What makes us want to entertain each other? I don’t mean so much today with the huge amounts of money involved or the international recognition of one’s face, it would seem to me to be fairly easy to see that as a self-affirmation exercise.
But what makes someone want to travel dusty roads and fetch up in a small town and put on a play, or tell a story, dance a special dance and put on the special voices, and all for a few pennies? What made early people sit around fires and as the stars came out talk of the many things that made up their experience?
Part of it is to explain what we see. Storytelling and myth-making are the same thing. Part of it is enjoyment at seeing people listening, wide eyed children connecting all the dots of your plot in their minds and bringing them to life. Part of it is a way of bonding. People often commend someone who can spin a yarn, dance a jog, sing a song better than others. Sometimes a gift of a voice or double jointedness can set you out as special to your community.
And part of it is to hear applause. To be before other people and know you have touched them, fathomed part of their dreams, bonded with them on the plane of shared existence, and delighted them.
To entertain is to share a gift, and all the fame and money stuff just gets in the way.