# Why Adults Forgot How to Play

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/really-good-conversations-6400609/why-adults-forgot-how-to-play
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/really-good-conversations-6400609/why-adults-forgot-how-to-play.md
Podcast: [Really Good Conversations](https://stenobird.com/podcast/really-good-conversations-6400609)
Published: 2026-05-18T12:29:00+00:00
Episode link: https://7deda80c-de05-43e6-8c1d-95fa4d966765.libsyn.com/why-adults-forgot-how-to-play
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/7deda80c-de05-43e6-8c1d-95fa4d966765/riverside_rgc___dara_simkin___18th_may_really_good_convers.mp3?dest-id=4027989
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/really-good-conversations-6400609/episodes/why-adults-forgot-how-to-play
Duration seconds: 2183

## Resource

Summary Amy speaks with Dara Simkin about why adults forget how to play and what we lose when life becomes too focused on productivity, achievement and keeping up. Dara explores play as a mindset, not just an activity, and shares why it can help us reconnect with curiosity, creativity, joy and each other. Guest Dara Simkin is the founder of Culture Hero and co-author of Full Stack Human . Her work explores play , creativity and human connection, helping people and teams build the human skills that technology cannot replace. Overview From achievement syndrome and success amnesia to the pressure to always be doing, this conversation looks at why play is not childish, but deeply human. Dara explains how small, low-stakes moments of play can help us feel more present, connected and alive in a world that often asks us to optimise everything. Key Outtakes: Why play is a mindset, not just something children do How achievement can stop us enjoying the life we've built Why adults need permission to be less serious How play helps us reconnect with joy, curiosity and other people Simple ways to bring play back without adding more to the to-do list For more information: Dara Simkin - https://www.culturehero.co/ The book Full Stack Human - https://www.culturehero.co/full-stack-human-book Transcript Amy: Welcome to the Really Good Conversations podcast. Today I'm joined by Dara Simkin, founder of Culture Hero and co-author of Full Stack Human: The Mindset Upgrade You Need to Stay Human in a World Ruled by Technology . Dara's work explores the role of play, creativity and human connection in the way we live, work and lead. In this conversation, we'll explore why adults forget how to play, what we lose when everything becomes about productivity, and how play can help us connect, creat…

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