have evolved and its significance beyond childhood enjoyment. The conversation connects the concept of flow to playful experiences, showcasing how play rejuvenates creativity in adults too. Dive into the contrasting worlds of informal play and structured sports, emphasizing the joy and responsibility found in unstructured play. Finally, reflect on the evolutionary roots of play and its lasting impact on development throughout life.

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Intro

00:00 • 5min

The Value of Play: Instinct and Imagination

05:04 • 16min

The Interplay of Flow and Play

21:23 • 5min

The Dynamics of Play in Childhood

26:29 • 19min

The Evolution of Play and Its Ancestral Roots

45:06 • 2min

"Instincts are the whispers of our ancestors." - Quote by yours truly.

In this episode we explore whether our inclination to play might actually be an innate human drive. Do we human beings possess an instinct to play? If so, how and why would something like that evolve?
By understanding how something came into being we often learn valuable lessons today. Also, if it turns out that humans does have a play instinct, and I believe we do, then this is a powerful indicator that play is a whole lot more important than "just something kids do."

Links:
To unpack the concept of flow a little more here is a TED talk by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who coined the term.

Maileg Mice - a link so you can see how these cute Danish toy mice looks.

Peter Gray is an American psychology researcher and scholar we will talk about Along the Way. Here is a TED talk by him so you can familiarize yourself with him and his ideas. And here is a longer talk about Learning Through Play

Here's a link to the article about injuries in children's sports:
"sports injuries are the second leading cause of emergency room visits for children and adolescents, and the second leading cause of injuries in school."

Finite and infinite games by James Carse

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