Life without a little fun is stale.
Is fun a human right?
In short. Yes. (Gasp)…yes… the right to fun, although not worded that way, does exist. It is not a stand alone right and comes as a response to issues that public administration may not be able to respond to such as burnout, the rising mental health crisis and stressors for those who may have an unhealthy relationship with hustle culture.
Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): recognizes the right of every child to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities and free and full participation in cultural and artistic life.
Of course with some parental control from parents:
Article 5 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: recognizes the direction and guidance parents give their children should reflect the evolving capacities of each child. When a child is younger, they will need more protection, as they may be more likely to make choices without considering or understanding the consequences.
And arguably for adults the rights to dignity, freedoms (choice, movement, association…etc) can be said to encompass fun. Every right has its limitations, in Namibia these are found in Article 22 of the constitution.
So we’re clear, fun is a legal right.
Is it the person that makes fun fun?
An article in psychology today talks about what makes a fun person fun using the big 5 personality model. This article essentially concludes this;
Extraversion > Introversion ( Extent of being outgoing and social, expressiveness and energy)
Neuroticism < Emotional Stability (Extent of managing emotions)
Open-mindedness > Closed-mindedness (Tendncy not be open to new ideas)
Conscientiousness > Disorganized (Tendancy to be diligent)
Agreeableness > Disagreeableness (Friendliness and general openness to others)
This model has been criticised for being too narrow in some aspects and very broad in others. The terms are broad and can hold in them different other personality traits that may or may not be desirable; eg an extraverted and cruel person (circa Hitler) or an emotionally unstable but very enthusiatic person (although not real, the one coming to mind is Willy Wonka). It is also narrow in terms of the list itself being very short.
There are several other personality scales that measure individual funness. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is also used to measure funnessof a person. You can read more about it here. The ENTJ was identified as the most fun in one article. But then again the ENTJ doesn’t necessarily get along with all types.
Conclusion: Fun people are usually extraverted (according to the article I read) but fun in general is subjective
Turning something boring into something fun
Listen to the podcast for Pepe’s story on how pressure to pass school resulted in making reading fun.
Different circumstances can result in the need to find new ways of having fun. This is after all, this article challenges us to explore it as far as possible (responsibly of course). Exploring how different rights, not necessarily associated with public administration, can be used. Click here for a list of activities you can use in your local area to excercise this right.
ZENZE 