Playing means taking on a role that is different from our usual one, believing the role to be true and acting in consequence; it involves being able to submerge ourselves in an another reality so as to experience a life that is, at that precise moment, 80% of true reality, for which reason we play.
“In a world full of coaching, team building and trainers, we have to acknowledge that we play like children!” states Juanjo Valderrama, member of the quality control department of gottraining, the Seville-based experience marketing and team building specialists. “We are tired of hearing people talk about activities that cloak what is really behind words that pretend to have the same meaning, but with a jacket and tie. We don’t mind acknowledging the truth; in fact we are proud of it: we play!”
“A person who is experienced at a job has had enough time to completely assimilate it and identify and resolve most of the problems that arise. That which we have experienced first-hand remains more clearly engraved on our minds than any explanation given to us by others, regardless of the time and effort we have dedicated to assimilating that explanation. That’s what play is all about; it is way of training one’s brain to act in a future situation; it’s a way of nearly living an experience, so that when it occurs, we will know how to react. This is the reason why we play!”
“Maybe it seems serious from this perspective, but playing is a serious business,” concludes Valderrama. “Socio-affective methodology, significant learning, living experience…”
