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Mahsa Sheikh, Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

In one of the most disturbing scenes of Stanley Kubrick’s gory The Shining (1980), wife Wendy discovers husband Jack’s massive manuscript with nothing but the proverb “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” typed in repeat. Jack, who is suffering from an apparent writer’s block, is on the onset of mania due to lack of inspiration as the deadline to submit his upcoming work of fiction looms large. In the scenes to come, we discover that the calm and quiet Jack has invited himself into proves to be nothing but problematic. The Shining, set against the backdrop of a quiet and comforting place to retreat to, raises the alarm about the dangers of burnout and refusing to take time for ourselves. 

The benefits of distancing ourselves from boredom, whether at work or in the household, and taking time to explore and examine our feelings and thoughts about what works (or does not), is more and more recognized in our day and age. Nothing is more unsatisfying than feeling bored and stuck. When we have too much or too little to preoccupy our minds with, or when loneliness grips our hearts, the immediate urge to amuse ourselves or to be amused is palpable. It’s at times like this that we come to acknowledge that fun and amusement are vital to our overall wholeness and well-being. 

Ideas about what fun is vary from one person to the other, and so do the ways and means through which we seek enjoyment or engage in fun activities. Nonetheless, there is a consensus among most on the necessity to impose limits on the amount of fun to seek and to let go of depressing thoughts in order to welcome hope and joy into one’s life. I wouldn’t have learned how to evaluate my circumstances or allow time to heal, had I not been living in complete and utter desperation in the past, had I not confronted my confusion over my state of affairs and how to handle dire situations in life, or had I not grappled with the idea that to enjoy life I needed to understand what things made me most happy. And that’s why I am of the opinion that as individuals we need to first and foremost grasp deep down who we are before we can start savouring the fruits of our efforts. Living a happy and fulfilling life comes at no cost if we apply the widely known—but mostly ignored—stoic principle: know thyself. And to make that happen, we might perhaps start with exploring the workings of our psyche. 

The psyche, just like the tip of an enormous iceberg that floats on the surface of icy waters, only reveals a small proportion of itself. We might be able to test its limits through exposure to pleasure and pain in life—be it through our attempts to connect and relate with others, or through actively engaging in logical decision-making, where we tend to either take ourselves or others into account. We might be surprised, but through a period of trial and error, we will get to learn about things like how best to enjoy ourselves and what things to do for fun. 

In the realm of amusement and fun, I daresay that I have been a rather late bloomer. I well remember that I used to enjoy spending time alone reading poetry, loved dancing to a loud beat, and was always ready for a challenge to recite songs and plays to please the crowd; I was indeed a happy child through and through and tickled pink at evenings spent in fun and games. However, I do not think that I engaged in those activities due to having been motivated to do so or encouraged to get involved in them. I was simply being myself without really aiming for or desiring anything, and despite them being the most authentic form of fun to be had, I can barely trace them back to my early years in college, and then . . . poof! They were irretrievably out of the window. That is why I have started to think that I started to truly enjoy myself when I began to actually make plans to spend time having fun, be it on my own (such as a day spent at the beach, enjoying a movie night at the neighborhood theatre or trying a new recipe) or in the company of someone I cherish. 

In the end, there might not be cups to measure out the level of fun to have—nor should there be, as we need to allow room for spontaneity and surprise in fun and amusement—but coming to an understanding of our values, boundaries and interests can ease the way to maximizing fun and introducing new activities to our daily routine, since fun is what we all yearn to have in life! 

May we all, like clams at high water, seize the moment and stay alive. 

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