The
way the word “fun” is used demonstrates its distinctive elusiveness.
Expressions such as “Have fun!” and “That was fun!” indicate that fun is
pleasant, personal, and to some extent unpredictable. Expressions such
as “I was making fun of myself” convey the sense that fun is something
that can be amusing and not to be taken seriously. The adjective “funny”
has two meanings which often need to be clarified between a speaker and
listener. One meaning is “amusing, jocular, droll” and the other
meaning is “odd, quirky, peculiar”. These differences indicate the
evanescent and experiential nature of fun and the difficulty of
distinguishing “fun” from “enjoyment”.
Fun’s evanescence can be seen when an activity regarded as fun becomes
goal-oriented. Many physical activities and individual sports are
regarded as fun until the participant seeks to win a competition, at
which point, much of the fun may disappear as the individual’s focus
tightens. Surfing is an example. If you are a “mellow soul” (not in a
competition or engaging in extreme sport) “once you’re riding waves,
you’re guaranteed to be having … fun”.
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