The world-famous French novella ‘The Little Prince’ (La Petit Prince) is loved by people of all ages. Although it has been categorized as a children’s fantasy book, it goes beyond saying that the basic philosophical ideas or messages portrayed in the book are incredibly effective for the grown-ups as well.
The book takes you to a wholesome adventure and gives you a deeper sense of life and yourself, challenging your viewpoint and unfolding different perspectives towards people and life altogether.
I have read this book many times and here are some ways The Little Prince has changed my attitude towards life.
Appreciate Your Loved Ones
One of the main focuses of this book is on relationships and connections. If we observe the relationship between the little prince and his rose, the love and affection are tender and open. Even after finding a garden full of roses, the prince still admired the flower he left on his planet. It emphasizes on how each relationship has its unique and special value in our lives and the commitment each relationship requires.
“People where you live,” the little prince said, “grow five thousand roses in one garden… Yet they don’t find what they’re looking for… And yet what they’re looking for could be found in a single rose.”
We should not wait for the other person to realize by themselves. Maybe they were expecting us to appreciate them a little more explicitly.
“Of course I love you. It is my fault that you have not known it all the while.”
Embrace different viewpoints
This book puts a great weight on the contrast of viewpoints and makes you think about it on a deeper level. The two main characters portrayed in the book (The little prince and the pilot) witnessed a lot of different opinions from different characters throughout their journey.
“Grown ups are certainly very strange.”
We learn that there may be certain points of view thrown at us but we should always use our better judgment, be accepting and open to different opinions and criticism.
Have a positive outlook towards loss
We can see the little prince mourning the separation with his planet and his flower. Despite being heartbroken, he continued his journey to explore new things and tried to find better things. Losing something special, and mourning about it is all part of our lives. But, without having a positive outlook towards life, we will be forever trapped in the abyss of negativity.
“It’s all a great mystery…Look up at the sky and you’ll see how everything changes.”
What a powerful life lesson the little prince is teaching us!
Find happiness in the little delights of life
“People never have the time to understand anything that is worthwhile”- the fox says to the prince. In a world of ultra-consumerism and fast-paced competitive life, we hardly get an opportunity to take a little break for ourselves. We don’t get to enjoy the pleasure of spending uninterrupted and quality time with a loved one or by yourself. The little prince does teach us that true happiness doesn’t come from materialistic things rather it comes from within.
“What matters most are the simple pleasures so abundant that we can all enjoy them…Happiness doesn’t lie in the objects we gather around us. To find it, all we need to do is open our eyes.”
Always be open to new things
The little prince wanders one planet after another and meets interesting characters like the king, the businessman, the historian, and the general. After he landed on planet Earth, he got to meet the fox, the snake, and the pilot. He always met new people and animals with enthusiasm and listened to their views and opinions, even though he didn’t agree with all of them. In the process, he did learn the secrets of many things.
“It’s all a great mystery…Look up at the sky and you’ll see how everything changes.”
Should we not be open to meeting new people, learning new things, and exploring new ideas?
Invest time in your passion
If there’s one thing that the pilot and the little prince both have in common then that is their tenacity to pursue their passion. Surely, they faced many challenges and had to bear insufferable losses as well, but they persisted, and invested time and effort into their passion.
“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.”
No matter how much discouragement comes in our way, we should be brave in facing the challenges and be persistent enough to work hard to follow our passion.
Every time I read “The Little Prince”, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s masterpiece, I get to embark on an extraordinary self-exploration through this beautiful and philosophical story. I, Nadira Nowsher, from the Circle Desk, highly recommend you read this book, if you haven’t already!
And, if you have already read this book, please let me know what the book has taught you.
