Human beings, in contrast to all other animals, are born totally helpless and remain that way for a long time. This is because we had to strike a compromise in order to walk upright. Human beings are capable of some highly sophisticated and unique movements, such as running on two legs, creating artwork with our hands, and producing intelligible speech. To accomplish these feats we need very big brains. Unfortunately, walking around so that our hands are free means our pelvis needs to be relatively small. A tidy little solution to this problem is that human beings are born very early in their development; even full-term babies are extremely premature by animal-kingdom standards. A baby chimpanzee is pretty independent and is able to get around at much the same level as a two-year-old child. A baby gnu literally hits the ground running, up on its hooves and traveling with the herd within minutes after birth. By contrast, at birth, the only voluntary movements a baby can accomplish are sucking and crying.
Imagine what it must be like to emerge from the darkness of the womb into the hustle and bustle of world. Philosopher and psychologist William James called it a “blooming, buzzing confusion,” but the orderly process of development begins almost immediately. The baby seeks to explore the world, to see, to reach and grasp, and then to go. A baby doesn’t need a personal trainer for motivation or instruction to roll over, crawl, walk, or run.
As the brain and nervous system begin to coordinate the muscles of the lips, tongue, and throat children will begin to speak. There is no need to teach them this; all they need is exposure to normal speech of their environment. In fact, it takes real effort to suppress these behaviors. Yet, we manage. As we get older, many of us become sedentary, stuck, and immobile. What happens to our inner drive to try new things and move, and how do we rekindle it?
The answer, of course, is play. Play is truly magical. It is the abracadabra moment when we create something out of nothing. Play is fun and spontaneous. Playful movement engages and involves us. Many of the great minds of history attribute their genius not to books or universities but to their ability to continue to look at and explore the world with childlike wonder. Play depends on movement. If we play without moving, we are daydreaming. Daydreaming and imagination are very important components of keeping the creative fires burning. Play means we must act on our thoughts or else that fire is simply an illusion, like a cheap gas log.
Conversely, play without imagination is usually boring and unsatisfying. Sounds a lot like exercise. Children and adults require frequent, vigorous active movement to keep our brains healthy. One of the most memorable slogans in advertising history is, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” To waste a brain is even worse. So, unless you want to end up like the sea squirt whose brain dissolves when it goes from swimming around the ocean to sticking to a rock, I suggest you channel your inner child and get moving!
