If you’re a driven, perfectionistic, high-achiever who was trained to always show up well-informed, praised for your knowledge or expertise, and conditioned to care what others think of you, then there’s a high likelihood that you also have an intense fear of looking “foolish.”
It’s also likely that parents, teachers, and even life experiences or circumstances led you to put your inner Fool into a locked closet.
It’s time to find the key and unlock the door.
In a world of uncertainty, where it’s impossible to know everything and so much is out of your control, it’s imperative to embrace and develop your inner Fool.
If you’re already cringing in resistance, rest assured: embracing your Fool doesn’t make you “foolish.”
The Fool is an archetype, and it already exists within you.
An archetype is a universal pattern of potential experience. Every archetypal energy exists within us, although we may have developed some more than others.
The Fool Archetype
In pop culture, the Fool is sometimes depicted in its negative light: the trickster, the bumbling side-kick or best friend, the overly naive person.
But in its more evolved state, the Fool is wise. In fact, the Fool is often the smartest person in the room, because the Fool doesn’t assume they know everything and doesn’t worry about what they don’t know.
They are open to new experiences, and possess what Buddhists call “the beginner’s mind.” The Fool makes no pretense at “expertise” or “mastery” and therefore has nothing to lose by trying new things. There’s no risk to their established credibility.
The archetype of the Fool as developed by Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, is a resilient, unconventional creative who is unafraid to challenge authority and often goes about things in their own way.
The Image of The Fool
As depicted in many traditional tarot decks, the Fool stands on the edge of a cliff with a small sack, chest puffed out, and eyes staring out at the horizon, seemingly unconcerned by the risks that await on the journey ahead.
The Fool acts on instinct, is unencumbered by past failures, and is willing to leap into the unknown and embrace new experiences and growth.
The Fool is open to change and reinvention, and through this process accumulates a great deal of wisdom, making them an invaluable advisor to the protagonist characters in a story.
The Fool doesn’t allow itself to be weighed down by the fear of what others will think. They live in the present and trusts in the process.
Why You Should Embrace Your Fool
Every archetypal energy serves a purpose, and by developing all of them we can bring ourselves into wholeness. The Fool provides a helpful counter to the rigid and demanding perfectionist and controller.
When we’re on the precipice of change, or find ourselves situated in places where we lack information, knowledge, or control, the Fool reminds us to embrace the unknown, travel lightly, laugh at ourselves, and stay in the creative process.
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...