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What is the secret of millions of readers’ love for The Little Prince? Perhaps the fact that his character has something that many of us lack so badly? The wise thoughts of the Little Prince and his creator, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, have been quoted and often help us. We have selected five life lessons that have been proven to be useful by psychological science.
1. The key to creativity is in childish spontaneity
Once, as a child, the narrator from the book of Saint-Exupery drew a boa constrictor that swallowed an elephant. However, all adults, as one, saw an ordinary hat in this picture. In the end, the narrator abandons his passion for drawing – before meeting the Little Prince. He immediately understands that the picture shows nothing more than an elephant inside a boa constrictor.
The Little Prince has much more imagination. He asks the narrator to draw him a lamb, but rejects several options one by one. But the box drawn by the narrator delights the Prince. After all, he himself can imagine the lamb that is inside.
life lesson: Adults are losing the recklessness that encouraged them to imagine and create when they were still children. “Adults are very fond of numbers. (…) When you say to adults: “I saw a beautiful house made of pink brick, it has geraniums in the windows, and pigeons on the roof,” they cannot imagine this house in any way. They need to be told: “I saw a house for a hundred thousand francs,” and then they exclaim: “What a beauty!”
Adults really prefer numbers and material concepts and often do not even try to penetrate the essence of things, they are afraid to let everything take its course, they refuse to come up with something new, they become less inventive and more passive.
Scientific rationale: The development of imagination and creativity is good for health! For example, a study by musicologist Robert Allen found that piano students experience less stress when they improvise on stage.
2. The key to happiness is not to take life too seriously.
During his journey to different planets, the Little Prince meets the Dealer. His main (and only) character trait is that he is very serious. He constantly counts all the stars in the galaxy. And he loves it. After all, he thinks that he owns all the stars counted by him. However, his life is one of complete loneliness and routine, since he is not busy with anything other than counting. He is not even able to appreciate the beauty of the stars.
Life lesson: Life should not be taken too seriously to appreciate the true essence of things.
Scientific rationale: Many studies confirm that hearty laughter is the best way to improve mental health. In 2014, researchers at the University of California Loma Linda (USA) found that people who laugh more often than others have better memory and experience less stress.
3. The key to health – do not forget to leave time for yourself
The Lamplighter is a rather funny character that the Little Prince meets on the fifth planet he visits. Every minute he must light, and then immediately extinguish the lantern. Every minute is like a whole day for him. He has no time to rest or even sleep.
Life lesson: We must appreciate every second, use the maximum time allotted to us.
Scientific rationale: Doctors do not get tired of repeating: lack of sleep really has disastrous consequences for health. Living in the same rhythm as the Lamplighter is especially dangerous. The risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer increases, memory problems are likely, appetite increases, it becomes more difficult to keep emotions under control …
It’s not just sleep that matters. You need to make time for yourself. It should be hours completely free from work. Without a doubt, in our time, the Lamplighter would have experienced emotional burnout. Studies that talk about the dangers of workaholism are also numerous. Sitting up at work, you risk falling into depression and earning a stroke.
4. The key to development is to find the courage to go towards the new.
On the sixth planet, the Little Prince meets “an old man who writes thick books.” At first, the Prince thinks that he met an explorer, but then it turns out that the only inhabitant of this planet is the Geographer, who has never left his office.
Life lesson: Almost all of us have a tendency to stay in our comfort zone. It’s easier than taking risks. However, we need to use the time that we have and try to do as many different things as possible, meet as many people as possible, visit as many places as possible.
Scientific rationale: There are a lot of reasons to leave the comfort zone, and scientists are eager to demonstrate them. When we experience a little stress, when we face a difficult task, we work more efficiently, according to psychologists from the University of Michigan (USA).
5. The key to satisfaction is to choose with your heart.
The little prince loves a rose from his planet. At first glance, it looks like all the roses on Earth. However, his rose is unique because he chose it. She is the only one in the world, the Fox tells him, as he wasted his time on her because he thought she was the only one. “Here is my secret, it is very simple: only the heart is vigilant. You can’t see the most important thing with your eyes.”
Life lesson: The little prince personifies the spontaneity of feelings. Unlike people from planet Earth, who think rationally and see an ordinary flower in his favorite rose, he thinks instinctively, as his heart tells him. But Lis is sure: this is the only way to see the most important thing.
Scientific rationale: Good news for those who have developed intuition. According to a Boston College (USA) study, intuition is just as important for decision making as analysis. In some cases, it is even more effective. An employee of a company who knows his business well will make a better decision if he relies on what his instinct tells him.