Games Response - Play Teams

One interesting aspect of play that I've been keen to and that I got to see in action last Tuesday is the concept of play invitation. When I get older, I realized that my approach to inviting others to play with me got so much more timid. Children are generally more open to try new things, most likely because they have solipsistic tendencies until their brains unlock the ability understand philosophical realism, where everyone knows, does, and thinks different things. These, I suppose, I can consider concrete roadblocks to social interaction. All other tendencies that can be learned and un-learned I would call psychological roadblocks. With no attempt to deny that infinite variance of others, I will attempt to identify two psychological roadblocks of my own that have crept into my social engagement.

The first would probably be my tendency to harshly criticize, and the projected fear that I would be equally severely criticized. I would even venture to say that the most serious obstacle in showcasing my art is the fear that I might cause myself to be ridiculed in public. The optimist in me would point out that I usually fare well in theater, music, movies, and public speaking; I therefore could not confidently call it "stage fright." "Backstage fright" would be more accurate. That would encapsulate my anxiousness before debut and after curtain call. I do this knowing full well that beneath their obligatory applause may rest a feeling of disgust, embarrassment, or confusion. Known just as well is my own predisposition to hate, and my 25-year battle trying not to see the bad in everything.

The other boils down to laziness. For me, doing nothing is something to do. Even talking to someone in my own little corner of the world would be doing something. I like to keep to myself often, reflecting on my own thoughts unencumbered by tiresome dissent. I frequently withdraw from sharing media with friends for fear that its admired qualities will spread, and I no longer have exclusive rights to something that makes me feel innately superior.

These are both crushing obstacles to creative collaboration. As children, our innocence, and the fact that we have no financial risk, means we can explore ideas with friends for fun, and without the temptation to get all entrepreneurial. At least, for leisure, I hit those psychological roadblocks. As I do look forward to having children one day, I hope to prevent these roadblocks from building themselves. The constant pressure from my parents to "keep up appearances," and to "honor the family name," hindered my confidence to embrace my most creative tendencies. I believe that children with developed talents and unstructured playtime excel, and I would never wish to deprive that of my children.