The author Stuart Brown, M. The dog, staked near a camp, suddenly spots a polar bear approaching. In other words, this particular bear is starving.
The bear continues toward the dog, seemingly sizing up its next meal. But something strange and unexpected happens. The dog, obviously outmatched by a long shot, bows its head and begins wagging its tail.
The bear then approaches the dog in a loping manner, and a moment later the two of them are wrestling with each other. After about 15 minutes, the bear departs, seemingly uplifted by the friendly and playful encounter, even if still emaciated and hungry.
The bear could have easily devoured the dog to satisfy its pangs of hunger, yet there was another, more powerful impulse that it acted on, a desire that was greater than its own survival. Play is a common activity among many animals, especially mammals with high cognitive abilities such as canines, felines, dolphins, primates, and, of course, human beings. Playing is built into our very nature. While this may not be a revelatory finding, and even though most of us would admit there is something inherently good and nourishing about play and recreation, many of our behaviors indicate otherwise.
Children today play much less than children did only a few decades ago, mostly because of the heightened importance placed on achievement and the preparation for adulthood. And for adults, play and recreation has given way increasingly to societal pressures to be ever more productive. Pursue your purpose at PLNU. However, it turns out that play, recreation, and leisure are necessary for a full and flourishing life for a host of reasons.
