111 - How Play Manifests in the World pt 1 of 2 (Showmanship & Play 11)

Adults and children spend their days differently - we work, babies play. Play is the signature of childhood. It’s a living, visible manifestation of imagination and learning I action.Allison GopnikIf play is a constant and a genuine human drive, how do we recognise it when we see it in the world? Or more specifically; in which kind of behaviours does play manifest itself? We have looked at the five specific criteria, or characteristics of play, it’s fun and enjoyable, seemingly purposeless, it’s self motivated, there are rules involved, and it’s a free and imaginative improvisation. Each of these five criteria are characteristics of the process we call play, but in the same way a person is multifaceted and must be expressed through more than five specific features, I would expect that we could get a better grasp of what the play instinct looks like by finding more ways it manifests itself in the world. What kind of behaviours or attributes are playful? To answer this question I think it would be good to start looking at those who plays the most, those whom for play is their natural way of being in the world; children.Then I look at the first of the manifestations of the play impulse which I believe is curiosity.Links:Here's some info on Ashley Montague.Here's the goodreads link to Montague's book Growing Young and here's a write up about the book in the New York TimesThis is an interview with Tyson Yunkaporta who's wonderful book Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World is a good and worthwhile read.Support the show...After a long abscence our Merch Shop is back! Check out t-shirts, hoddies, and hats! Show yourself as a Follower of the Way of the Showman.You can also "listen" to the Way of the Showman at youtube.If you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to  contact me about anyhthing ou can reach me on [email protected] can find out more on the Way of the Showman website.Follow the Way of the Showman on Instagram.If you're compelled to suport the showes and have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo