Why Humans Play

AUDIO RECORDING of this article:
Humankind plays to survive and survives to play. In fact, play embodies the many contradictions that life on earth forces us to confront and accept. A young child requires play to secure his survival in a dangerous world where death lurks in unlikely corners, thus securing his welcome into adulthood. An adult requires play so that he may recollect the sensations of youth and cling to life as death and decay cast foreboding shadows over him. But, of course, the substance of play is more than just survival, it is life itself.
A human at play is a three-dimensional art form which transcends time, space and reality. Watching play occur is captivating and reinvigorates the actor as well as the observer. The body takes on the abstractions of the mind and the mind absorbs the concrete experiences of the body as it forms a bridge between actual and counterfactual realities. Within play, just as with life, beauty and peace coexist with conflict and evil. Balance is sought and order is kept.
Leave a Reply