Type 2 fun is a myth.
Ok, not really. I tell myself on a hard ride or hike, or when I’m gripped on lead 60 ft off the ground, that “this will be a fun story to tell.” And it’s true. I do reflect on my adventures, especially the hard and scary ones, and think “that was fun.”
But there’s something off about the way adventure educators invoke type 2 fun with their students. It hits me so hard because I recognize my younger self in it.
A student stops on the trail and asks why they’re out in the forest and in the rain. Type 2 fun is the easy answer to give.
As a former national risk management director and now advisor, I’m lucky to travel to a lot of programs and observe how their staff are trained and how they conduct their work. I hear similar turns of phrase that travel from program to program. It makes sense, because so many professional instructors work seasonally, in many places and with many programs.
Type 2 fun means that whatever you’re experiencing now– the rain, the wind, the fatigue– is uncomfortable. But when it’s over and you look back on it, you’ll recognize it as a delayed form of fun. Nearly always, it’s said in juxtaposition with type 1 fun, meaning whatever you are experiencing now is, indeed, a good time (like laughing with a group of friends).
I hear it invoked in good faith. But there are a few hidden messages and assumptions behind it, that once understood, I don’t think it would be such a mainstay turn of phrase.
The problem with type 2 fun
It’s a gaslight.
It’s a way to say “suck up and keep going. You’ll be better for it.”
The underlying assumption is that, by pushing through, you’ll develop resilience and grit and build character. It’s part of the story we tell ourselves about how adventure education really works, that by teaching students to ‘push through’ we’re actually teaching them how to cope with stress, instead of manage it.
Does coping with discomfort and stress make us more resilient and build character? No, not really. But learning how to manage it does. I wrote about it in The comfort zone model isn’t in the research.
Telling students that they will one day reflect on this uncomfortable day and it will bring them joy is not a stress management tactic; it’s a coping strategy.
In my field instructing days, I’d say “the great teacher is out,” and gesture upward, to the rain on soggy Pacific Northwest days.
Then I’d follow it with a short lecture about type 2 fun. I’d tell them that when they’re home and warm and cozy, they’ll look back on today and realize that all this suffering was actually fun.
I stopped repeating this line when I realized I was using it more for me than for them. I’d use it to justify turning down the volume on teenager complaints and the mild suffering that comes with carrying a heavy pack for hours on end, and your body is just as steamy and wet on the inside of your rain gear as the air around you.
Type 2 fun is a way to brush them off. It’s a soothing way to tell ourselves that this will all go away, if we just keep our heads down and move forward. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and, perhaps you’ll get to see it someday.
Five alternative ways to encourage students through the struggle
I was visiting a staff training and brought up my issues with Type 2 fun and the underlying messages behind it. Older staff, mainly the staff trainers, were not having it.
How dare I shoot down this sacred cow! And, how else could we possibly encourage students to push through and develop resilience and grit?
Here are five ways to train staff instead:
Find the underlying issue. A student who is overwhelmed looks a lot like a student who is refusing. “I can’t” could mean they’re scared, or they’re arguing with you, or they’re shutting down. Train staff to respond with curiosity and to figure out what the behavior is trying to communicate.
Fix the physical stuff first. A student who’s tired, cold, hungry, or dehydrated struggles sooner and recovers slower. Dry socks and a snack do more than a pep talk does. Don’t have dry socks? Teach a way to start drying them, so there’s at least a feeling of agency and control. That’s how to teach stress management instead of coping.
Let them choose how to participate. A student who doesn’t want to climb can belay, help with safety checks, belay, or backup belay. They’re still involved and contributing to the day’s activities and the group process.
Show a student the choices they still control. Sometimes, you just gotta hike in the rain. But, there’s still agency and choice in choosing the pace, who they walk with, when they eat, and when they ask for help.
Tell them what happens next. Type 2 fun is about a distant future, it’s intangible. Instead, keep them in the here and now. Narrate what you expect the next few hours will be like. Answer questions, even if it’s been answered a hundred times. Especially about where we’re going, when we stop, when’s lunch, and what to do about wet feet.
Not every phrase has to go. I still like the line about the sun, the wind, and the rain as the great teacher line. The difference is what comes after it.
Now, I ask, “What do you think today’s lesson will be?”
Instead of promising a delayed lesson, I’m asking them to find something about today.
Parents and schools ask some form of the same question. For adventure education programs, and the nature experiences they offer to be relevant and meaningful for today’s generation of students, we have to be able to answer it honestly.
“You’ll appreciate it later” is becoming harder to accept.
P.S. I want to know what your staff training says about encouraging a struggling student. Send me a note or comment below.