This well-known story by Hans Christian Andersen tells us so much about ourselves, individually and collectively. I chose it, because nowadays we are disregarding huge challenges we better do otherwise. For example, at the biological level there is the sustainability issue, in which I would include Coronavirus as a warning; at the financial level it is the process of creating bubbles while increasing the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few.
But even more surprising is the fact that we already have the knowledge to address those issues far better, moving out of the outdated patterns of the industrial modern society, moving forward into a knowledge based society developing a sustainable world, and even more: a thriving planetary society, fully capable to support each of us to unfold our human potential. We would be harnessing the abundance of knowledge, experience and wisdom, now more available than ever before to bring forth a life sustaining Economía AMABLE, an economy friendly to people and to nature, creating abundance from abundance. Lifelong learning and earning is the very key to it.
Here I share my version of that story, and hope you enjoy it:
Once there was an Emperor so fond of new cloths that he spent hours and hours in the dressing room. More and more everything he did was only to show his costly new clothes and in time he became well known for it in his entire kingdom and even beyond.
One day two weavers arrived at the Capital city spreading the word that they could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable: Clothes made of this cloth had a wonderful way of becoming invisible to anyone unfit for his office, or unusually stupid.
The Emperor thought:
ꟷUnfit for office? Unusually stupid? Oh! Those would be just the clothes for me! I would be able to discover the unfit. I could tell the wise from the fools!
So he called the weavers and paid them a large sum of money to start with. They immediately set up two looms in a room of the palace to where the King sent large amounts of the finest silk and the purest gold thread to ensure the piece was made from the best of the best.
After some days he wanted to know how it was going, but he didn’t dare to go himself, so he decided to send his oldest most honest advisor.
The old minister went promptly, but as he entered the room he almost lost his glasses.
ꟷMy goodness! I can’t see anything on the looms, but he did not say so.
The weavers begged him to come near to appreciate their work, and so he did. Peering through his spectacles, he came neared and nearer, almost panicking
ꟷCan it be that I’m a fool?
After a while he uttered:
ꟷSuch a pattern, what colors!
Then the weavers proudly explained the intricate patterns while the old minister paid the closest attention so that he could tell it all to the Emperor, and so he did.
Next the Emperor sent more of his most trustworthy ministers, always obtaining similar results. Soon the entire city was talking about this splendid cloth. Finally the King himself went to see it surrounded by his counsel who proudly described it:
ꟷJust look, Your Majesty, what colors! What a design!
He himself couldn’t see it, but as he nodded approbation they advised him to wear clothes made of this cloth on the occasion of a great procession the King was soon going to lead.
Again the magicians committed themselves day and night and when the great day came they themselves carefully dressed the King assuring everything was right: the trousers, the coat and the mantle, and while dressing him they explained:
ꟷYour Majesty, see, all of them are as light as a spider web. One would almost think he had nothing on, but that’s what makes them so fine, unique.
ꟷExactly! agreed the noblemen as if they got it.
When the minister of public processions announced the canopy was waiting outside, the Emperor turned again for one last look in the mirror and went in procession under his splendid canopy.
Everyone in the streets and the windows said:
ꟷOh, how fine are the Emperor’s new clothes! They fit him to perfection!
No costume the Emperor had worn before was ever such a complete success. No, until a child exclaimed:
ꟷBut he hasn’t got anything on…
To what his father quickly replied:
ꟷSee… such an innocent!
But one person whispered to another what the child had just said:
ꟷHe hasn’t anything on. A child says he hasn’t anything on
A moment later the entire city cried out:
ꟷBut he hasn’t got anything on!
The Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. But he thought:
ꟷThis procession has to go on… So he went on more proudly than ever, as his noblemen held high the train that wasn’t there at all.|
What do you think of this? Do you see even more amazing possibilities within reach? Or hidden, because of the main stream thinking and doing?
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