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THREE LITTLE PIGS SYNDROME: Is it better to flee or be the big bad Wolf?

Mar 14, 2024

VIDEO

Art Credit: Jano Tantongco, jano.tantongco@gmail.com

AUDIO

Can we grow by facing and integrating our ferocious instincts?

The Three Little Pigs isn’t just a children’s tale; it’s a sharp commentary on resilience, preparation, and the strategic mindset required to navigate life’s challenges. This story strips back the layers of our decision-making processes, questioning whether we opt for quick fixes or invest in durable solutions.

The fairytale explores human resilience through the construction choices of three pigs, each representing different responses to adversity. It prompts us to evaluate our approach to life’s hurdles: do we choose the path of least resistance or the one that promises lasting stability? This fable teaches the value of foresight and hard work, demonstrating that true security comes from confronting challenges with intelligence and preparedness, not evasion. It reframes the Wolf not as a mere antagonist but as a catalyst for growth, urging us to harness our inner strengths to face our fears. Ultimately, The Three Little Pigs serves as a guide for living—a reminder that the foundation we choose impacts our ability to withstand life’s inevitable storms. It champions building a life on principles of wisdom, integrity, and strategic insight, encouraging us to become survivors and masters of our fate.

Prepare to discover…who embodies the stages of ego development, from initial vulnerability to mature resilience; when the processes of ego fortification and psychological maturation are catalyzed by the confrontation with and integration of the shadow self; how the engagement and assimilation of unconscious drives within the psyche contribute to the development of a more integrated and resilient ego structure; what the symbolic elements of the Three Little Pigs narrative reveal about the universal struggle with internal fears and the path to self-realization;  where within the psyche the battle between fleeing from versus confronting one’s deepest fears and instincts unfolds, as illustrated by the pigs’ varying responses to the Wolf; whether the psychoanalytic journey towards self-awareness and ego strength is more profoundly influenced by facing one’s internal wolves or by avoidance; which psychoanalytic themes of resilience, shadow integration, and ego development are encapsulated in each pig’s approach to building their house; why the integration of the instinctual and shadow aspects of the self is essential for achieving psychological wholeness and personal empowerment, as metaphorically depicted in the triumph over the Wolf…and so much more.

HERE’S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:

“I was at my childhood cottage, and there were quite a few people there, including my family and some strangers. An unknown young couple came across the lake on a tandem bicycle, and I was mystified at how they had ridden a bicycle on water. The most vivid part of the dream was when I was up on the deck of the cottage. From up high, I could see a pink piglet scooting along the bottom of the shallow lake, trying to reach the shore. I ran down to the water, jumped in, and the piglet reached out to me, which I felt deeply touched by. I pulled it out of the water and was shocked to see that its whole chest and belly were slit clean open down the middle. There was no blood, and I suddenly realized it was some kind of animatronic pig—I could see some of the metal parts inside. I just didn’t want to believe it, and I felt so disappointed—or even betrayed—for some reason, maybe because I had already felt such an emotional connection while saving the piglet. I walked towards the cottage with the piglet, and the dream ended (or I woke up).”

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