What’s your play personality?

TL;DR - If you know how you like to play, you can play more of it, and bring yourself more happiness ??.

Play your way?

My favorite way to play might be a total drag for you. I think this is one of the greatest attributes of play: you get to decide what’s fun for you.?

Kids do this naturally, as they gravitate toward certain games, activities, and sports.?

I think it’s important for grownups to reflect on the kinds of play they enjoy most, because play is a secret superpower that brings happiness. If we know how we like to play, we might play more, and become happier ??.

Play is personal

Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, came up with the concept of the ‘play personality.’ While it’s true that each person’s favorite way to play is specific to them, Dr. Brown found there were common themes. He identified 8 play personality types, which I summarize below.?

People can enjoy multiple types of play, but Dr. Brown found most people tend to have one dominant play personality type.?

I’d love to hear what you think. Do these play personality types ring true? Is anything missing? Do you think you have one play personality, or several? I share my own thoughts at the bottom of this edition.?

8 play personalities

• The Joker - Jokers play with humor and silliness. Examples: comedians, pranksters.?
• The Kinesthete - Kinesthetes play by moving their bodies. Examples: dancers, athletes.?
• The Explorer - Explorers play by expanding their mental or physical boundaries. Examples: inventors, outdoors enthusiasts.?
• The Competitor - Competitors play to win in competition with themselves or others. Examples: athletes who have a trophy collection, video game high-score seekers.
• The Director - Directors play by organizing groups of people. Examples: party hosts, outing organizers.?
• The Collector - Collectors play by seeking and keeping interesting stuff. Examples: people who collect things, experiences, or ideas.?
• The Artist/Creator - Artists/creators play by making things. Examples: musicians, gardeners.?
• The Storyteller - Storytellers play with their imagination. Examples: writers, performers, readers, viewers.?

Personal(ity) reflection

For me, Dr. Brown’s personality types are useful to help me reflect on what types of play I like best, so I can do more of them. If I had to pick a favorite, it’s the Kinesthete. A lot of my favorite ways to play involve movement, like skiing which is my all-time favorite play. And then the Storyteller would be a close second, as anyone who’s heard one of my meandering tales can attest. And I also dig the Explorer, the Joker and the Artist/Creator.?

Given I see myself in many of the play personalities, I’m not sure it’s as valuable to think of a dominant type. In general, our personalities aren’t singular. We all contain a collection of personality traits.?

Our personalities also aren’t fixed. Psychologist Daniel Gilbert wrote about the End of History Illusion, where people at every stage of life a) recognize that their personalities have changed alot in their lives to date but b) radically underestimate how much their personalities will change in the next stage of life.?

I’ll bet most of us have more than one play personality we like to express in a given week, and these shift over time. That variety in play is good for our brains, especially if we’re learning to play something new. Research has shown that ‘effortful learning’ of new skills preserves new brain cells for longer.?

Can we make it simpler???

Yes. I think there may be an even simpler taxonomy of play personalities, with 2 basic types:??

• Structured players - people who like clear rules and a defined range of outcomes. The play is fun because it has familiar patterns that enable the players to get into a flow state. Think of someone who loves to bake, which requires precisely following the recipe.?
• Free players - people who like to improvise. The play is fun because it’s different every time. This requires a different type of focus from structured play, one that also enables a flow state. Think someone who loves to cook but prefers not to use a recipe, instead whipping up a menu based on what’s in the fridge.?

Of course, the same game can involve both types of play. For example, chess has clear rules and requires improvisation.?

As with the 8 play personalities, I think it’s good to be inclusive about these 2 types of play rather than thinking of 1 type as dominant. One person can enjoy both types. I love crosswords (very structured) and free skiing (free is in the name of the activity).?The variety you get from playing in both free and structured ways is probably good for your brain.

Frameworks aside, the bigger point is this: If you know how you like to play, you can play more of it, and bring yourself more happiness ??.