Have you ever wondered why playfulness seems to be such an essential ingredient in living a fulfilling and meaningful life? A recent paper by Julian Kiverstein and Mark Miller, titled “Playfulness and the meaningful life: an active inference perspective,” sheds light on this intriguing question by examining playfulness through the lens of the active inference framework (AIF).
But first, what exactly is active inference? In simple terms, it’s a theory that proposes our brains are constantly making predictions about the world and then updating these predictions based on the sensory information we receive. The brain aims to minimise the difference between its predictions and reality, a process known as minimising “prediction error.” Active inference suggests that we don’t passively perceive the world, but actively engage with it to bring our predictions closer to reality.
Now, let’s dive into how playfulness fits into this framework. Kiverstein and Miller argue that playful individuals have learned to tolerate and even embrace uncertainty in certain safe contexts. They actively seek out situations that challenge their predictions, creating what the authors call “consumable errors” – discrepancies between expectation and reality that are neither too simple nor too complex to resolve. By engaging with these “just-right” surprises, playful individuals create opportunities for learning and growth.
The paper highlights three key ways in which playfulness contributes to a meaningful life:
- Openness to experience: Playful individuals tend to approach the world with curiosity and a willingness to explore the unknown. They are less constrained by rigid expectations and more open to experiencing the present moment with fresh eyes.
- Seeking challenges: Playfulness often involves pursuing activities at the edge of one’s abilities, which provides fertile ground for developing skills and relationships. By embracing uncertainty and challenge, playful individuals are more likely to experience personal growth.
- Emotional regulation: Through play, individuals can learn to observe and model their own affective responses to uncertainty. This metacognitive process allows them to gain a degree of psychological distance from their emotions, enabling more flexible and adaptive behaviour.
Kiverstein and Miller suggest that these aspects of playfulness share a common thread: a tolerance for uncertainty. By installing a high-level prior belief that uncertainty is sometimes safe to explore, playful individuals expand their capacity to engage with the world in a way that is conducive to learning, growth, and ultimately, flourishing.
The active inference framework provides a compelling lens through which to understand the value of playfulness in our lives. It suggests that by embracing uncertainty and challenge, we not only open ourselves up to moments of joy and pleasure but also cultivate the skills and dispositions necessary for a truly meaningful existence. So, the next time you find yourself drawn to a playful pursuit, remember that you may be engaging in a profound process of learning and growth – one that just might hold the key to a life well-lived.
