“Have you read a story when you were younger, and later, read it again, and discovered something more profound than what you had understood at first?” In this episode of Thinking Curious, I discuss my reflections after re-reading the 1837 Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” I’ll share my thoughts on Andersen’s clever use of immaterial human qualities such as free will, consciousness, and agency, and ponder the concepts of ‘willful blindness’ and ‘turning a blind eye.’

Hans Christian Andersen (1805 – 1875) was a Danish author and prolific writer, best remembered for his literary fairy tales. His stories are now culturally embedded in our collective consciousness, accessible to children but also presenting lessons for mature readers as well. You may recognize some of his other famous fairy tales - "The Little Mermaid", "The Princess and the Pea", "The Ugly Duckling", and "Thumbelina".

Discussion Points:

• A re-reading of the story yields new insights
• From the mouths of babes - the child in the story speaks the truth
• How can this happen? The characters made a choice
• Free will, consciousness, and agency
• Material vs. immaterial human qualities
• “Turning a blind eye” first appeared in literature in 1698
• Margaret Heffernan’s book on Willful Blindness
• Re-read the story yourself or to your kids with the link below

Resources:

Cognitive Development Coaching with Jessica

The Emperor’s New Clothes

History of the Phrase “Turn a blind eye”

Book: Wilful Blindness by Margaret Heffernan