Make believe scenarios in childhood allow for excitement, creativity, and exploration of different roles and beliefs.
As adults, holding onto make believe beliefs like religion or identity can offer emotional comfort and connections, despite lacking factual truth.
Deep dives
The Role of Make Believe in Childhood
Children engage in make believe scenarios like imagining monsters and hot lava, creating new roles and situations for themselves. These scenarios provide excitement and allow them to feel protected or heroic. Make believe serves a purpose in letting kids explore different beliefs and roles, fostering creativity and imagination.
Make Believe in Adulthood
As people grow up, they may still hold onto make believe beliefs that provide emotional comfort or a sense of purpose, even if they are not factually true. Believing in stories or concepts like religion, philosophies, or identities can offer benefits in daily life and connections to communities. While these beliefs may not be grounded in truth, their usefulness lies in the roles and perspectives they enable individuals to adopt.
Kids scream, “Monster in the hallway!”, and hide behind the couch. They stack up cushions for protection, and plan their defense. They know it’s not true — there’s not really a monster in the hallway — but it’s exciting to feel the adrenaline of panic, then make a shelter and feel safe.
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