subject: Where Do You Derive Your Sense of Self? - The Little Prince Series [print this page] Ongoing Insight fromThe Little Prince Ongoing Insight fromThe Little Prince
The little boy's drawing of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant as seen from theoutside, followed by a drawing of the boa constrictor digesting the elephant as seen from theinside, represents how we internalize a constricted way of seeing the world.
Webuy into the narrow view of life and of ourselves bequeathed to us by our family, society, and humanity in general, so that it becomes our identity, our worldview.
Some of us react to the way society crushes our true self as we are growing up by becoming afraid, negative, limited in our scope. We feel like we are "no one."
Others of us react by becoming grandiose, with an inflated ego. We are determined to prove we are "someone."
Whether we have poor self-esteem or high self-esteem,none of us grow up to be the unique expression of the universal Presence that each of us inherently is.
It's not that there's anything actually deficient about us. It's what we've beentold about ourselves and how we've come tosee ourselves that's the problem.
Historically there's a term for this constricted sense of self that we imbibe while growing up: original sin.
Having said this, I know of few terms that have been more distorted than this one. In fact it's widely taken to mean the exact opposite of what it's intended to say.
Mention original sin and people immediately think of the idea that there's something intrinsically evil about our humanitywhen what it really means is that there's nothing at all wrong with our humanity other than that we've come tobelieve there's something wrong with us.
Stop believing there's something wrong with youstop seeing yourself in the constricted way society's boa constrictor mentality has taught you to see yourselfand everything changes.
Dysfunctionality begins to simply drop away. It happens effortlessly, spontaneously.
Ournatural state is a wonderful way to bethe very image and likeness of God.
When the little boy in the story of The Little Prince shows his Drawing Number Two to the grownups, they suggest he ought to forget drawing altogether and concentrate on subjects that are needed for adult life: geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. In view of this he decides on a career as a pilot.
The little boy's conclusion is that adults just don't get it, and it's tiring for children to have to constantly explain things to them.
This accords with Jesus' insight that little children are the natural subjects of the kingdom of heaven. Able to simply be themselves before society diverts them from their true being, life for children in their undistorted state is a truly heavenly experience.
It's this natural state, this simplicity, this inherent enthusiasm and excitement of children that adults need to be "converted back to."
When we shed the constricted way society has made uswhether a poor view of ourselves or an egoic grandiose view of ourselvesand simply become unaffected, uncontrived, and natural as we were as children, we have entered into the experience of heaven.
We continue our journey throughThe Little Prince tomorrow.
Where Do You Derive Your Sense of Self? - The Little Prince Series
