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acfox13 t1_izd5gln wrote

Reply to comment by MBTHVSK in Understanding games may hold the secret to living the good life, says philosopher by grh55

Look into Jaak Paksap's work on affective neuroscience. PLAY is one of the core brain systems he defined in his work.

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Zaptruder t1_izdearg wrote

Play... otherwise known as figuring out the boundaries, the affective actions, and required behaviours to maximize gain within that limited field of engagement.

In other words, games allow us to deconstruct a complex environment with limitless variables into one that can be easily comprehended and navigated, which would provide significant evolutionary advantages!

The trick of life is to perceiving and choosing which games to play.

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VersaceEauFraiche t1_izet7ev wrote

This reminds me of Nietzsche's posit, contra Darwin, that life is not about survival and reproduction, but about a will to power. Life is about demonstrating mastery over competitors, joyous expression of power, owning space, etc.

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