Are We All Just Big Kids Playing a Giant Game of Pretend?
Are We All Just Big Kids Playing a Giant Game of Pretend? How Imagination, Roles, and Social Norms Shape Adult Reality 📦 Framing the Question What if adulthood isn’t so different from childhood—just better costumes and higher stakes? This question invites us to reexamine the roles we play in everyday life. From job titles to social conventions, how much of adulthood is structured make-believe? Using the keyword game of pretend and ideas around identity and imagination, we’ll explore the psychological, social, and cultural layers behind the roles we perform—and why they matter more than we think. The Illusion of Growing Up It’s tempting to think of adulthood as the end of childish things. But peek beneath the surface of professional uniforms, polite small talk, and job descriptions, and you’ll find echoes of childhood pretend play. We don’t stop imagining—we just trade superhero capes for business suits. Just like children simulate adult roles to explore identity, adul...