Words to Ponder # 12
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Words to Ponder # 12

18 Dec Words to Ponder # 12

Posted at 14:03h in Culture, Human Development, I Like This, Play, What's New, Words to Ponder by

Brian Sutton-Smith was a pioneer in researching the intellectual, social and cultural history of play. He passed away this past March at the age of 90. World renowned for the thoroughness of his scholarly writings, he is also very quotable. Here’s one of his most famous:

The opposite of play is not a present reality or work, it is depression. 

 15SUttONSMITH-dog-obit-facebookJumbo

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3 Comments
  • loisholzman
    Posted at 18:25h, 18 December

    Richard and Lonny,
    Glad the quoted words inspired such eloquent and poetic ones from the two of you!

  • Richard Patik
    Posted at 17:25h, 18 December

    Love this quote, Lois. Thanks for giving it.

    Parents and schools sow human seeds in non-playful, sponge-like, labor-camp-like environments (gardens) — gravely teaching (and ‘learning’) to the test. At graduation they and our socio-cultural-economy harvest depressive close-eyed automatons readied and molded for the WORKforce who then are diagnosed as disordered and “treated” so they can adjust to this insanity.

    Thank goodness there are places (like ESI and improv classes) where play and a playful mindset are encouraged and expected, nurtured, allowed and performed. Places to look and see instead of accreting knowing.

  • Lonny Meinecke
    Posted at 14:25h, 18 December

    Wow – thank you once again Lois for such a wonderful quote. The need for play – suspended – is a child in a chair made to sit still while grown ups discuss unneeded things. It’s like a garden that grows depression from seeds of neglect.
    — Lonny

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