Why is throwing fun?

I can lob stones into the ocean for hours. Every splash is strangely satisfying.

I’m not an oddball; throwing is fun. Hence why games in which we launch a projectile are particularly popular. Basketball, cricket, rugby, football and ‘football’, tennis, darts, javelin, shot-put, water polo, golf, handball, baseball and so, so many more. The act of untwisting our torso and launching a missile appears to be inherently satisfying.

But why?

On the face of it, throwing offers no biological advantages. It’s what’s known as an ‘autotelic activity’ because it requires formal and extensive energy output but provides few conventional benefits. On the contrary, throwing seems like a colossal waste of energy. So why do I stand at the shore just to lob rocks into the sea?

Why is throwing fun?

Understanding Fun

Psychologists will tell you that ‘fun’, by definition, comes in DOSEs. It’s only when the brain releases a cocktail of pleasure-giving neurochemicals- specifically Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, or Endorphin- that we experience the magical feeling of joy and elation. But why should we be rewarded for throwing?

Well, our brain only releases rewarding neurochemicals when we do something once beneficial for our survival, such as: