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About this quote

What does it mean?
Play reveals true character more quickly than formal conversation.
In plain terms
You learn more about someone while playing than talking.
What can you take from it?
Observe people at play to understand their nature.

Where it applies

  • hiring
  • friendship
  • dating

Putting it to work

  • observe recreation
  • test under pressure
  • play together

Questions to consider

  • What does play reveal about you?
  • How do you judge others?

Another view

Play might not reflect behavior in serious or high-stakes situations.

More from Plato

  1. At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet.

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  2. I would teach the children music, physics and philosophy, but the most important is music, for in the patterns of the arts are the keys to all learning.

    Permalink to quote #69
  3. Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.

    Permalink to quote #66

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