Renowned biologist, naturalist, and author, Douglas Chadwick noted that:
“Goofing around is a pretty widespread mammalian enterprise. Mountain goats seem to specialize in those snow patch slide-’n’-frolic sessions, whirling and tossing their heads, especially after a long snooze on a hot afternoon. One of the grizzlies I watched do repeat slides down a patch was a mother who placed two cubs on her chest and went glissading down on her back, head-first. Someone even sent me a video of a wolverine spin-leaping it’s way down a steep snowfield, obviously just for the hell of it. I’ll bet you’ve done the same. I know I have.”
We tend to think that work happens only when we're completely focused on a task, but often the opposite is true. Creative inspiration often comes when we look away, do something else for a while, and then return. Goofing off creates new neurological pathways and makes the brain more flexible, giving it the chance to develop unique solutions. Goofing off can, therefore, have a serious goal—in addition to simply being fun.
Confusion concerning Pluto and Goofy
On their web site, Disney stated that "Goofy was originally created as Dippy Dawg" and "was created as a human character, as opposed to Pluto who was a pet, so [Goofy] walked upright and had a speaking voice". ... Hades asks Goofy, "Are you a man, are you a dog, are you a man-dog . . .