Does Humpty-Dumpty say that we see our true selves only when we are broke?

[Sushan]

This topic is about the November 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes

Humpty Dumpty doesn’t need a surgeon. He simply needs to find himself.

(page 56 - Kindle version)

We have discussed about how to see one's true self by stripping him/her of his/her physical possessions, ego, and everything else.

But have Humpty-Dumpty been saying all this time to let ourselves to be broken and then we will see the true remainder of us; the true Self? Has that 'silly nursery rhyme' never been a silly nursery rhyme, but an opening to a great philosophical discussion? Does it become more easy to see our real selves when we are literally broke?

[Surabhi Rani]

I like the point in the poem that 'All the king's horses, And all the king's men, Could not put Humpty Dumpty together again.' It portrays the state of utter helplessness that one is faced with when he or she feels broken on the spiritual path of his or her life. All the glory and magnificence of the world could not replenish Humpty Dumpty's state of existence when he fell off the wall. It is at this point of sheer hopelessness in our cycle of evolution that the secrets of the spiritual world are revealed to us.

[Amlilui]

This reminds me of the beautiful picture book After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat. The nursery rhyme definitely leaves interpretation to the listener. I'd never heard anyone wax philosophical about it until I saw Dan's book, which echoes Scott's sentiment from In It Together. Humanity's desire for self-actualization cannot be accomplished in the trappings of ego; our hard, fragile shell. It is only in the transformation that comes from being shattered and realizing there's no going back that one might find salvation.

[Knitkat]

I don't think we have to be completely broken in order to see our true selves. I think there are ways to peel back the layers without falling apart, though I do think that when we have broken to pick up the pieces we need to find ourselves or there's no way to heal that is meaningful.

[Tara D Morgan]

I don't understand this question and how it fits with Humpty Dumpty. The rhyme dates back to England in 1797 and is believed to have started as a riddle - What once broken can't be put back together again? - An egg!

[Julie Gebrosky]

I don't understand this question and how it fits with Humpty Dumpty. The rhyme dates back to England in 1797 and is believed to have started as a riddle - What once broken can't be put back together again? - An egg!

I agree with you completely! I think you’re right. Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense because nowhere in the nursery rhyme is Humpy Dumpty identified as an egg. I remember reading somewhere a while ago about people speculating where we even got the notion that he was an egg. After all, doesn’t it seem odd that we would have an egg sitting on a wall that all the king’s horses and men would want to piece back together in the first place? Of course, he’s always depicted as an egg in drawings for some reason.

[Amy Luman]

If you are talking about the fairy tale then I don’t really know what you mean. Humpty Dumpty is a fictional character with no real insight. However, if this is a comparison then I do think that people only see what is real about themselves when things don’t go according to plan. It’s easy to be content when everything is “as it should be.”

[Sheilaread]

This is a very interesting concept of this rhythm. I’ve never thought of it this way before.

We do know that it’s often very true that we can’t begin to heal our brokenness until we reach a very low point. Usually there’s no one that can begin that healing process but us. We must reach up and out for help first. Then we find resources to help get the pieces put together and get us back on track.

This whole idea shows us that even if we seem to be failing at something, we must find ways to seek help. Not just stay in our sad and broken place.

[Hubre De Klerk]

I think this saying goes two ways - yes we do see ourselves more clearly once all the blinds are off from our eyes, but then we also see who are the true people in our lives. I do think it is sad that we need this "nakedness" to see ourselves more clearly, but in today's lives, we get so many "fake" people that try to follow the norm and what is popular out there, and they are too afraid of being themselves because of their impression they will create.

[Shondranika Ford]

I love this section in the book because we are pretty much shells, masks, and any covering you can think of. Once we get rid of the outer self, we can broadcast our inner self - the REAL you.

[book+lover-people]

When you are broken and at your absolute lowest point in life, that is the moment you realize what you're truly made of. Whether you choose to wallow in self-pity and focus on all the things that went wrong or you shrug and say that didn't work out, pick yourself up, put yourself back together, and try again. It is at this critical moment that you realize your potential.

You can have a million people offering to help you (literally all the king's horses and all the king's men), and yet none of it will help or mean anything if you are unwilling to help yourself.

[Knitkat]

I think this saying goes two ways - yes we do see ourselves more clearly once all the blinds are off from our eyes, but then we also see who are the true people in our lives. I do think it is sad that we need this "nakedness" to see ourselves more clearly, but in today's lives, we get so many "fake" people that try to follow the norm and what is popular out there, and they are too afraid of being themselves because of their impression they will create.

I think part of this is because when things are going well then they don't think about themselves or their true self. When things are going badly we tend to self reflect more.

[BriahRay]

I absolutely enjoyed this section of the book. I loved the idea of undressing ourselves. We love to categorize ourselves in these boxes and often have things that we have worked hard for that we are proud of. However, they do not define us and are not good explanations are to who we actually are when regarding our "true selves". For example, I went to school and graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Psychology, but that is more of a material achievement made by my "false self". Once taking off the material clothes of our souls (body, cars, degrees, money, etc), you are faced with the one true, non-superficial/material thing, which is your soul. I found it very true and believe that everyone should take time to focus outside of the worldly factors to become more intune with Self and understanding that we all have such a higher purpose than just working a 9-5 and becoming a slave to society.

[Anna Hernandez 2]

The concept of "true self" is complex and influenced by various factors such as personal experiences, cultural background, relationships, and more, so individual circumstances and experiences will influence the outcome. But, I do believe a majority of individuals feel that emotional distress and vulnerability can bring out their most authentic selves. Because your 'image' is broken, or breaking, and you need to once again figure out who you are and what defines you. From the time we are born to the time our bodies expire, we are constantly redefining ourselves as our personal experiences, cultural background, relationships, and more grow and evolve.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Maybe the Humpty Dumpty had said so. But most importantly, others see who we are when we are broke. Not only when we are broke, but we get back up the others judge us and label us.