I remember people in junior-high and high-school wearing shirts that say something like: “Life is a game, Soccer is life”.
Forget the sports reference. I do like the idea that life is play. Somewhere in Japanese religious belief there’s an idea that life is a grand drama and we are here, by choice, acting our part out on its stage.
In a way it flips the script: we are not subject to life, but life is subject to us. Being has no right over us, nor does death. If your father passes away, some Japanese may acknowledge this with: “I heard your father is playing at death.”
For me, I behave more to my satisfaction with a playful attitude. Certainly, I see the conservative view point that everything can’t be playful, severity is baked into life somewhere. So I say: “Life is play, Remaining able to play is work”.
This is to say that the true responsibility of life is to do everything in our power to remain playful in life.