Sincere not serious

It's not that serious, really. There can be a tendency (reminder for self) to take life, self improvement, philosophical enquiries seriously, with the kind of effort that makes your eyebrows squinch.

There is no need for that. *Sincerity *is required, seriousness isn't. The eyebrows get tired of squinching at some point and there is no other way but to loosen up.

Sincerity is a certain posture of honesty, openness, humility toward everything. The kind of attitude that makes you discover new things, transform, evolve, embrace change, make the things you wish to do happen in the way you envision, caring for others too along the way.

Seriousness makes everything take the shape of a fifty-five pound filtered water gallon that you have to carry on your shoulders uphill through the alleyway to your house, or else there is no drinking water available.

Sincerity tends to involve curiosity and external orientation. Seriousness tends to be self-centered and narrow, ingredients that foster miserability.

There is the argument that you will die, which is true and can aid with gaining perspective. There is the point that life is a series of games, played iteratively over time until death. That you don't live for long, and your trace in the history of the world is tiny, if even relevant at all.

There is the dichotomous thought that you are a universe of atoms and an atom in the universe — fundamentally valuable and important as an individual, while also merely a grain of sand in the huge world beach. These can exist all together without affecting your attitude of sincerity and constant motion, movement, evolution.

It's not that serious — merely keep playing.

References#

• Proyer RT et al. Can playfulness be stimulated? Randomised placebo-controlled online intervention on playfulness, well-being, and depression. [Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being][4].
• Shen X, Crawley Z. How does playfulness (re)frame the world? Evidence for selective cognitive and behavioral redirecting in times of adversity. [Frontiers in Psychology][5].
• Proyer RT. The positive relationships of playfulness with indicators of health, activity, and physical fitness. [Frontiers in Psychology][7].