Memes.

“An idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture”

~ src Wikipedia (so it must be accurate, right?)

I’m wondering about how Memes are spread in children. We have all seen the recent media interest reboot in the Titanic disaster. This has come in both televised drama as well as documentaries.
As if that Celine Dion track didn’t haunt our souls enough.

But here we are amid it, and my son, yesterday came to me, somewhat excitedly and says:

“Hey Dad, we were playing Titanic today!”

“Really, what did you do?”

“Yeah, I had to save babies.”

“I had to dive down really deep and get them.” 

“Then I had to look after them and hold them in my arms like this” (mimes cradling motion in arms)

“I saved 20 babies!”

I was both intrigued and touched by my little boy’s tale. Of course, I was pleased that he was playing out the Hero archetype, bravely plumbing the ocean’s salty depths to save defenceless younglings.

I also was struck, why don’t we – as adults do more of this?

What is the spirit of play, and how does it facilitate learning?

I’m still musing, but needless to say, the connection with zero pressure (it doesn’t matter if I screw up) has somethign to do with it, along with being in a state of fun.

I’ve got nowhere with my first question though, that is, why we, as adults don’t do this, or rather it appears frowned upon, or maybe we do it less consciously as we get older.

I understand that partially it may be due to reality biting, that is, it’s unrealistic to your visualising beating your adversary with a Streetfighter II Fireball – or Ha-Do-Ken (wave-motion-fist).

Ha Do Ken!

That said, pressure-free experimentation leads to advances and progression, so if you were going to have a limitless play, whether in business or sport or some other area, what would you do and play?

How would you stand, breathe, speak and act and what would you believe?

I dare you to try it.

You never know, it might just lead to some insight that changes something you do, someone you are or someone else.

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