Rational | Play

I start my paper announcing that play is a state of mind.  This will lead to being able to dispel any preconceived notions about what play is.  This will lay the ground work for an agreed upon definition from my reader that might differ from what they previously perceived play to be.  I will quote from Stuart Brown’s Ted Talk “Play is more than just Fun” as well as perhaps some other scholars who tried to define play.  Then, I will delve into what play from my perspective.  It is a psychological state born out of a physical experience.  It is a state of mind that allows or a mental, emotional and physical presence that is fluid (non-linear) thinking, judgment and ego free, with the ability to look at circumstances and problems from all angles, and allows for transformation of all thoughts.

I will then discuss that if the practice mediation can lead to increased mindfulness, than the practice of play can lead to increased playfulness.  This will set up the idea that play can be taught, and that the brain can adapt to a more playful state.  Although I don’t go into detail about what a play conditioning program is here, this lays the groundwork and support for when I do and the presenting of my thesis.

Next, I will discuss how play is being threatened and becoming a lost art in our current culture.  I will support this idea through discussing how the technology boom has diminished time spent in three dimensional object play and group or individual imaginative play.  Stuart Brown will be a potential source to quote at this time, as it was in his book that I first read the terms “three dimensional object play” and “social imaginative play” in relation to various other types of play that people engage in.  Also to support how play is becoming a lost art, I will talk about our increased lack of social and interpersonal skills.  The use of facebook, texting, online game playing, snapchat – you name it – has carved away at the ability for an individual to recognize subtle social queues and the “play face.”  By presenting how play itself is disappearing from our culture, this will show the very present need for implementing play programs. 

I unveil the need and then present the solution.  The solution being implementing play conditioning programs in various forms.  I will briefly discuss what play conditioning is – repetitive exposure to positive play. This repetitive positive play exposure will promote brain change.  This leads way to the topic of neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt and change).  I will discuss how our society is no longer capable of teaching play to our young, and how adults have lost the ability to play.  We cannot change the current trajectory of society, therefore our only option is to accept this “new norm” and provide a solution of implementing play through artificial means. Now, I am prepared to present my thesis:  Engaging in play conditioning exercise to develop and maintain a playful state of mind is not only possible due to recent findings on neuroplasticity, but also critical to an individual’s happiness and ability to thrive in the modern and emerging world.  Learning how the brain creates new neural pathways, in conjunction with a clear appreciation and understanding of play, will expertly guide the development of a success play conditioning program vital to the future

I will begin the discussion of play in depth by first examining it evolutionarily.  This is a nice chronological way to start.  Some key aspects of how and why play survived evolution are its ability to build resilience to stress and trauma, prepare the young for adult life and necessary adult skills, as well as a key role in mate preference.  This will support the discussion that play cannot be taken lightly, and that it is in our best interest as a species that play continues to survive evolution.

After discussing the more rudimentary and physical reasons for play in relation to our thriving as a species and individual, I will then delve into the more subtle but equally necessary psychological benefits.  Through presenting that play is our deepest and earliest form of connection, and this early connection is critical to proper brain development, I hope to cause alarm and given my earlier claim that play is vanishing - thus again support my thesis for play conditioning programs.  I intend to play on heart strings by discussing how babies in orphanages suffer improper brain development from lack of human touch and connection.  I plan to draw upon my own experience in India as a small child adopting my sister from a poverty stricken adoption center in Calcutta.

Next, I plan to discuss not only how connecting through play is necessary for raising our young properly, but also a key aspect of maintaining successful relationships as adults.  It is my belief that “the couple that plays together stays together.”  Through play we release our ego, open our hearts, become better listeners and most of all have fun.  These traits allow for deep connection and communication, resulting in more successful marriages and relationships or all kinds.  Not only, does the individual unit need play to become resilient to life stress, as previously discussed, so does the couple or family unit.  To support this claim, I plan to use personal experience as well as quotes from Patch Adams here who believes the expression of play is on-par with love.  Harking back to earlier claims how our ability to connect through play in now in jeopardy due to human integration with technology and away from each other,  I will now prove with even more alarm the value of and current need for more connection through play.

After presenting the benefits of play within relationships, it stands to reason the next topic is the benefit of play in relation to work.  The various benefits I plan to discuss are how playfulness predicts creativity, is the other side of the coin to math and science aptitudes, and perhaps most importantly - fosters high level solution oriented out of the box thinking.  This is an excellent set up to discuss the use of the playful mind when working in corporate settings.  I will discuss how play allows for co-workers to solve problems and create with more innovation, quicker and with more joy and ease - resulting in increased employee satisfaction, and an increased bottom line for the company.

Lastly, I will discuss the benefits of a playful mind in relationship to ourselves.  A playful mind promotes a kinder, more accepting attitude towards ourselves, and resilience to challenging life circumstances.  To illuminate this, I will discuss how a playful mind allows for the transformation of grief and trauma, releases the need for perfection, promotes acceptance of the things one cannot change, and provides confidence to change the things one can.  All of this leads to increased personal happiness.  Which sets up a discussion for what is known as the “happiness set point” and how given neuroplasticity our own predisposition to happiness is more in our control than previously thought.  I will then introduce the “playfulness set point.”

The concept of neuroplasticity is now introduced and given its recent discovery and proof, I will briefly explain what neuroplasticity is so the reader and I are on the same page.  I then intend to give both empathy for the difficulty and required discipline of changing and building new positive play prone neuro-pathways of the brain, as well as encouragement.  It is important that I present the idea of play conditioning program with lightheartedness.  The last thing I want is my reader to feel is daunted by such a suggestion.  I want the reader to feel inspired and wishing they could attend a play class tomorrow to start reaping the benefits and feeling better. 

I am now ready to conclude my paper through pulling all the presented information together and with a simple reintroduction of my thesis:  It is imperative that our culture’s value of play dramatically increases – and quickly too.  If not, we are headed for not just an unhappy overworked future, but also one void of human connection, and resilient, creative individuals.  But change is possible.  Through well designed play conditioning programs and studios as easy to attend as your weekly yoga class – the benefits of a playful state of mind is the new thing, necessary to thrive in the modern world,  and within all of our reach.