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"Man is a luxury-loving animal. Take away play, fancies, and luxuries, and you will turn man into a dull, sluggish creature, barely energetic enough to obtain a bare subsistence. A society becomes stagnant when its people are too rational or too serious to be tempted by baubles."
I don't I've ever met a society or a group of people who are too rational, but I know I've met those who are too serious, who believe that the only worthwhile activity is making money, and who assign value on the basis of whether it is profitable. If they can't make a profit on it, it has no value. They may play golf but only because one can make profitable contacts out on the greens.
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"To be aware how fruitful the playful mood can be is to be immune to the propaganda of the alienated, which extols resentment as a fuel of achievement."
30
"It is a juvenile notion that a society needs a lofty purpose and a shining vision to achieve much. Both in the marketplace and on the battlefield men who set their hearts on toys have often displayed unequaled initiative and drive. And one must be ignorant of the creative process to look for a close correspondence between motive and achievement in the world of thought and imagination."
-- Eric Hoffer --
from Reflections on the Human Condition
Hoffer is not alone when he speaks of the importance of fun and play. For a similar point of view, go to two posts on Lin Yutang, one dated October 10, 2011 and another on June 6, 2011.
Is fiction play?
"Is fiction play?" It is for me. Like what's written in your post, it's a "world of thought and imagination". I especially liked this part of the post:"Take away play, fancies, and luxuries, and you will turn man into a dull, sluggish creature, barely energetic enough to obtain a bare subsistence." That kind of describes how I feel without my fiction books, lol.
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
Of the three quotations, my favorite is the first: it sets the tone for the others.
And the discussion groups and blogs are also a form of play.