Animals love touch, as anyone who has petted a cat know. Chimps spend an average of 20% of their waking hours grooming themselves or each other. I gather that “grooming” isn’t exactly hairstyling or manicures. It’s more like massage, carefully going over the whole body to pick out bugs, heal sores and generally give pleasure. For us, “20% of waking hours” would mean over 3 hours a day taking care of ourselves and making each other feel good.
Chimpanzees, along with bonobos (“pygmy chimps”) are our closest evolutionary relatives. If they spend so much time enjoying life, we probably evolved to do something similar. And in fact, early humans, the hunters and gatherers, did live much more relaxed and peaceful lives. Studies show that modern hunter-gatherers only work about twenty hours a week to survive and may devote the rest of their time to leisure. (Although some other studies find they work a bit more.)
It’s not only primates who enjoy themselves. According to Balcombe, all vertebrates, and perhaps all creatures do. They play. Aisha and I used to visit the animals at a local pet store for a cheap date. One day we saw two mice on an exercise wheel. They both ran in the same direction until the wheel was spinning really fast. Then the mouse in back stopped running and gripped the bars, while the mouse in front kept going. So the back mouse was spun overhead until it was upside down, and then came around so it was now in front of the other mouse. They would stop for a moment and then do it again, with the original front mouse now in back getting the loop-de-loop ride.
Just for fun. Scientists like to say everything animals do is for survival value, but this is obviously not true. Once on a beach near Monterey, we saw a medium-sized dog, a setter or retriever, standing off-leash on the sand. A gray and silver bird, maybe half the size of a gull flew right by the dog’s head, and the dog started chasing it. The bird flew in circles, maybe 40 feet in diameter, while the dog bounded after.
When the dog started to tire and sat down, panting, the bird flew to a nearby post and perched on it, waiting. After a few minutes recovery, the bird buzzed him again, re-starting the chase. They did this pattern four times that we saw. There was clearly no survival value in this; the bird was just having fun, acting as the dog’s personal trainer. I’m not sure if the dog enjoyed it or not, but he kept chasing, even though he didn’t have to. Maybe he needed the workout.
This was a wonderful article. It relaxes me to see beauty in most any form. I like verywarm unrushed baths, relaxation music, petting my little 3 year old Dachund. riding our 4-wheeler, I would love Yoga or other such areas.If you have any suggestions I would appreciate them. I also suffer from diabetes and severe depression. Thank you so much for a great learning tool. Lola Hart
I’ve spent the better part of this year “working” to realize my New Year’s Intention: to enjoy what I have and stop searching for “more” or “better.” That childhood conditioning– to focus on what’s wrong– is so deep in me it sure feels permanent. This story is a wonderful reminder that it’s not– or doesn’t have to be.
I hope you spend that time watching the dogs play talking to the other people there. We need the companionship of others. We are social animals and I fear we are not doing ourselves justice by spending so much time alone. Our culture stresses the fear of the ‘other’ who, we are told, wants to hurt us. If we smile at people and say just a few friendly words we may find it makes our lives much better.
David, I know I have said this a lot of times (hopefully in a variety of ways!) 😉 Each one of your pieces really shimmers with recurring themes of hope and beauty woven through such a variety of stories. Thank you so much! You have long provided me with so much personal inspiration, and I really treasure the way you keep on giving in this way.
Wonderfull insightful article reminding one of what is real value in life.
Most instructive and the animal aspects and thoughts mot interesting.
Best wishes and thank you.
David I have come to enjoy your writing so much. I am also reading your book “Diabetes: Sugar Coated Crisis”.
I hope you don’t mind but I printed this article out share next Tuesday when I and some other ladies at my church have lunch with some women in a senior care center. I think they will enjoy it so much.
Thank you so much for sharing your insights with all of us out here.
Sheryl
Thank you for the inspiring article, David. I am so glad to be reminded of the importance of enjoying life. You wrote: “Scientists like to say everything animals do is for survival value, but this is obviously not true.” I could not help speculating whether fun and enjoyment are not exceptions to the rule, but in fact have significant survival value — a value that is at least partially obscured from our understanding because we are so focused on producing, doing, performing, competing, justifying, proving etc. I recently spent two weeks on vacation (two weeks!) and by the second week I stopped having the urge to return work emails and began noticing how sweet the scent of the breeze was, how kind my friend’s eyes looked when she smiled … I took as my theme the Italian phrase “dolce far niente” – literally “the sweetness of doing nothing.” Aaahhhhhh. Your article makes me think that a little of this sweetness every day could be the biggest health discovery of the century…
Another great article!
We have a lot to learn from animals and we’re certainly much more like them than we usually like to admit.
Also, I’m reminded of a fantastic book called *When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals*. I believe there’s also a book &/or film version about farm animals, who of course feel, think, and want to play just as much as any other animal.
Perhaps the nursery song, “Row row row your boat” is also telling us to take the hunter-gatherer attitude. Go with the flow, don’t be overwhelmed. Merrily, merrily, merrily merrily!
Your articles are always interesting and informative; this one was especially so. I’m very impressed by your candidness and awareness; you’re really expressing important, high-level ideas. Thanks!!
Thanks David! I never considered that a monkey would spend time enjoying a sunset. Pretty cool 🙂
I’ve been challenged by my husband to consider the distinction I make between “work” and “free time” –to accept that my “job” is something I choose and to choose a “job” that is fulfilling and worthwhile. He is always careful to say, “I’m going to the office” instead of “I’m going to work.” After many months of this I still find myself asking him, “How was work?” or “Don’t you have to work this Saturday?”
Perhaps I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to choose a job that fulfills me, but in my fantasy world, we are all driven and inspired to do what we do!
Thanks also for the invitation to spend more time in pleasure, and for the notion that this is actually healthy! I’m gonna aim for that!
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