Portable Wisdom

Author: Steven Johnson

Quotations


This strange hankering for play and surprise

That exploratory, expansive drive is what separates delight from demand: when we are in play mode, we are open to new surprises, while our base appetites focus the mind on the urgent needs of staying alive. Understanding that distinction is critical to understanding why play – despite its seemingly frivolous veneer – has led to so many important discoveries and innovations. The question of why the Home sapiens brain possesses this strange hankering for play and surprise is a fascinating one….

From the book Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World

— 2016

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