Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 8.djvu/402

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386 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

by it. Again, one would abandon his search for food and shelter about as soon as he would give up his visits to his lady love. Men die for love, and they can do no more for things material. A man will sacrifice comfort at any time for love ; he will econo- mize in food and things to keep himself warm in order to pur- chase things that may make him acceptable in the eyes of one he loves.

Looking now at certain other activities concerned with social adaptation, we find that the author classes them all under play, because they do not minister to any vital need of the organism. Social adjustment in most of its phases is to Groos never as serious and mandatory as physical adjustment ; all effort to appear beautiful in the eyes of one's fellows, for example, is looked upon as excessive and playful. Take the matter of dress; we see that much energy is expended by the majority of people in making clothing ornamental, and the author thinks this is all done in the play spirit. A woman puts a good deal more time into the making of her hat than is required to render it service- able for protection. A very simple headgear would serve this latter purpose rather better than the elaborate affairs now com- monly worn, and much of the effort expended on hats is spon- taneous, and this gives it the aspect of play. Now, it seems doubtful whether in human society as it is a woman regards the earning of her daily bread as any more serious or requiring greater concentration of powers than the securing of appropriate attire appropriate in the sense that it must conform to the aesthetic ideals of the community in which she is placed. It is highly probable that it is of greater consequence to have a dress aesthetic than to have it warm or hygienic ; it would be easier to put up with cold than with ugly clothing. Who will say that a woman preparing for a ball does not work over her gown in as true a sense as does the woman whose only motive in making a wardrobe is to protect herself from the elements or to earn money ? The one woman is not less serious and constrained than the other ; the social demand is just as urgent, it seems, as the physical demand, and the individual knows that if he does not heed it he will suffer pains and penalties much as if he had