Since we all likely know the fairy tale of the princess and the pea, I will give the abridged version below, just as a reminder of the setup and result.
(A synopsis)
The Prince's Quest:
A prince desires a real princess as his wife and searches far and wide, meeting many who claim to be princesses, but none he can truly believe.
The Test:
One stormy night, a young woman, claiming to be a princess, seeks shelter at the prince's castle. The queen, doubtful, places a single, hard pea under twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds, to be slept on by the woman.
The Result:
The woman reports a terrible night's sleep, unable to rest due to the pea beneath the bedding. The prince and queen realize that the woman's sensitivity to the pea proves she is indeed a true princess, and they marry.
Lucky prince and a happily ever after??
Fuck no!
Just imagine if the princess is that sensitive to a pea under all of that mattress, how high-maintenance she is going to be about things that actually matter. Sure, a good night's sleep is important, but how well can a person sleep if they are hypersensitive to the slightest of discomforts.
See where this is going?
They say that "ignorance is bliss", but then that also implies that awareness is misery. And while that might not be completely true, it stands to reason that if what we are focusing our attention upon is discomfort and anything that can be construed or misconstrued as an attack, we are not going to have a very good time of it. And what we have done in society is condition people into high-maintenance princesses, hypersensitive to discomfort, and then strewn peas everywhere we are going to spend time.
Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness.
Do you see the connection? No matter what people claim, the majority are focusing on what is wrong in their lives, and when they are focusing on every moment with a magnifying glass looking for discomfort and attack - they find what they are looking for. Making themselves uncomfortable and victimised in the process. Anxious in the world where they do not have control as their unrealistic expectations cannot be met. Depressed because they are unable to feel good in an unfair world that they fills them with fear. And lonely, because people exacerbate their problems, triggering responses that make them feel negative emotions, and they must be avoided.
And just like the princess, people aren't sleeping well.
When you have the conditioning of a princess, poor sleep in trying times is to be expected, isn't it? All that anxiety keeping them up at night, depression keeping them sleeping in and loneliness, so there is no one to talk through the issues with, that give a therapeutic ear, not just a sympathetic one.
I entitled this piece "Undesirable Princesses" because while I was writing on the levels of anxiety experienced by the young and this morning on the number of people on antidepressants,, it had me thinking about how attractive or repulsive high-maintenance personalities are to me. People who are always assuming that they are under attack, and complaining that the world isn't fair. Always anxious because they live in fear of the world, and believe that everyone is out to get them.
They are tiring. Soul-sucking.
Undesirable?
At least for me, I prefer spending my time with those who even though might not have all their shit together, are continuously working toward improving their state of mind, body and soul. People who acknowledge the flaws in themselves when they arise, but don't use them as excuses, nor accept them as "the way they are". They might not have the bandwidth to work on all the things now, but they are making inroads somewhere. It isn't about having a positive attitude, it is about making positive actions.
Trying doesn't depend on their feelings.
And it is a reminder to me to look in the mirror and ask myself;
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Be part of the Hive discussion.
And you may be rewarded.
