Which of these photos is the silliest?
All of them!
It is easy to recognize silly. People who are showing a lack of common sense or judgement. Absurd and foolish behavior is easy to spot. Some say it isn’t practical, productive, or efficient. So do they ever get anything done?
According to Rene Proyer, Professor of Psychology at Martin-Luther Univ. Halle-Wittenburg in Germany, playful people are productive. They possess the following traits:
- novel problem solvers
- calm stress managers
- consistent emotional stabilizers
- new experience seekers
Sounds good. How do I become more playful? Proyer has identified four categories of playfulness: Other-directed, Light-hearted, Intellectual and Whimsical. Read the descriptions below to see which one you most closely identify and exploit this on your next opportunity.
Playful people see potentially stressful events in a less threatening manner and more of a positive challenge.
Other-Directed
You prefert to play with others
Examples: Pranks, creating skits, and playing improv games.
Light-Hearted
Life’s routines = a game
Example: Red light challenge: Count the # of red objects in your field of view. Try to beat # that at the next red light.
Intellectual
Self amusement through thoughts, ideas and challenges.
Examples: Creating rhyming birthday poems, writing jokes, making up songs
Whimiscal
You are entertained by daily observations
Examples: That cloud looks like a teddy bear, talk with an accent, walk silly
The willingness to do silly things, to be playful, can be like saying, “We are going to relax the constraints of the world.”
