I did a one-day course at work yesterday on creative and innovative thinking. It was fun and interesting, and I think I picked up some good ideas. The guy giving the course told us a few stories.
One time he was talking to a group of a couple hundred or so kids, maybe around 8 or 9 years old. He yelled excitedly, “Who here can dance?!” And every single kid got up and started dancing around wildly.
Another time he was addressing a group of a couple of hundred business executives. He yelled excitedly, “Who here can dance?!” Not a single one of them moved.
His question: When did all those adults forget how to dance?
Those adults most likely forgot to dance at the same time most of them turn from inquisitive, playful and eager to learn kids into stubborn, resistant-to-change jobsworths … Matter of education, methinks.
For me dancing ceased being cool maybe when I was 8. I think its because its when your compulsion to judge people is at a tipping point and becomes a fear of being judged.
IMO it goes like this (starting at age 2). First thing you learn to judge is activities; fun or boring. Then you learn to categorize ‘baddy’/mean and goody/nice. Then you learn smart/quiet and stupid/crazy. This is the stage you start to fear what society thinks of you (rather than fearing a smack from mum, being punched or being shouted at). At this point society can prevent you from doing things without showing you a clear punishment.
Not that I’m not a psychologist so I’m talking out of my arse.
8 or 9 year olds would not be expected to dance coherently, and they know it. The question means something completely different when aimed at them. Asking a room full of executives if they can get up and move to the rhythm at least as well as an a bottom-decile 8 year old can… that might produce a different response.
Also, “who can dance?” isn’t really “get up and dance now!” is it? Also, I’d be irritated if the seminar I was attending turned into a dance…
I would guess they lost the ability to dance right around the time of their first middle school boy-girl dance. Especially if they were male.