Play vs. fun

[Barrett Dorko]

Donaldson's premise is that "play" is distinct from contest, and that its attributes are essential for a great deal of personal growth and for the most therapeutic forms of human relationship. In play, he posits, "we don't know that we are different than each other," and that this field of interaction engenders self-revelation, authenticity, and insights across generations and cultural divisions.

From my review of Playing By Heart here

I recently worked in a department managed by a company whose name included an “F” at the beginning of one word. I was told, “The “F” stands for fun!”

This makes me nauseous.

I’m very much in favor of playful encounters when it comes to creating and maintaining a context for treatment, but “fun” is a mutation of this. It usually includes raucous laughter, balloons flying about and bouncing balls that threaten patients in pain. The movements during fun are unexpected, protective and confounding to a brain that wants thoughtful precision and a unique expression of its own voice.

Play invites participation while another’s “fun” may not. Play invites creativity. Fun suggests adherence to rules.

Therapy should certainly be a place where play can be found, but making it “fun” is thoughtless, juvenile and, in the end, someone else’s job.

Yea, I said it.

[Frédéric]

Humm.

How about making the exercices you have someone do at home be at least a bit fun so they decide to do them. For instance, the self sliders neuromobs in Butler's books that try to «mimic a bee» or a «snoby smoker».

Is this type of fun OK?

I totally agree that the clinic is not kindergarden or a gym and that therapy is not a game.

For me fun means : with an element of pleasure involved (that may includes laughter at times).

[Barrett Dorko]

I've nothing against fun. But it can't compare to the intricacy and thoughtfulness of play. I see fun as a subset of play and I feel the two may overlap despite the fact they aren't the same thing; play being the larger of the two. And play often includes laughter of the sort that arises from seeing the truth in situations, even when absurdity is revealed.

"We were having fun until you showed up" sounds familiar - far more so than "When you appeared the play ended." Fun is fragile and transient, almost weightless. Play easily reaches a profound level when all its layers and possibilities are examined.

Fun's fine, but it doesn't encourage creativity like play can, and I'd suggest that the movements for neural mobilization are more accurately described as "playful" when done most effectively. This doesn't mean it isn't fun to do them, but I doubt that's enough.

[Frédéric]

I think I get your point Barrett, and I agree.

[Barrett Dorko]

Frederic,

In a world where entertainment trumps actual news it's easy for us to grow confused about what's important. Lady Gaga's meat dress was more thoroughly reported than the wars we're in last week.

But a few years ago Albert Einstein said this:

Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature of productive thought.

When patients are "having fun" they probably aren't learning, but when they are engaged playfully, well, you know.

[Jon Newman]

In this To the Best of Our Knowledge podcast, Lynda Barry discusses play and creativity. She says,

I don't consider the arts, or what we call the arts, or what kids call play...I don't consider it to be decoration. I think it has an absolute biological function...meaning an absolute very important biological function. And I also think we all have the capacity for it even though we may not recognize it. And the way I explain it pretty simply to people is...

You'll have to listen to the podcast (which you can do for free) for the rest.