this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2024
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Actual Discussion
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I think that one thing shared across everything fun is challenge. Not just a challenge, but one that is possible to make progress against. Participation in shared goals often plays a role, but without challenge, boredom reigns.
Nobody joins a recreational sports team to sit on the sidelines or to just wander around the field of play. They join to participate, to contribute, and to meet the challenge of making important contributions, which means gaining or refining skills.
The same could be said of joining a community band.
Why are video games so popular? If there was no difficulty getting through or it was impossible to get through, they would fall flat.
In any activity that I call fun, whether it's going for a row, building a boat, writing a new bit of software, or tackling calculus, there is always an element of challenge or opportunities for continuous improvement.
I feel like this covers a significant part of fun, but maybe not all of it completely: Ex hanging out singing songs around a campfire with people you love is fun. (In this case you could even say it's fun because it's comfortable and familiar).
I feel like the kind of fun you speak to here is increasingly common and may be the only type of fun some people actually have but I feel like the idea of challenge doesn't capture all possibilities.
Yes, as the conversation continues, I realize that I put too much emphasis on one aspect of what I find fun. Although it's in the sense of accomplishment that I most often find pleasure, I certainly do have fun doing other things.