# What compels humans and animals to have fun?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-compels-humans-and-animals-to-have-fun/946677>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 2021, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-compels-humans-and-animals-to-have-fun/946677 "2021-07-16T23:40:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 9

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2021, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-compels-humans-and-animals-to-have-fun/946677/9 "2021-07-17T07:52:41Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Let’s define fun as activities we do for purposes other than obvious survival.

In that case - animals _don’t_ have fun, as the survival-linked benefits from their “fun” - group cohesion, safe hunting practice and skills training - are not “wasted effort” and _are_ obvious.

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