--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As the late neurologist Max Levin…" description: "\"“As the late neurologist Max Levin theorized: \"If play were not pleasurable, kittens would never chase each other's tails, and so would lack practice i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/633/john-pollack-81973_humor_as-the-late-neurologist-max-levin-theori_370460.jpg" --- # As the late neurologist Max Levin theorized: "If play were… ![“As the late neurologist Max Levin theorized: "If play were not pleasurable, kittens would never chase each other's tails, and so would lack practice in the motor skills needed for survival. If there were no pleasure in the appreciation of the absurd, if there were no fun in playing with ideas…” quote by John Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/633/john-pollack-81973_humor_as-the-late-neurologist-max-levin-theori_370460.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/633/john-pollack-81973_humor_as-the-late-neurologist-max-levin-theori_370460.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/633/john-pollack-81973_humor_as-the-late-neurologist-max-levin-theori_370460.jpg) > ““As the late neurologist Max Levin theorized: "If play were not pleasurable, kittens would never chase each other's tails, and so would lack practice in the motor skills needed for survival. If there were no pleasure in the appreciation of the absurd, if there were no fun in playing with ideas, putting them together in various combinations and seeing what makes sense or nonsense -- in brief, if there were not such a thing as humor -- children would lack practice in the art of thinking, the most complex and most powerful survival tool of all.”” [John Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pollack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Play provides essential practice for creative thinking and survival by making us engage with absurdity and humor. **In simple terms:** Play trains thinking skills. Key Takeaway Encourage playful exploration. Themes creativity learning survival humor playfulness Mood joyful inquisitive Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - education - innovation - child development - problem solving Key Concepts cognitive development neuroscience psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does play enhance problem solving? - What role does humor play in learning? A Different Perspective Humor may not be universally valued. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Lack Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-practice-2211461/) [Motor Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motor-skills-1257603/) [Playing Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-ideas-269009/) [Theorized Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theorized-play-3381455/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Practice even what seems impossible. The left hand is useless at almost everything, for lack of practice. But it guides the reins better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/practice-even-what-seems-impossible-the-left-hand-is-useless-at/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Practice even at the things that you have lost all hope of achieving. For the left hand, though inefficient at everything else through lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/practice-even-at-the-things-that-you-have-lost-all-hope-of-achieving/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“Conversation consists of developing and playing with ideas by juxtaposing the accumulated conclusions of two or more people and then improvising on them. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/conversation-consists-of-developing-and-playing-with-ideas-by/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [I used to be really stressed about that: like, how do I follow up on 'Minecraft,' because I have this weird expectation to. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-persson/i-used-to-be-really-stressed-about-that-like-how-do-i-follow-up-on/) [Markus Persson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-persson/) > [I am very impulsive when it comes to experimenting with my looks and love playing with ideas by involving people from all walks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-fazal/i-am-very-impulsive-when-it-comes-to-experimenting-with-my-looks-and/) [Ali Fazal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-fazal/) > [I love playing around with ideas and turning them into something useful or fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonnie-johnson/i-love-playing-around-with-ideas-and-turning-them-into-something/) [Lonnie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonnie-johnson/) > [Thematically, I like playing with the ideas of stuff that you try to bury, and you think will go away, but instead you carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krysten-ritter/thematically-i-like-playing-with-the-ideas-of-stuff-that-you-try-to/) [Krysten Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krysten-ritter/) > [Learning a musical instrument is challenging, it demands fine motor skills and coordination. It develops children's listening, thinking skills, imagination and perseverance. It brings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-hancock/learning-a-musical-instrument-is-challenging-it-demands-fine-motor/) [Sheila Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-hancock/) > [“The first thing you lose when you die is your motor skills.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-matthews/the-first-thing-you-lose-when-you-die-is-your-motor-skills/) [John H. Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-matthews/) > [Technically I don't play sports because I have two left feet and I cannot coordinate and my motor skills are a bit 'out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-seah/technically-i-don-t-play-sports-because-i-have-two-left-feet-and-i/) [Nicole Seah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-seah/) > [Sleep deprivation impairs everything from your motor skills to your reaction time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-morin/sleep-deprivation-impairs-everything-from-your-motor-skills-to-your/) [Amy Morin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-morin/) > [“I'm a big animal. Fine motor skills are not me forte.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mehalek/i-m-a-big-animal-fine-motor-skills-are-not-me-forte/) [Mike Mehalek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mehalek/) > [“This is the main advantage of ether: it makes you behave like the village drunkard in some early Irish novel... total loss of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/this-is-the-main-advantage-of-ether-it-makes-you-behave-like-the/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [If you stop doing a skill you've done for years for any period of time, there's an adjustment period to get it back. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-o-driscoll/if-you-stop-doing-a-skill-you-ve-done-for-years-for-any-period-of/) [Brian O'Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-o-driscoll/) > [“Coonskin caps and silly putty were just not going to cut it anymore. The good mother got her kids toys that were educational, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-j-douglas/coonskin-caps-and-silly-putty-were-just-not-going-to-cut-it-anymore/) [Susan J. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-j-douglas/) ## More by John Pollack > [“Language, be it remembered, is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary-makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pollack/language-be-it-remembered-is-not-an-abstract-construction-of-the/) [John Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pollack/) > [“All progress, ultimately, is the result of playing with ideas and seeing new ways of connecting existing knowledge in such a way that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pollack/all-progress-ultimately-is-the-result-of-playing-with-ideas-and/) [John Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pollack/) [Explore all 3 John Pollack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pollack/) ## More Humor quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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(Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) [TimBur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timbur/) > [“ “Do Southerners laugh at different things than Northerners do? Yes, I say--Northerners.” Roy Blount, Jr., Roy Blount’s Book of Southern Humor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/do-southerners-laugh-at-different-things-than-northerners-do-yes-i/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [I love being my silly ole self! Lifes a lot better when you have a good sense of humor and you smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-being-my-silly-ole-self-lifes-a-lot-better-when-you-have-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) [Browse all 33,155 Humor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As the late neurologist Max Levin theorized: \"If play were not pleasurable, kittens would never chase each other's tails, and so would lack practice in the motor skills needed for survival. 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