Fairytales

    Stories and poems have been used for centuries to express a certain type of wisdom. They illustrate a thought, feeling, or moral that stated by itself would be meaningless. The clearest example of this are the fairytales of our childhood. Without even realizing it, while watching movies like Cinderella and Ariel, we are taught that in order to live our desired happily ever after, we have to act like the princess.  You must be kind, gracious, and patient - and never, under any circumstance, have any agency in your own life. 

Seriously, look at basically every original Disney princess and all they do is wait around for things to happen to them. They are each forced into a traumatizing situation, such as being kidnapped by a beast or cursed to sleep for a hundred years. Then, suddenly their problems are solved by someone else and they enjoy the life of their dreams. Most likely, it's a prince who swoops in with a non consensual kiss.

This trope is not only dangerous because it promotes inaction and laziness, but because it seems so appealing. As Nick Flynn writes in this poem “Sleeping Beauty”:

“Some days I wish I could

sleep for a hundred years, other days

I wonder if I’ve ever really been awake”

Life would be much easier if all we had to do was wait around for our true love to randomly happen upon us. Yet, if we wait for happiness to find us, we remain trapped in a half-life, barely living as the world passes by. 

Stories have the power to teach generations how to be kind and caring person, but they also have much more dangerous powers, hidden within the subtler messages they preach. With each new poem and story you hear, you open yourself up to the influence of other's words, even in ways you don't always realize.