Welcome to the magical world of "The Little Prince". This literary classic, written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, has captivated readers of all ages for generations. Today, let's explore the rich narrative and profound messages contained in this enchanting story. We will analyze the unique relationship between the Little Prince and his Flower, with the Fox, the lamplighter, the lonely King, the star counter, the snake, the geographer... unveil some of the memorable phrases that enrich the book and, it is of course, discuss the teachings hidden behind the dialogues, or basically monologues of the prince who never gave up on a question and almost never answered them when they were asked, a topic that continues to intrigue and inspire.
Furthermore, we will talk about the impact of this book on popular culture and its subtle reflections that moved thousands of beginning readers. Ready to embark on this journey of discovery? So, let's start our journey through the "Little Prince" universe, but first, leave your like there, this is important so that YouTube understands that the video has value and recommends it to more people, if you can share it with a friend, visit our website: www.metodoevalor.com.br, I thank you so much, because you are the one who makes all this possible and I am very grateful.
Our journey begins with the narrator awakening that inner child in us, by showing us a minimalist drawing and asking for our interpretation of what it is about.
I want you to look closely at the drawing, pause the video if necessary, and tell me what you see, what it means to you? After reaching the conclusion, write in the comments what you imagined when looking at it, and we will see how your inner child is doing, or if you already have the soul of an adult.
The narrator states that once, when he was six years old, he saw an imposing engraving in a book about the Virgin Forest, "Histórias Vividas". It represented a boa constrictor that swallowed a beast.
The book said: "Boas swallow, without chewing, their prey whole. Then they cannot move and sleep for six months after digestion."
Soon, he reflected a lot on his adventures in the jungle, and made his first drawing with colored pencils. As you can see.
Excited, he showed his masterpiece to the grown-ups and asked if his drawing scared them. However, he got another question in response: "Why would a hat make someone scared?"
There was just one problem, the drawing didn't represent a hat. In this way, he then drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that grown-up people could understand. They always need explanations. And now his new drawing looked like this.
However, the grown-ups were not in the mood to hear about boa constrictors digesting an elephant and advised him to put aside the drawings of open or closed boa constrictors, and instead dedicate himself to geography, history, calculation, and grammar.
This is how the narrator abandoned, at the age of six, a splendid career as a painter. Behold, he was discouraged by the failure of his drawing. Behold, grown-up people don't understand anything on their own, and it's tiring for children to be explaining things all the time.
What lesson can we learn from this short excerpt? Say it in the comments. In my point of view, we realize that throughout our lives, we absorb other people's opinions and, upon receiving encouragement and discouragement, we make decisions and shape our abilities. Every day we make new choices and with each choice, we renounce a path. It must be part of our wisdom, knowing how to filter the advice of the people who are at our side, as some of it may simply reflect someone's frustration at not having succeeded or a bad experience on the part of the advisor. Take someone who failed a business for example, if you tell them you will probably receive a disincentive or a barrage of reasons not to start.
And so, says the narrator, who then had to choose another profession and learned to fly planes. It flew, so to speak, all over the world. However, this did not in any way improve his former opinion. When he found an adult who seemed a little lucid to him, he would experience his first drawing with him.
But they always answered: "It's a hat." So he spoke to them neither of boa constrictors, nor of virgin forests, nor of stars. It was within reach. He talked to him about bridge, golf, politics, ties. And the big person was delighted to meet such a reasonable man.
The narrator is an aviator who, about six years ago, had a breakdown in the Sahara desert. Something had broken in the engine.
So he remained in the desert, repairing his plane being a matter of life and death. He only had enough water for eight days.
Therefore, the narrator says he is surprised when, when he wakes up in the morning, a strange little voice wakes him up. Saying: - Please... draw me a sheep.
As the aviator looked, he saw that this was an entirely extraordinary piece of people. Now, that little man did not seem lost, nor dead from fatigue, nor dead from hunger, thirst or fear.
When he could finally utter a word, he asked him:-But... what are you doing here?
He then repeated,
Please... draw me a sheep.
As absurd as it seemed to me a thousand miles from everywhere, the aviator took a sheet of paper and a pen out of his pocket.
As he had never drawn a sheep before, he remade one of the only two drawings he knew for it. The one with the closed boa constrictor. And he was astonished to hear the boy reply: -No! No! I don't want an elephant on a boa constrictor. The boa is dangerous and the elephant takes up a lot of space. Everything is small where I live. What I need is a sheep.
He did the drawing again. But he was refused like the precedents:
Then, losing patience, he scribbled the drawing on the side. And he ventured: This is the box. The ram is inside.
But he was surprised to see the little prince's happiness: -That's exactly how I wanted it! Will it take a lot of grass for this sheep?
As for the Ram, we can observe that the Little Prince refuses several conventions, before finally, the aviator draws a box and explains that the sheep is inside it. This creative and imaginative approach reflects the importance of seeing the world differently and recognizing the uniqueness of each person's perspective, the ability to see things creatively beyond mere numbers. The ram is a metaphor for the need to cultivate imagination and the ability to see things beyond superficial appearances. This is why for the Little Prince the idea of restraining or gagging his poor sheep is inconceivable, as that would mean losing sensitivity to what is invisible to the eye.
The little prince, who asked thousands of questions, didn't even seem to listen to the narrator's. Words spoken at random and which, little by little, revealed everything.
Where do you want to take the sheep? She remained meditating in silence, and then replied: The good thing is that the box you gave me can serve as a house at night.
Undoubtedly. And if you're good, I'll also give you a rope to tie you up during the day. And a stake. The proposal seemed to shock him: Tie it up? What a strange idea - But if you don't tie him up, he'll go away and get lost... And my friend laughed again: - But where do you want him to go?
Then the little prince observed, very seriously: - It doesn't matter, it's so small where I live! And then, perhaps with a bit of melancholy, he added: -When we always move forward, we really can't go far.
Note that this book is dedicated to a childhood friend of Antoine, and from the beginning he warns you that you must rescue that unique way a child sees the world. Furthermore, the prince is a philosopher who is always willing to ask questions for a more meaningful life, he seeks to be part of life and not just observe it. To do this, he sets out on a journey through seven planets, each one representing a personality, or virtues and characteristics that we tend to develop throughout life.
The narrator explains that for us adults it is difficult to understand simple things, the essential things invisible to the eye. We are more concerned with numbers than with what really matters in life, the ability to see life in a light and creative way. If a friend says that they have seen a beautiful house, our first reaction is to know how many square meters, how much it costs, which region... we don't care what color it is, the plants it contains, how cozy it is. We are always in search of literalness.
In this context, the narrator explains that there are planets so small that they can barely be seen in a telescope. When the astronomer discovers one of them, he gives it a number by name.
Therefore, he states that he has serious reasons to suppose that the planet the prince came from was asteroid B 612.
The interesting thing is that the book provides an explanation for this name, but it is fictional. Asteroid B612 is named after a personal experience of the author, as, when he worked as a delivery pilot, Saint-Exupéry flew a plane identified by the number A-612. In the story, the narrator also mentions that the asteroid was observed in 1909 by a Turkish astronomer.
However, according to the Canaltech website, 19 asteroids were discovered that year, but none of them came from an astronomer in Turkey or were called B612. But, in fact, there is an asteroid that was named after the work: it was observed for the first time in 1909, but it was only in 1993 that astronomers at the Kitami Observatory, in Japan, confirmed its existence.
However, in the book, fictionally, the aviator says that this asteroid was only seen once through a telescope, in 1909, by a Turkish astronomer.
At the time, he would have made a great demonstration of his discovery at an International Astronomy Congress. But no one had given him credit because of the clothes he wore. Until a Turkish dictator forced the people, under penalty of death, to dress in European fashion. The astronomer repeated his demonstration in 1920, in an elegant coat. So this time, everyone was convinced.
Behold, big people love numbers. They are never informed about the essentials. They never ask: "What does his voice sound like? What toys do he prefer?" But they ask: "How old is he? How many siblings does he have? How much does he weigh? Only then do they think they know him.
For this reason, the proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming. When someone wants a sheep, it's because it exists" they will shrug their shoulders and call us children! But if we say: "The planet he came from is asteroid B 612" they will be completely convinced, and will not bother with questions.
Maybe I thought I was similar to him. But, unfortunately, I don't know how to see sheep through a box. I'm a little like big people. I think I've gotten older.
So, the prince questioned him, filled with serious doubt: Is it true that sheep eat bushes? Yes it is true. Oh! Great!
So they also eat baobabs? He pointed out to the little prince that baobabs are not bushes, but trees as big as churches.
But he then wisely noted: -Baobabs, before they grow, are small. - It's fact! But why do you want the sheep to eat the small baobabs?
In fact, on the little prince's planet there were, as on all other planets, good and bad herbs. When it comes to a bad plant, we need to pull it out as soon as we get to know it. Now, there were terrible seeds on the little prince's planet: baobab seeds... The planet's soil was infested.
"It's a question of discipline," the little prince said later. We need to settle for regularly pulling out the baobabs as soon as they can be distinguished from the rose bushes. It's a boring job, but it's easy to do." Sometimes there's no harm in leaving a job for later. But when it comes to baobabs, it's always a catastrophe. I knew a planet inhabited by a lazy person. I had left three bushes .
Note that the baobab tree and the prince's little planet are actually a metaphor about our heart, that is, our feelings throughout the day. This idea is very reminiscent of Plato, especially his emphasis on education and the formation of the soul, when defending the importance of education to mold virtuous individuals, virtue is a constant practice and requires discipline. Therefore, baobabs represent the need to deal with problems before they grow and become uncontrollable, reflecting the concern with adequate training from an early age.
Therein lies the idea that we should take care of our little planet, our emotions and virtues, maintaining and cultivating good herbs.
In this way, the Little Prince continued:
If a sheep eats bushes, does it also eat flowers? A sheep eats everything it finds. Even flowers that have thorns? Yes. Even the ones that have. So... what are thorns for? I didn't know. I was very busy at that moment.
What are thorns for? The little prince never renounced a question.
He replied something: - Thorn is useless. They are pure evil of flowers. - Oh! But after a silence, he said to me with a kind of resentment:
I don't believe! The flowers are weak. Naive. They defend themselves as best they can. They think they are terrible with their thorns... I didn't respond.
And you think then that the flowers... - Why! I don't think anything. The aviator replied anything. “I only deal with serious things.” He looked at me dumbfounded: - Serious things!
You talk like big people! I felt a little ashamed. But he added, implacably: - You confuse everything... You mix everything! He was actually very angry.
I know a planet where there is a red guy, almost purple. Never smelled a flower. Never looked at a star. He never loved anyone. He never did anything other than sums. And all day he repeats like you: "I'm a serious man! I'm a serious man!" and that makes him swell with pride. But he is not a man; he's a mushroom!
The little prince was now pale with anger. - Flowers have been making thorns for millions and millions of years. Sheep have been eating them for millions and millions of years, despite everything. And wouldn't it be serious to try to understand why they waste so much time making useless thorns? Does the war of sheep and flowers not matter? Isn't it more important than that guy's accounts? And if I, in turn, know a flower that is unique in the world, that only exists on my planet, and that one fine day a little sheep can eliminate in a single blow, without evaluating what it does, - doesn't that matter?!
If someone loves a flower of which there is only one copy in millions and millions of stars, that is enough to make them happy when they see it.
But if the sheep eats the flower, it is for him, suddenly, as if all the stars were extinguished! And this doesn't matter!
He couldn't say anything more. He suddenly began to sob. Night had fallen. I dropped the tools.
He cradled it. And he said to him: "The flower you love is not in danger... I will design a little gag for the ram... An armor for the flower... He didn't know what to say. He felt awkward.
A possible interpretation is that the flower represents love and the uniqueness of relationships. The Little Prince develops a special relationship with his unique rose bush on his small planet, as we will see later, it also highlights themes such as the fragility of relationships, the importance of taking care of what we love and the complexity of human emotions, exploring aspects such as search for understanding, forgiveness and acceptance of imperfections in relationships.
Therefore, the concern with the protection of the flower. This idea of protecting her reflects the search for understanding and emotional connection. We can observe in this relationship the feelings of love, the responsibility for protecting the loved object, the whims that the complexity of love imposes on us such as the need to attract the attention of the loved one, selfishness, jealousy, vanity while at the same time We wholeheartedly desire each other's well-being.
Thus, the aviator continues saying that he will soon get to know that flower better, There had always been, on the planet of the little prince, very simple flowers, decorated with a single row of petals,
They appeared one morning in the grass, and in the afternoon they disappeared. But that one day had sprouted from a grain brought from who knows where, and the little prince had closely watched the little sprout, so different from the others. But the bush soon stopped growing, and he began to prepare a flower. But the flower was no longer preparing itself, preparing its beauty, in its green room. He chose colors carefully. She dressed slowly, adjusting her petals one by one. He didn't want to leave. Oh! Yes. She was vain. His mysterious toilet, therefore, lasted for days and days.
Until finally, he said: Ah! I just woke up. . . Sorry... I'm still all disheveled... The little prince then couldn't contain his astonishment: - How beautiful you are!
The little prince soon realized that the flower was not modest. But it was so moving! I believe it's lunch time, she added. And the little prince, embarrassed, went to get a watering can with fresh water, and served the flower. She had soon afflicted him with her morbid vanity. Speaking of her four thorns, she said to the little prince: - It's just that they can come, the tigers, with their claws!
There are no tigers on my planet, the little prince had objected. And then, tigers don't eat grass.
I'm not a herb, the flower replied softly. I'm not afraid of tigers, but I'm terrified of drafts. Wouldn't you happen to have a windscreen?
At night you will place me under the dome. It's very cold on your planet. It is poorly installed. She coughed two or three times, to blame it on the prince: - And the windbreak? Go get it. But you spoke to me... Then she redoubled her coughing to inflict remorse on him.
So the little prince, despite the good will of his love, soon doubted her. "I shouldn't have listened to her - he confessed to her one day - you should never listen to flowers.
He should have judged her by her actions, not her words. She perfumed me, illuminated me... she should never have run away. The flowers are so contradictory! But I was too young to know how to love.
How many times are we so worried about what the other says or doesn't say, and we ignore their gestures of love, because we are always like the flower, vain, full of ourselves, worried about our well-being, we end up forgetting how special the other is and he shows love in different peculiar gestures, be it simply waking up early to prepare a coffee before the other person leaves for work, organizing the house before the other person arrives from work, an extra favorite chocolate when he buys to remember that the other is special and brings joy. This is love, complex and fluctuating in different feelings, from fear of losing, jealousy and the sense of responsibility and care.
And so, the poor little prince found himself having to say goodbye to his precious flower that he had cultivated with so much care.
On the morning of departure, he put the planet in order. He carefully turned over his two active volcanoes and also pulled out the last baobab shoots.
And finally, he began to say goodbye to the flower. But the flower didn't respond. She just coughed. But it wasn't because of the cold.
I was a fool, he said at last. I ask your forgiveness. Try to be happy. The absence of censure surprised him.
Try to be happy... But you can leave the dome alone. I don't need her anymore. - But the wind... I'm not that cold... The fresh night air will do me good. I am a flower. - But the animals... - I need to support two or three larvae if I want to know the butterflies. They say they are so beautiful! Otherwise, who will come to visit me? You will be far away. As for big animals, I'm not afraid of them. I have my claws.
Don't take so long to leave, it's exasperating. You decided to go. Go away! Because she didn't want him to see her cry. It was a very proud flower.
This departure is very symbolic, notice that the flower stripped off its vanity, selfishness and armor, and showed itself strong so that the prince would not feel bad about the fact that he was leaving. Finally, she, who was always served, put the other's desires before her own and dismissed the jar. And there she said a sensational sentence: “I need to support two or three caterpillars if I want to know butterflies”. Just like in life, we need to face certain adversities if we want to be successful in life, it is this strength of facing problems that makes us who we are and that brings personal fulfillment.
The Prince then left, and found himself in the region of asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330. He therefore began to visit them, to look for an occupation and to educate himself. The first was inhabited by a king. The king sat, dressed in purple and ermine,
Oh! Here is a subject, exclaimed the king when he came across the little prince. The little prince looked around with his eyes for where to sit, but the entire planet was cluttered with the magnificent ermine mantle. He then stood up. But, as he was tired, he yawned.
It is against etiquette to yawn in front of the king, said the monarch. I forbid it.
I can't help it, said the little prince, confused. I've been on a long journey and haven't slept yet... So, said the king, I order you to yawn. I haven't seen anyone yawn in years!
This intimidates me... I can't do it anymore... said the little prince, all red. - Hmm! Hmm! replied the king. So... then I order you to yawn and not yawn... He stuttered a little.
Because the king made a firm point that his authority was respected. He did not tolerate disobedience. He was an absolute monarch. But, as he was very good, he gave reasonable orders. "If I ordered, I used to say, a general to turn into a seagull, and the general didn't obey me, it wouldn't be the general's fault, it would be mine."
This idea reflects Plato's thought, in "The Republic", which defends the idea that the ruler must be wise and knowledgeable, and orders must reflect this knowledge to guarantee a fair society. So the point is that if a leader gives an order that seems unreasonable, the responsibility lies with the leader, not the subordinate.
But the little prince was amazed. The planet was tiny. Over whom would the king reign?
Above all, the king replied, with great simplicity. - Above all? The king, with a discreet gesture, designated his planet, the others, and also the stars.
And do the stars obey you? Without a doubt, said the king. They obey promptly. Such power amazed the little prince.
I wanted to see a sunset... Do me a favor. Order the sun to set... Said the prince.
- If I ordered my general to fly from one flower to another like a butterfly, and the general did not execute the order received, who - he or I - would be wrong?
You, replied the little prince firmly. - Exactly. It is necessary to demand from each one what each one can give, replied the king. Authority rests on reason. I have the right to demand obedience because my orders are reasonable.
Note that in the form of satire, and a kind of criticism of the absolutist power of the monarch, the conception that he reigns over nothing, without purpose, reaffirming his authority over the obvious beyond his control. However, in addition, the author provides in this excerpt an excellent example of Plato's ideas about the fair relationship between ruler and followers when explaining the idea of reasonable orders.
And so, the Monarch continues: Your sunset, you will have it. I will demand it. But I will hope, in my government science, that conditions are favorable. It will be there around... around seven forty o'clock tonight.
Finally, the prince said to the king: I have nothing more to do here.
Don't leave, replied the king,
Don't leave: I'll make you minister - Minister of what? - Of... of justice
But there is no one to judge!
You will judge yourself, the king replied. It's the hardest. It is much more difficult to judge yourself than to judge others. If you can judge yourself well, you are a true wise man.
Look at this magnificent lesson! How many times have we stopped to judge others and told them they should do it this way or that way. That it's just starting a gym, that you don't lose weight because you don't want to, that it was just having studied, however, sometimes, these are things that when we go to do in our lives, we don't achieve in the easy way that we consider to be so simple for others to do . Therefore, we must focus on judging our actions, because this way, we improve every day and we can understand the difficulties that others may face, this develops our empathy.
It's curious because the psychologist Jung said that often a defect in another person that bothers us a lot and we look at it and really don't like that defect, it can represent something that we actually have within ourselves, and that We don't like having that inside us, and we push it away and dislike it in the other person. People will also be symbols of our lives, they will be our mirrors from which we learn and grow a little as human beings.
And so, the prince continued:
But I can judge myself anywhere. I don't need to live here for that.
But the little prince, having finished his preparations, did not want to distress the old monarch: - If Your Majesty wishes to be promptly obeyed, you can give me a reasonable order. He could order me, for example, to leave in less than a minute. The king said nothing, until he begged: I make you my ambassador, the king hurried to shout, while the Prince left.
The second planet, a vain inhabited it.
Oh! Oh! An admirer comes to visit me! exclaimed the vain man from afar, as soon as he had seen the prince. Because, for the vain, other men are always admirers.
You have a funny hat. Said the prince.
It's to be grateful, exclaimed the vain man. To say thank you when they cheer me up. So he asked the prince to applaud him.
The vain man began to thank him again, taking off his hat. After five minutes of exercise, the little prince got tired of the monotony of the toy: - And for the hat to fall, he asked, what needs to be done? But the vain man didn't listen. The vain only hear praise.
Isn't it true that you admire me a lot? he asked the little prince. - What does it mean to admire? -
Admiring means recognizing that I am the most beautiful, richest, most intelligent and best dressed man on the entire planet. - But there is only you on your planet! - Give me that taste. Admire me anyway!
I admire you, said the little prince, shrugging his shoulders. But how can that interest you?
The vain man continued to boast. And the prince left.
An interesting fact is that the word "vanity" comes from the Latin, "vanitas", which means emptiness. In fact, it is a very recurrent characteristic in all of us and it will represent this void of something inside, and as I don't have something inside, I will put an image, a mask, and I will need that thing to be reinforced a lot, to May I receive praise for that. Be loved and idolized for what I externalized to the world. It's that famous war between being and appearance, the duality between the emptiness I feel, the lack of self-love for who I am, versus what I want people to think of me. As I cannot be a human being with depth, I need to appear to be something, and I need more than that, I wish to reaffirm myself in that thing that I appear to be outside. One of the things that vanity awakens a lot in us is competition, precisely because I need to reinforce my mask, I need to reaffirm myself in some aspect outside and for that, I need to be better than the other, and this reflects on our social relationships. and interpersonal.
This chapter addresses criticisms of excessive vanity and the search for external approval. Saint-Exupéry uses this story to reflect on human nature, highlighting how the unbridled search for praise and exclusive attention to oneself can lead to loneliness and a lack of true connection with others. The Vain man didn't even notice the prince, he was more worried about being recognized than trying to form a new friendship. Many people are becoming like this, vain and in need of recognition, willing to do anything for a like or to be famous, giving up their own pride and important moral values to do so.
The next planet was inhabited by a drunk. This visit was very short, but perhaps the little prince's most important, since it reflects our vices, an aspect also very present in human life.
Addiction largely comes from the desire to escape reality. This escape of wanting to forget my problems, that is, it demonstrates an ambition, as my life does not generate a degree of satisfaction, I seek this satisfaction in addiction so that I feel some kind of pleasure as a human being. Here on this planet, it is represented through drinking, but addictions will express themselves in different ways for human beings, from drugs, to empty lifestyles, electronic and gambling games, social networks...
Anyway, this idea that as I cannot have this satisfaction, as I cannot find this pleasure in the experience of my existence, in my life, I will seek this satisfaction in something that generates instant dopamine, which for a brief period , I get a kind of escape from life.
But why is philosophy so critical of addictive behaviors? Why do the Stoics, Aristotle and Socrates especially fear vice so much?
Simple, because for the philosopher, this is something very contradictory. Because the more I seek a deeper reflection on life, understand life a little more deeply, the more I need to be aware of myself, be aware of my emotions, the environment around me, so that life becomes more pleasurable. to live. Addictions are an obstacle to this philosophical need, as they impede a person's freedom of choice and take away the self-control necessary to reflect on life.
Therefore, this interaction between the little prince is complex and subtle, because upon arriving on the third planet, they greet each other and the prince shows curiosity about so many bottles mirrored on the little planet. ,
Why do you drink? he asked him.
- To forget, replied the drunkard. Forgetting that I'm ashamed, confessed the drunk, lowering his head. - Shame of what?
Shame on drinking! concluded the drunkard, definitively closing himself in silence. So, the little prince left, perplexed, without understanding such a contradiction between the vice being fueled by the shame of the vice itself. Although strange to think about it this way, addictions maintain this certain duality, between the awareness that we shouldn't do it, but we no longer have the necessary control over ourselves, to decide to act otherwise, this feeling of impotence, feeds our shame ourselves and our vicious object.
The fourth planet was that of the businessman. He was so busy that he didn't even lift his head.
Good morning, the little prince said to him.
_ His cigarette is out.
_ There is no time to light it again. And so he continued to count, the lonely counter.
_ Five hundred million of what? - Huh?
_ Are you still here?
_ Five hundred and one million... I don't know anymore... I have so much work. I'm a serious guy, I don't worry about trifles!
Five hundred million of what?, continued the insistent prince.
The businessman understood that there was no hope of peace: - Millions of those little things that you sometimes see in the sky.
Oh stars? - That's right. Stars.
I'm a serious guy. I like accuracy. - And what do you do with those stars? - What do I do with them?
_ Yes.
_ Anything. I own them.
But I've seen a king who...
- Kings don't have it. They "reign" over. It's very different - And what's the point in owning the stars? - It helps me to be rich - And what is the use of being rich for you? - To buy other stars, if anyone finds them.
_ How can we own the stars?
_ Whose are they? replied the businessman threateningly.
_ I don't know. Nobody's.
_ So they are mine, because I thought of them first.
That's true, said the little prince. And what do you do with them? I manage them. I tell them and retell them.
However, the prince was still not satisfied and responded by saying that possession requires possession, being able to measure it, exemplifying that if I have a scarf, I can put it around my neck and carry it with me. Not the stars, they are very far away.
Then the accountant demonstrates that he doesn't simply do the math, he writes the number of his stars on a piece of paper. Then he locks the paper with a key in a drawer.
_ Finally, before leaving, the Little Prince insolently stated: I have a flower that I water every day. I have three volcanoes that I revolve every week. It is useful for my volcanoes, and useful for my flower that I have them. But you are of no use to the stars.
The businessman opened his mouth, but found nothing to answer, and the little prince left.
In a society where the lack of time is often used as a symbol of seriousness, the reflection of Seneca, the Stoic philosopher from the 3rd century BC, who, even in his time, faced similar complaints about the scarcity of time. His work, "On the Brevity of Life", brings an intriguing perspective: "It's not that you don't have time; life has given you enough time to accomplish what you think is important, worthy and human. The problem is that you are wasting your time with that which is not valid."
These words have crossed the centuries, and still portray a modern problem today. The frequent justifications of being "too busy" or not having time have become almost a personal mantra. Therefore, we must pay attention to how we are leading our lives, sometimes we are counting stars and keeping numbers in drawers or in bank accounts, saying we have no time for the important things in life, such as: time with our children, with the wife, a trip, pleasant moments and memories.
The fifth planet was very curious. It was the smallest of all. It was barely enough for a lamp and lamplighter. Your work at least has a meaning. When you light the lamp, it's as if another star is born, another flower. When it turns off, however, it is either a star or a flower that falls asleep. It's a beautiful occupation. And it's useful, because it's beautiful.
We can see an inspiration in this chapter from the "Bhagavad Gita" and Khalil Gibran's reflections in "The Prophet", in which they highlight the importance of disinterested action and friendship as means of spiritual elevation. The Hindu work emphasizes straight action, detached from interests in results, while the Lebanese poet emphasizes that true friendship must seek the continuous improvement of those involved. In the book, we identify these principles in the figure of the lamplighter, demonstrating a deep understanding of the true essence of human relationships. Because of all the planets, the lamplighter continues his work for the benefit of others, of the beauty of illumination, he is the only one who acts without interests or ulterior motives.
So, when the prince arrives, he says: Good morning. Why did you just turn off your lamp? I perform a terrible task. It's the regulation. The lighter replied. In other words, I turn off my lamp. Goodnight. And it lit up again. Good morning.
It's not for understanding, said the lighter. Regulation is regulation. Good morning. And he turned off the lamp - Then he wiped his forehead with a red comic handkerchief. In the past it was reasonable. It turned off in the morning and turned on at night. He had the rest of the day to rest and the rest of the night to sleep...
- And after that, did the regulations change?
The regulations have not changed, said the lighter. That's where the drama is! The planet rotates faster from year to year, and the regulations don't change!
Now that it makes one turn per minute, I no longer have a second to rest. I turn it on and off once a minute. It's not funny at all, said the lighter. We've been talking for a month now.
I know a way to rest whenever you want...
- I always want it, said the lighter.
Your planet is so small that you can, in three steps, walk around it. Just walk slowly, very slowly, so that you are always in the sun.
That doesn't do much good, said the lighter. What I like most in life is sleeping.
So there is no remedy.
And finally, the little prince reflected that among the others, the king, the vain one, the drunkard, the businessman. However, he's the only one who doesn't seem ridiculous to me. Maybe because he's the only one who cares about anything other than himself. He sighed with regret and said further: He was the only one I could have made my friend.
The sixth planet was ten times bigger - It was inhabited by an old man who wrote huge books. - Angry! here is an explorer! he exclaimed.
What book is this?
I'm a geographer, replied the old man.
He is a wise man who knows where the seas, rivers, cities, mountains and deserts are located.
It's very interesting, said the little prince. This is, after all, a real profession!
His planet is very beautiful. Will there be oceans in it?
How should I know? said the geographer.
But you are a geographer
Of course, said the geographer; But I'm not an explorer.
The geographer is very important to be walking around. He doesn't leave his desk for a moment. But he receives the explorers, interrogates them, writes down their memories. And if the memories of some seem interesting to him, the geographer establishes an inquiry into the morality of the explorer
Because an explorer who lied would produce catastrophes in geography books. When the explorer's morality appears good, an investigation into his discovery is made. The explorer is required to provide evidence.
But you come from far away. You are an explorer! You will describe your planet to me!
Oh! Where I live, said the little prince, is not interesting: it is very small. I have three volcanoes. I also have a flower.
But we didn't write down the flowers, said the geographer.
_ Why not? It's the most beautiful!
_ Because flowers are ephemeral.
_ What does "ephemeral" mean?
We write eternal things. It means "threatened with imminent disappearance".
_ Is my flower threatened with imminent disappearance?
_ Undoubtedly.
Said the little prince, and he has no more than four thorns to defend himself from the world! And I left her alone! It was his first movement of remorse.
We can see that the geographer in the book represents a pseudo intellectualism, fixated on understanding the mountains theoretically without ever exploring them. This disconnect between thought and action reflects a distorted conduct in life, where ideas and principles are not translated into practice. This dichotomy is also observed in contemporary philosophy, which, although associated primarily with intellectualism, originally means "love of wisdom". Wisdom, unlike intellectual knowledge, requires practical translation, influencing attitudes that promote human improvement. The search for true philosophy, as advocated by our channel, lies in the practical application of knowledge, rescuing the original meaning of love of wisdom, good values, healthy and inspiring thoughts.
Finally, the little prince continued saying:
_ What would you recommend me visiting? he asked. - Planet Earth, the geographer replied. Enjoys a high reputation
The seventh planet was, therefore, Earth.
The little prince, once on Earth, was very surprised to see no one. He had already feared he had mistaken the planet, when a moon-colored ring stirred in the sand.
_ Good evening, where are the men? said the little prince,
_ Good night, said the snake.
This is the desert. There is no one in the deserts. The Earth is big, said the serpent.
Your planet is beautiful, said the serpent. What are you doing here?
_ I had difficulties with a flower, said the prince.
_ Oh! exclaimed the serpent.
_ Where are the men? finally repeated the little prince. We are a little alone in the desert. Among men too, said the serpent.
_ You're a funny little animal, he said, thin as a finger...
_ But I am more powerful than a king's finger, said the serpent.
_ You're not that powerful... you don't even have paws.
_ But I can take you further than a ship, said the serpent. She wrapped herself around the prince's little leg, like a golden bracelet: Whoever I touch, I return to the land from which he came, I pity you, so weak, in this land of granite. I can help you one day, if you really miss your planet.
The little prince crossed the desert and found only one flower. A flower with three petals. At the time, he politely asked, where are the men? The flower, one day, saw a caravan passing by:
_ Men? I believe there are six or seven. I saw them many years ago.
The little prince climbed a big mountain.
"From such a high mountain, he thought, I will see the entire planet and all men. But he only saw pointy stone needles.
Good morning, he said completely out of character. - Good morning... Good morning... Good morning... replied the echo.
"What a funny planet he thought then. It's all dry, pointy and salty. And men have no imagination. They repeat what we say.
He walked a little further and came across a garden full of roses. - Good morning, said the roses.
They were all the same as their flower.
_ Who are you? he asked, dumbfounded.
_ We are roses, said the roses.
And he felt extremely unhappy. His flower had told him that she was the only one of her kind in the entire universe. And behold, there were five thousand, alike, in one garden.
"She would turn really red, he thought, if she saw this... She would start coughing, she would pretend to die, to escape ridicule. And then I would have to pretend that I cared for her; because if I didn't, just to humiliate me, she was quite capable of actually dying.
Afterwards, he further reflected: "I thought I was rich in a unique flower, and it's just a common rose that I have. A rose and three volcanoes that are up to my knees, one of which is extinct forever. That doesn't make me a very big prince.
The serpent's offer to take the Prince back to his planet symbolizes the temptation to return to the familiar, to nostalgia. The serpent, when touching those it encounters, returns them to the earth, suggesting a connection with nature and origin.
In the same way, the Prince's experience with the three-petaled flower and the discovery of identical roses reveal the illusion of singularity, how frivolous the idea is that I can only love what I consider unique. This highlights the importance of not excessively idealizing something or someone, as reality often contradicts our expectations. The fox will teach the prince the important lesson about how love and affection are more linked to the essence of each person as a person, the uniqueness, of those moments they share, of experiences and feelings, than the shell, what is external, that is that the rose, even though it has thousands of others like it, the relationship it has with its rose on its small planet is something built with the coexistence of both. .
And then the fox appeared:
- Good morning, she said.
Who are you? asked the little prince.
I'm a fox.
Come play with me, proposed the little prince. I am so sad.
_ I can't play with you, said the fox. They haven't captivated me yet.
After reflection, she added: -What does "captivate" mean?
Men, said the fox, have rifles and hunt. It's very uncomfortable! They also raise chickens. It's the only interesting thing they do.
_ Are you looking for chickens?
No, said the little prince. I look for friends. What does "captivate" mean?
_ It's a very forgotten thing, said the fox. It means "to create bonds".
_ You are still nothing to me but a boy entirely like a hundred thousand other boys. And I have no need of you. And you don't need me either. In your eyes, I am no more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you captivate me, we will need each other. You will be the only one in the world for me. And I will be the only one in the world for you...
There is a flower. . . I believe she captivated me.
_ My life is monotonous. I hunt the chickens and the men hunt me. All chickens look alike and all men look alike too. And that's why I get a little upset. But if you captivate me, my life will be full of sunshine. Then it will be wonderful when you have tamed me. The wheat, which is golden, will remind me of you. And I will love the sound of the wind in the wheat.
_ Please... captivate me, she said.
_ I wish, said the little prince, but I don't have much time. I have friends to discover and many things to know.
_ We only know well the things we have captivated, said the fox. Men no longer have time to know anything. They buy everything ready-made in stores. But as there are no friend stores, men no longer have friends. If you want a friend, captivate me!
_ What needs to be done? asked the prince.
_ You have to be patient, replied the fox.
_ you will first sit a little far from me, like this, on the grass. I'll look at you out of the corner of my eye and you won't say anything. Language is a source of misunderstanding. But every day you will sit closer.
_ It would have been better if you came back at the same time, said the fox. If you come, for example, at four o'clock in the afternoon, from three o'clock I will start to be happy.
_ But if you come at any time, I will never know when to prepare my heart... Rites are necessary.
_ What is a rite? asked the little prince.
_ It's a very forgotten thing too,
_ If the hunters danced any day, the days would all be the same, and I wouldn't have a vacation!
_ So the little prince captivated the fox. But when it was time to leave, the fox said:
_ Oh! I will cry.
==========
_ It's your fault, said the little prince, I didn't want to hurt you; but you wanted me to captivate you...
_ I wanted it, said the fox.
_ are you going to cry?
_ I will, said the fox.
_ So, you won't make any profit!
_ I profit, said the fox, because of the color of the wheat. I will always remember you.
_ Go see the roses. You will understand that yours is the only one in the world.
_ The little prince went to see the roses:
_ You are not absolutely equal to my rose, you are nothing yet. No one has yet captivated you, nor have you captivated anyone.
_ You are beautiful, but empty, he said. One cannot die for you. My rose, without a doubt a random passerby would think it looks like you. She alone is, however, more important than all of you, because I watered her. It was she I put under the dome. She was the one I sheltered with the windshield. It was from her that I killed the larvae
_ Goodbye, he said...
_ Goodbye, said the fox. Here's my secret. It's very simple: you can only see clearly with your heart. The essential is invisible to the eye.
_ It was the time you lost with your rose that made your rose so important. Men have forgotten this truth, said the fox. But you must not forget her. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for the rose…
In this excerpt, we can highlight the valuable lessons learned from the interaction between the Little Prince and the fox. The philosophy proposes reflections on the importance of creating deep bonds with other human beings, something often neglected in a busy society.
The fox metaphor teaches that the act of captivation involves creating meaningful bonds, requiring time and dedication, similar to the Prince's search for the fox's friendship. Criticism of the superficiality of human relationships highlights the need to prioritize truer connections, a construction like a flame that must always be fed to continue to burn.
For this, the "rites" mentioned by the fox are important, which we can summarize as actions at the right time, recognizing that each moment is unique. This highlights the beauty and depth that can emerge when activities are performed with attention, meaning, and genuine presence. Who has never met someone who is able to talk without noticing the hours passing, for example?
A phrase present in several posts on the internet is probably "You can only see clearly with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes", but what can we extract from it? Have you ever stopped to think?
From our perspective, it highlights the importance of seeing life with empathy and sensitivity, valuing the human aspect in daily interactions. There is much more to a happy life or moments of happiness than material goods, part of the magic of these moments are precisely the things that are outside the material world, that is, a hug, a loved smile, a welcoming feeling. These are the essential things for our mental health and happiness. There are people who have the basics in life, but demonstrate extraordinary happiness, by simply being grateful for the things invisible to the eye.
Another important point is the concept that "You become eternally responsible for what you captivate", as this statement highlights the responsibility inherent in interpersonal relationships. A responsibility that has become very feared by modern liquid society. We are increasingly fearful, aloof and avoiding the consequences of maintaining a relationship with someone. People are treating relationships as a matter of utility, it is only good or worthy of love if it is useful emotionally or financially. There is no understanding as an opportunity for growth and maturity, providing a more mature attitude towards life.
Returning to the book summary:
So, he continued his walk on Earth, saw the keykeeper and greeted him.
_ What are you doing here? the little prince asked him.
I divide the passengers into blocks of a thousand, said the key keeper. I dispatch the trains that carry them, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left.
What are you looking for?
_ Not even the man on the locomotive knows, said the key keeper.
- Are you back yet? asked the little prince...
_ They are not the same, said the key keeper. It's an exchange.
_ Were they not happy where they were?
_ We are never happy where we are, said the key keeper.
_ Are they chasing the first travelers? asked the little prince.
_ They don't chase anything, said the key keeper. They're sleeping inside, or yawning - Only children smash their noses against the windowpanes.
_ Only children know what they are looking for, said the little prince. They waste time with a rag doll, and the doll becomes very important.
_ They are happy... said the key keeper.
We can extract from this excerpt human dissatisfaction and the search for meaning in life. People's constant dissatisfaction stands out, symbolized by the change of travelers on the locomotive.
The keykeeper's response, "We are never content where we are," suggests the restlessness inherent in our nature, often dissatisfied with the present and incessantly searching for something more. Sometimes we think that true fulfillment is in a change of scenery, different places, but we don't realize that the problem is not always the place, but rather what is inside us, how we are perceiving things around us.
Further ahead, he noticed a seller of improved pills that quenched thirst. And then he started talking, listening attentively to the salesman explaining that you take one a week and you no longer need to drink water on these days.
From this meeting we have a very cool criticism from the author, about the seller of pills that claim to quench thirst by eliminating the need to drink water for a week, that is, he offers a subtle criticism of contemporary society, where apparently easy solutions often do not address the problems true human needs. The idea of replacing water with pills suggests a search for shortcuts and conveniences, but perhaps at the expense of essential and fundamental experiences for life.
In this way, we can observe the dialogue between him and the prince.
_ Why do you sell that?
_ It's a big time saver, said the salesman.
_ And what do you do with the fifty-three minutes?
_Whatever we want...
_ If I had fifty-three minutes to spare, I would walk step by step, hands in my pockets, towards a water source. The Prince concluded. Ending the conversation.
The narrator states in the work that on the eighth day of his breakdown, just when he was drinking the last drop of his water supply, I heard the story of the seller told by the prince.
So, he continued: I haven't repaired my plane yet, I don't have anything left to drink, and I would be happy if I could walk step by step, hands in my pockets, towards a fountain!
And so they decided to find water to drink, while the prince rambled on.
_ It's good to have had a friend, even if we're going to die. I'm very happy to have had the fox as a friend...
They had already walked for hours in silence when night fell;
_ Are you thirsty too? I asked him.
_ Water can be good for the heart. He sat down. I sat down next to him.
_ What makes the desert beautiful, said the little prince, is that it hides a well somewhere.
As the little prince fell asleep, I took him in my arms and continued walking. I was moved. He had the impression of carrying a fragile treasure.
I further thought: "What moves me so much about this sleeping prince is his fidelity to a flower; it is the image of a rose that shines in him like the flame of a lamp, even when he sleeps.
And, walking like this, I discovered the well. The day was breaking.
Men, said the little prince, hide in the rapids, but they don't know what they're looking for. So they shake, they run around aimlessly
That one looked like a village well.
But there was no village there, and I thought I was dreaming.
It's strange, I said to the little prince, everything is ready: the pulley, the bucket and the rope.
_ Do you listen? said the prince. We're waking up the well, he sings... I didn't want him to make any effort: - Let me pull it, I said, it's too heavy for your size.
_ I'm thirsty for that water, said the little prince. Give me a drink
_ I lifted the bucket to his mouth. He drank, with his eyes closed.
_ This water was much more than food. It was born from the walk under the stars, from the corner of the pulley, from the effort of my arm.
_ The men of your planet, said the little prince, grow five thousand roses in the same garden... and they don't find what they are looking for.
_ And yet what they seek could be found in a single rose, or in a little water.
But the eyes are blind. You have to search with your heart... I had been drinking. He breathed easily. The sand is the color of honey at dawn. And the honey color made me happy.
_ It is necessary, said the prince softly, that you keep your promise. He was, again, sitting next to me.
- What promise?
- You know... my ram's gag... I'm responsible for the flower!
_ So it was no coincidence that you were wandering alone, when I found you, eight days ago, miles and miles from any inhabited region! Wouldn't you be returning to the point of falling? The mysterious prince did not respond.
And he ordered the airman back to get his repairs done so he could get back to the house.
When I returned from work the next day, next to the well, the ruin of an old stone wall, I saw, from afar, the little prince sitting on top, with his legs dangling. And he heard him say: Don't you remember then? This wasn't the right place.
Another voice must have answered him, because he replied immediately.
The little prince said, after a moment of silence:
_ Is your poison good? Are you sure I won't suffer for long?
Then I looked down at the foot of the wall, and I jumped! There it was, raised towards the little prince, one of those yellow snakes that kill us in a minute.
But, noticing the noise, the serpent slowly shrank away, like a dying fountain.
What are you talking about? Do you talk to snakes now?
_ I'm glad you discovered the defect in the machinery. You'll be able to go home...
_ How did you know that?
_ I'm also going home today... Then, with melancholy, he said:
_ It's much further away... much more difficult...
His gaze was serious, lost in the distance:
_ I have your sheep. And the box for the sheep. And the gag. . . Now go away, he said... I want to get down! He smiled sadly.
He was to me like a spring in the desert.
It's been a year tonight. My star will be right above the place where last year fell.
But he didn't answer my question. And he says:
_ What’s important, we don’t see
_ It will be like the flower. If you love a flower that is found in a star, it is sweet, at night, to look at the sky. All the stars are in bloom.
_ You, however, will have stars like no one else...
_ What do you mean?
_ When you look at the sky at night, because I will inhabit one of them, because in one of them I will be laughing, then it will be as if all the stars were laughing at you.
_ Tonight... you know... don't come.
_ I won't leave you.
_ I will seem to suffer... I will seem to die. And so. Don't come and see. Not worth it...
_ I say this... also because of the snake. It needs to not bite you. Snakes are bad. They can bite for pleasure.
And so the little prince did as he wished.
Ready... It's over... he hesitated for a bit, then stood up. He took a step. I... I couldn't move. There was just a yellow flash near his leg. He remained, for a moment, motionless. He didn't scream. He fell slowly
And now, certainly, six years have passed... I had never told that story.
I know he returned to his planet; for, at daybreak, I did not find his body. It wasn't that heavy a body.
And I then ask: "What happened on the planet? It could well be that the sheep ate the flower.
Now I think: "Certainly not! The little prince closes the flower every night in the glass jar and keeps a good watch on the sheep. . . " So, I feel happy. And all the stars laugh sweetly.
For you, who also love the little prince, as for me, the entire universe changes meaning, if in a place, we don't know where, a sheep, we don't know, ate a rose or not... Look at the sky. Ask: Did the sheep eat the flower or not?
I could spend more time here talking about this nuanced work, but it would take up too much of your time and run the risk of rambling too much. Finally, what we can take away that is valuable from this simple book is the fact that responsibility is presented as a significant and beneficial factor in human life, highlighting the responsibilities with life, with people and the power to contribute to growth and improvement of others.
Reflection on love emerges as a central theme, highlighting that true love transcends people's superficial characteristics and is related to the essence of who they are. The author highlights the complexity of love and the need to differentiate its various forms, highlighting the importance of understanding it as an inspiring and transformative force in life.
Jung's quote about love, comparing it to God and stating that both only give themselves to their most faithful servants, emphasizes the idea that love is not something given, but something that human beings need to consciously strive for to conquer.
The end of the excerpt addresses the symbolic death of the Little Prince, highlighting the idea that what is true never ceases to exist. The little prince continues to live in the minds and hearts of those who read the work, keeping alive the ideas and values presented throughout the story.
The author leaves us with the mission to reflect on whether or not the sheep was ready to attack the little prince's flower or not. Leave your opinion in the comments.
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