I suppose as a child I played the game of dominoes
maybe five times. However, I played with dominoes much more often. My favorite thing to do was to line them up
in a row, each domino standing on end, then topple the first down only to see
the entire row follow in order. I would
frequently line them up in contiguous rows that twisted and turned to see them
fall down in a pattern. The reasons for
delight in this probably had several causes.
To an adult standing
by, it may appear that I enjoyed destroying things; but this would in major
ways miss the point. For example, there
was the pleasure in seeing something working
as planned. In this sense, it fulfilled
expectations. The rules of nature were
dependable and reliable. By working with
and using the rules of nature, I could get something to work reliably and
successfully. Next, satisfaction came from
a sense of creative power. By gentling tapping
over the first domino, the ultimate effect was greatly magnified. Not only was there a dramatic new configuration visually
displayed, but there was also the sound of dominoes crashing to the table. Then
there was satisfaction in automation.
Once started, the process took on a life of its own without further
intervention. Also there was
satisfaction in the crescendo effect—watching something successfully progress
to a climax despite some risk that things could go wrong. Finally there was frequently
a social aspect. I was enjoying the
spectacle with others and we all intuitively were in concert appreciating all of
the factors mentioned earlier. Much delight and satisfaction derived from this shared experience, mutual discovery, and multifarious
affirmation. Quite unlike excitement derived
from destructive negativity, it was, in our own small way, the joy of a Houston Control Center
successfully completing a mission.
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