Work Versus Play
What separates the two? The question has some hidden depths—especially after reading Play Money last weekend, which details the world of trading virtual assets in MMORPGs. Also, I spent my weekend happily fascinated by JavaScript challenges that a lot of people would have difficulty distinguishing from the “normal work” of a web developer.
The difference between work and play has occupied me for quite a while. I don’t think that play equals flow activity while work equals not-flow activity. But then again, if I manage to hit the flow state while working, I consider that a very good thing, and would often prefer that to a non-flow state when not working.
Still, the difference likely runs deeper. I suspect it has a lot to do with control. If you feel that you have control over what you’re doing, and that your choice to do it was free (and without obligation, e.g. not doing a task as a favor to someone), then your activity counts as play (or, at least, as not-work). Whereas if the task feels put upon you by exterior forces, that makes it work.
Which all sounds fine until you ask closer questions about the nature of obligation… after all, most of us exerted a considerable amount of choice to do what we do. It may not seem that way, but we did. And do. And even the things we have chosen to do, freely, for ourselves, occasionally feel very like work.
I don’t know the answer, but I consider the question rather important. I certainly think I need more play in my life. If attitude (to whatever activity) defines play, I need some attitudinal shifts; if control over the activity defines play, I need more recognition of my own control of my life, and more exertion of that control.
Perhaps a key facet of play comes from doing without fear, or doing while embracing the overcoming of fear. Those also sound like good ideas.
17 Apr 2007 at 23:27
If this sentence is true:
If you feel that you have control over what you’re doing, and that your choice to do it was free (and without obligation, e.g. not doing a task as a favor to someone), then your activity counts as play (or, at least, as not-work).
then I have to conclude that I have never worked a single day in my life…
I still vividly remember my previous boss shouting at me in the act of desperation: “Can you, PLEASE, at least once in your life do what I am asking you to do!?!”
PS Did I mention that I love “random selection”?
18 Apr 2007 at 09:34
Ha! Well, good for you! (I mean that sincerely.) But it’s possible that my definition is too unfair to the concept of work. It’s not easy to discern the difference between “play” and “work that one enjoys and is doing voluntarily”, especially without being unfair to one concept or the other (or bringing in highly subjective concepts like “seriousness”).
That anecdote about your boss is pretty funny, too!
I’m glad you like the random selection feature! As I add more content (including various things from the past that were elsewhere not just the daily posts) it will be come deeper, and have less likelihood of repetition, too.