Archetypes, part III - The Way of Phi in Practice -

The Child & The Sage – Who Is Wiser?

Dear friend,

This week we will dive deeper into the archetypes of the Child and the Sage.

Archetypes can be understood as symbolic representations from the Collective Unconscious that we can all relate to in a very immediate way and that go beyond specific cultural manifestations.

The Child

The Child is an open, curious being, characterised by the immediacy of presence, playfulness, but also a more instinctive and unrefined nature.

We have all been children and thus the Child archetype is perhaps the one we should find it most easy to relate to. Yet, many lose touch with the Child fairly early and for many adults there is a disconnect with this primal energy.

The Child is not supposed to be in charge, that's the adult's role. And by making the child responsible, the child is bereaved of being allowed to be a child. That's not in the interest of the child. That's the parent refusing to own up to their responsibility. There's something in the nature of the child which is not about being irresponsible, but it's also not about being responsible – it's about being non-responsible.

The child is supposed to play and be free on the one hand. And learn the roles and customs on the other. Both are really important. Some even argue that the prime purpose of play is to learn customs, i.e. strictly instrumental in nature, e.g. playing mother – father – child or playing war games. That it would all be about mimicking adult behaviour. And there's certainly something to be said for that. But that actually goes much deeper, because play also serves another function as it's the prime creative endeavour. Jesus says that 'anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it'.

There is an innocent quality of the Child. It's not about the age, but it's about the mindset and the "heart set". The nature of the Child is to have an open heart – innocence – and an open mind – curiosity. Those are the hallmarks of a healthy child: innocence and curiosity. The innocence of play. The curiosity of wanting to learn.

With the open heart comes also trust. Trusting parents and other adults that they know what they're doing, and that's why it's so important that any person that takes on the role of the adult who will guide the child lives up to that trust – earns that trust – and doesn't abuse it. There have unfortunately been countless examples of the latter throughout history and that essentially scares the Child away and drives it into hiding. That's where the inner wounded child comes from – hiding in the subconscious – also called the Shadow in Jung's terminology.

Once the Child is partly or completely lost into the subconscious, there is going to be some deep work required to regain that Child's trust. It can be done, but it might require a lot of patience and willingness to endure the pain of feeling the shattered trust again for it to be integrated.

The curiosity of the Child is the best gateway to learning. Schools have a big opportunity to tap into that natural curiosity. In our society there is unfortunately a kind of glamour around being jaded and cynical, which kills the natural curiosity by making it seem "uncool". One pragmatic and actionable remedy for that is for children to have role models – healthy and balanced role models – that children can look up to. However, that puts a responsibility to us adults to be or at least impersonate these role models.

The Sage

The Sage is someone who is wise enough to share that wisdom with others. While some teachers have great theoretical knowledge, without actually practising what they teach (or preach), others are practically oriented but perhaps without any real understanding of what they are doing. The Sage, on the other hand, seems to have both – in other words both the practical knowledge and the ability to communicate it. For can there really be wisdom without experience? And if what is gained cannot be shared with others, what good is it really outside of the personal sphere?

The people that we consider having (had) the characteristics of the Sage tend to be spiritual teachers, practising philosophers and creatives – people who live for what they do – and probably do it for a living, because that is what they are here to do. That last part has to be taken with a caveat, especially in times like these that don't always readily recognise wisdom, because the task of "earning a living" can sometimes require even the wisest person to engage in something else to support themselves. E.g. in the book Autobiography of a Yogi we learn that Paramhansa Yogananda's paramguru (his teacher's teacher) had a job at the Indian railways.

The Sage functions as a teacher, but the true hallmark of a teacher is whether that person can still also be the student. The Sage continues to learn because there is still something of the genuine curiosity of the Child mixed with the learnings from experience that together drive the Sage into an ever-deepening quest for truth. Real, lived truth.  

Who Is Wiser?

Both the Child and the Sage have access to their own types of wisdom. The wisdom of the Child is the immediacy of presence and play. The Sage, on the other hand, possesses the wisdom of experiences and hindsight.

It is worth noting that both the Child and the Sage are interacting with spheres in the image above, each in its own way. The Child is clearly playing with it, carefree and innocent. The Sage on the other hand is using it as a tool and presumably with respect, perhaps even reverence.

So even though we might be right in saying that the Sage is wiser thanks to their experience, what the Sage longs for most of all is to return to the innocence of the Child, when everything was as it is, before the fall from grace.

Are You a Child or a Sage?

The question above is deliberately leading into a polarised way of thinking – to highlight how limiting this can be. Archetypes don't work that way. Rather we all have more or less of each archetype within us. The question is rather how much of each you can access in yourself as well as how much you have capacity to meet in others. Read that sentence again.

What happens to you when you meet a Child? Whether it is an actual physical child that you encounter in your life – or your own inner child.

What about the wisdom of the Sage? Do you believe that there is even such a thing as wisdom, i.e. a realm of knowing that is beyond knowledge? Can you be both teacher and student? Or are you locked in one of these positions?

Want to dive into your own archetypal landscapes?

If you feel called to embark on your own inner journey – or to go deeper on the one you are already exploring – I might be able to guide you. To find out, click here to book an exploration call. This is your call to adventure.

With gratitude, 

Christopher