one key difference between work and play is control. note i'm not referring to specific games here, but just generic play. work as an activity aims to control process & outcome to exacting standards while both process & outcome of play is serendipitous
you can seek to control self, the other or the environment with varying success and also invariably stress. from birth, the environment (society) and the other (family) establishes control over the individual (self) progressively
as your individual self grows, you're convinced that you can exert control over yourself, others around you, and the environment at large. so you seek to flip the pyramid and change the world
attempted control of emotions has failed too, as exacting disciplining has only resulted in aberrations and uncontrollable outbursts; harmful to self, the other(s) and the larger community (environment) which includes all other species
likewise as a species, we're obsessed with controlling nature. after centuries of highly stressful and arguably successful efforts, we've not only failed to control the environment, but also lost our ability to embrace perceived uncertainty
instead of working to control self, others & the environment, how might we play with the chaos of our inner nature, as well as the outer nature that we're an intrinsic part of? we're free to choose; to enforce control or to embrace chaos