Human beings do not like to think of themselves as animals.
... Unprompted sharing of information and attitudes can be seen as a forerunner of adult gossip, which ensures that members of a group can pool their knowledge and know who is or is not behaving cooperatively. The free sharing of information also creates the possibility of pedagogy — in which adults impart information by telling and showing, and children trust and use this information with confidence.
... Seemingly useless play activity is in fact a first baby step toward the creation of distinctively human social institutions.
