We often imagine the lives of our paleolithic ancestors as an unrelenting struggle. But the very existence of cave art suggests that at least some of them could focus on making meaning beyond necessity. So what drove them? Was it sacred ritual, primitive science, or early performance art? It might have been something more fundamental: the simple human urge to play.

Play is easily dismissed as frivolous. It’s seen as childhood’s domain or as neatly parceled weekend leisure. But evolution says otherwise. Play is older than civilization itself. Far from being a cultural garnish, it’s our evolutionary inheritance.

Psychologists value play, because through it we learn not just to survive but also to be. Today, however, play is treated like dessert, a reward after “real” work. But perhaps it’s the opposite. Perhaps play is the real work and the true birthplace of creativity, empathy, and innovation.

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