3 ms·

This really became vivid for me the last time I visited the Kruger National Park in South Africa. I was in a wooden hide overlooking a small lake, and was lucky

by jsinai 6y ago

This really became vivid for me the last time I visited the Kruger National Park in South Africa. I was in a wooden hide overlooking a small lake, and was lucky enough to witness a herd of about 20-30 elephants emerge from the bush on the other side of the lake. For the next hour they did nothing but play in the water under the baking heat (this was one of South Africa’s hottest Decembers on record). One of the baby elephants was particularly mischievous and enjoyed spraying it’s mother with water from behind. When the herd decided to leave, this baby elephant and another insisted on staying for a few more minutes. It was funny to see the mother’s come back and get them. Elephants really are incredible creatures, which I had seen many times but never like this. All the seriousness in their imposing size disappeared quite literally in the water. It was amazing to see a group of animals in the wild do nothing but play. It reminded me that we humans sometimes just need to do the same as well, with no reason or productive purpose.

londons_explore 6y ago
> with no reason or productive purpose. To learn the productive purpose, try sitting in the corner while everyone else plays. After a while, you'll find yourself shunned from all kinds of activities, and even maybe bullied and considered an outcast. Do it long enough and it might affect your mental health and lead you down a path of depression or suicide... Which leads to a possible purpose... It's detecting "bad" community members and expelling them. Nearly all animals that play also sometimes expel or kill some members of their own community.
vram22 6y ago
>It was amazing to see a group of animals in the wild do nothing but play. In fact that is the norm in the wild, and even among primitive tribes today. Also among many non-primitive but simpler (than us) people in rural areas. >It reminded me that we humans sometimes just need to do the same as well, with no reason or productive purpose. Yes. See this linked comment and my reply to it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24860432 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24860432

by jsinai 6y ago

londons_explore 6y ago

> with no reason or productive purpose. To learn the productive purpose, try sitting in the corner while everyone else plays. After a while, you'll find yourself shunned from all kinds of activities, and even maybe bullied and considered an outcast. Do it long enough and it might affect your mental health and lead you down a path of depression or suicide... Which leads to a possible purpose... It's detecting "bad" community members and expelling them. Nearly all animals that play also sometimes expel or kill some members of their own community.

vram22 6y ago

>It was amazing to see a group of animals in the wild do nothing but play. In fact that is the norm in the wild, and even among primitive tribes today. Also among many non-primitive but simpler (than us) people in rural areas. >It reminded me that we humans sometimes just need to do the same as well, with no reason or productive purpose. Yes. See this linked comment and my reply to it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24860432 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24860432