Jan 14 2008
One sees clearly only with the heart
“What do I have to do?” asked the little prince.
“You have to be very patient,” the fox answered. “First you’ll sit down a little ways away from me, over there in the grass. I’ll watch you out of the corner of my eye, and you won’t say anything. Language is the source of misunderstandings. But day by day, you’ll be able to sit a little closer…”
The next day the little prince returned.
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And he went back to the fox.
“Good-bye,” he said.
“Good-bye,” said the fox. “Here is my secret. It’s quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”
From “The Little Prince
” by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Fascinating thoughts. To me, “the eyes” means our logical mind. And I agree that logic and intellect often fail us in life and relationships.
Then “anything essential” belongs to the emotional and spiritual part of us. And I agree that these are the most basic, the strongest ways we interact with the world. The bulk of our brain is the automatic, emotional, instinctual part. The logical part of our brain is a thin layer of cerebral cortex that is an evolutionary afterthought.
But we are human. We do have both parts, the logical and the emotional/spiritual. To be really, fully human, to really appreciate the “essential,” we must use both parts. So, basically, I disagree with the fox.
Wonderful comment, thank you! I agree that we need both parts. But I feel that for decisions regarding our direction in life, we need to be still and listen to our heart (soul, divine love, spirit, God within). When we use our thinking rather than feeling, ego steps in and can send us in directions that are not in alignment with our inner Self.
yop, the fox is clever and seeing with the heart is a beautiful story.