“Silly Old Bear!” is a phrase familiar to both children and adults, thanks to A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh series. Through this series of books that revolve around Winnie the Pooh, his friends, and their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood Forest, Milne effectively portrays the playful nature, laziness, sweetness, and silliness of these anthropomorphic animals (Discovering Authors).”
Despite the belief of many critics and individuals that Pooh is simply a foolish bear, solely concerned with his own enjoyment and deserving the label of a “silly old bear,” this assertion is incorrect. Through the utilization of his characters in the Winnie the Pooh tales, Milne effectively depicts both positive and negative qualities inherent to human nature, embodying principles found within Chinese philosophy known as Taoism. One could even argue that Pooh exemplifies expertise in Taoism.
Born in Scotland, Alan Alexander Milne spent his childhood mostly in London, where he became one of the most renowned British authors of his era (Dennis). Milne is currently admired for his accurate and empathetic portrayals of child behavior, as well as his clever use of language, particularly wordplay and dialogue, which are easily identifiable in his famous tales about Winnie the Pooh (Discovering Authors).
Despite being regarded as children’s stories, Milne’s work was not actually intended for children, but rather for the inner child within every person (Dennis). According to Barbara Novak, Milne’s stories capture the joy and optimism of a child’s mind, offering a new perspective on life and an ability to find happiness in the smallest things (Novak). While portraying positive attitudes, Milne also explores the negative attitudes and traits of individuals, ultimately reflecting the philosophy of Taoism.
What is Taoism? It is an ancient Chinese philosophy that originated in the 300’s B.C. Originally, the word Tao meant way or road. The fundamental concept behind Taoism is that reality is composed of all the individual ways, and that the characteristics and actions of each entity in the universe shape its essence(World Book 26). When it comes to Pooh and his companions, Taoism focuses on a specific approach to appreciating, learning from, and dealing with the experiences of everyday life. By mastering these simple ways of living, one can achieve a harmonious and joyful existence(Hoff 5).
Through simplicity, Pooh, a seemingly simple-minded bear, attains mastery of a Chinese philosophy. Being simple-minded does not equate to being unintelligent in a Taoist’s perspective. Rather, simplicity, referred to as the Uncarved Block, represents the essence of natural power (Hoff 10,12). By embracing the concept of the Uncarved Block, individuals can savor life’s simple pleasures and effortlessly achieve successful outcomes (Hoff 21).
Pooh, despite his silly actions and words, always manages to have positive outcomes. This is why he is portrayed as the hero in the stories, while characters like Owl and Eeyore, who are thinkers, remain unhappy and do not achieve any significant goals. Eeyore, the perpetually miserable gray donkey, never experiences true happiness because he constantly dwells on worst-case scenarios and tries to take credit for good things that happen, only to be disappointed when someone else, such as Pooh, receives the recognition.
One illustration of this is a party thrown to celebrate Pooh’s courage and help in rescuing Roo from drowning, saving Piglet from being trapped in his house, and discovering the North Pole. Eeyore mistakenly assumes the party is in his honor for his own heroic acts of saving Roo and begins to deliver a speech. Christopher Robin then disappoints Eeyore by presenting the gift to Pooh instead of him.
Owl, in contrast to Pooh, represents a different character. Unlike Pooh who learns through direct experience following the Taoist principle, Owl gains knowledge intellectually by reading books(Hoff 25). According to a critic, Owl’s extensive knowledge creates confusion among the other characters in the Forest(Crews 23).
According to Taoist principles, the knowledge of the scholarly, such as scientists or in this case Owl, always seeks to lay blame on the ignorant or simple-minded (Hoff 31). When Owl’s house collapses, Owl quickly accuses Pooh of knocking it down, when in reality it is Owl’s own fault for constructing his house in a vulnerable location that is prone to being blown down. Another fundamental principle of Taoism is Inner Nature, which signifies that everything has its designated place and purpose, and that everything has its own limitations (Hoff 40).
Respecting one’s Inner Nature leads to a sense of belonging and self-awareness. Pooh’s “Cottleston Pie” song exemplifies this principle, highlighting that birds can fly while flies cannot. Taoism teaches that many people fail to grasp and embrace this concept, neglecting their Inner Nature and struggling with self-understanding. Tigger, a character in the Winnie the Pooh stories, embodies this lack of self-awareness.
Tigger is confident in his abilities and believes he can do anything that others can. When Roo asks if Tiggers can fly like Owl, Tigger acknowledges that they are capable but may choose not to. Similarly, when asked if they can climb trees, Tigger once again affirms that they have the ability to do so. However, their confidence is tested when Roo and Tigger find themselves stuck in the tallest tree in Hundred Acre Wood. This experience teaches Tigger the importance of recognizing and embracing his limitations. By understanding and accepting these limitations, Tigger can learn to work with them instead of allowing them to hinder him. Taoists also share this belief that limitations can often serve as a source of strength (Hoff 49).
The Taoist principle of Wu Wei, which means “without doing, causing, or making” (Hoff 68), allows individuals to effortlessly work with the natural order of things using minimal effort. According to Taoists, Wu Wei does not involve trying too hard; instead, it simply acts without thinking and everything falls into place (Hoff 75). This is what makes it so effortless. When practiced at its highest level, Wu Wei becomes indefinable and practically invisible (Hoff 85).
Pooh is the character in Winnie the Pooh that epitomizes the principle mentioned. Pooh appears to effortlessly handle situations throughout the series. For instance, when Piglet is trapped in his house due to surrounding water after days of rain, he writes a message in a bottle as a plea for help. The bottle floats to Pooh’s house, but he is unable to read the message. Despite this, Pooh decides to find someone like Christopher Robin who can assist him.
M read the message. Seeing that a bottle can float, he believes a jar can too. He climbs onto an empty jar and sails to Christopher Robin’s house. Once there, they read the message and realize they need a way to reach Piglet’s house. Both of them cannot fit on Pooh’s jar. Pooh suggests using Christopher Robin’s umbrella. This is how Pooh saves Piglet. This story demonstrates how effortlessly Pooh comes to rescue Piglet. Pooh didn’t think about an elaborate plan; he simply acted on what came to mind and it all worked out.
Wu Wei ensures that accidents do not occur. Even if things go awry initially, they will ultimately resolve themselves through the power of Wu Wei. A perfect demonstration of this is Eeyore’s birthday. Pooh became aware of the occasion when Eeyore mentioned it to him. Subsequently, Pooh made the choice to search for a birthday gift for Eeyore. While returning home, he conversed with Piglet, who also made the decision to find something for Eeyore.
Piglet discovered a large balloon and was excited to give it to Eeyore. However, Piglet was overly enthusiastic and while running to deliver the balloon, he stumbled and the balloon popped. Meanwhile, Pooh had come across a jar of honey that he intended to give to Eeyore. Unfortunately, on the journey to Eeyore’s place, Pooh consumed all the honey. It seemed like Eeyore’s birthday was not going well. Suddenly, though, Eeyore realized that the balloon had deflated enough to fit into the useful jar that Pooh had given him. That way, he could take the balloon with him wherever he desired.
Eeyore was content and joyful with his two presents and spent his time putting the balloon into the jar and taking it out again. He successfully managed it all. In contrast, Rabbit does not let his Wu Wei guide him. An example of this is when Kanga and Baby Roo move into the Hundred Acre Wood Forest. Rabbit dislikes their arrival and devises a strategy to eliminate them. Rabbit creates an eleven-step plan to capture Baby Roo and writes down each step. He also involves Pooh and Piglet in the scheme. One critic describes Rabbit as a “bungler and boaster, determined to impose his will on everyone around him” (Crews 21).
The original plan was to capture Roo and make Kanga desperate to have him back. Kanga would seek help from Rabbit, Pooh, and Piglet, as they knew Roo’s whereabouts. However, in order for Rabbit and the others to assist in the search, Kanga would have to promise to leave the Forest. Initially, the plan worked successfully. However, once Roo was with Rabbit, they formed a strong bond and started spending every Tuesday together. This demonstrates that when someone overthinks and overplans, things often don’t go as intended. Taoists also believe that everyone has their own uniqueness, although some may take time to recognize their own worth (Hoff 117).
For individuals to achieve their goals and gain control over their lives, it is crucial for them to have self-belief and harness the power within themselves (Hoff 120). Additionally, Taoists adhere to the belief of Tz’u, which entails caring and compassion. It is believed that courage and wisdom can be derived from practicing Tz’u (Hoff 128).
Piglet is a diminutive creature who does not consider himself to be noteworthy or valuable. Rabbit suggests that Piglet’s small size would make him useful in his plan to abduct Roo, causing Piglet to become ecstatic and temporarily forget about his fears. However, Rabbit then asserts that the scheme would be unachievable without Pooh, leaving Piglet disheartened once again. Despite this setback, Piglet possessed Tz’u. As everyone is aware, Piglet was a petite and timid animal.
One critic referred to Piglet as “fearful Piglet(Swann 1931).” However, when Owl’s house collapsed, he discovered a previously underestimated bravery within himself. All three characters, Owl, Pooh, and Piglet, become trapped inside Owl’s house after it is blown away by the wind. Among the trio, Piglet proved to be the only one small enough to fit through the letter box. In order to rescue him, Owl and Pooh devised a plan using a string as a makeshift pulley. Despite feeling extremely frightened, Piglet chose to overcome his fears out of necessity for their rescue and his compassion towards his friends.
Upon his escape, Piglet’s demeanor suddenly transformed, and he boldly declared his intention to retrieve Christopher Robin and remove the obstacle obstructing the door. Despite acknowledging the inherent danger, Piglet reassured that he was capable of accomplishing the task. While most people perceive “nothing” as devoid of significance, Taoists recognize it as a meaningful entity referred to as T’ai Hs or the Great Nothing (Hoff 143).
According to Hoff (147), an empty mind is advantageous for discovering things because it can perceive what is directly in front of it. In contrast, an excessively cluttered mind is incapable of doing so. A mind that is brimming with knowledge and intelligence often becomes preoccupied with pursuing inconsequential and non-existent things instead of recognizing and utilizing what is immediately available.
According to Hoff, “emptiness” has a cleansing effect on the cluttered mind. When Eeyore misplaced his tail, who was the one to find it? It wasn’t the knowledgeable Owl or the clever Rabbit. Surprisingly, it was the simple-minded Pooh. Pooh decided to search for Eeyore’s tail and stopped by Owl’s house first. Despite listening to Owl’s instructions on how to properly look for something, Pooh noticed Owl’s knocker and the attached bell rope. Pooh recognized this bell rope from somewhere and inquired about its origin. Owl responded that he had randomly discovered it in the Forest. Pooh came to the realization that the bell rope was, indeed, Eeyore’s missing tail. Unlike the overstuffed mind of Owl, Pooh’s empty mind allowed him to perceive what was directly in front of him.
Henry David Thoreau once said, “Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life(Hoff 108)?” This idea aligns with the beliefs of Taoists. Both Thoreau and Taoists advocate against wasting time and emphasize the importance of how we choose to spend it. While many strive to save time, Taoists argue that time cannot be saved but only spent. Therefore, the focus should be on spending time wisely rather than trying to busy oneself to avoid wasting it (Hoff 108).
According to one critic, Rabbit in the Winnie the Pooh stories is the only character who feels the constant need to stay busy. The critic describes Rabbit as someone who always boasts about his abilities but never really achieves success (Crews 22). This perfectly embodies the concept of time saving. Historically, Taoist immortals have been associated with their youthful attitudes, appearances, and energies (Hoff 109).
The highest level of development is not achieved by adults, but by the “clear-minded, all seeing Child” who possess wisdom. These wise individuals have emptied their minds of trivial knowledge and embraced the wisdom of the Great Nothing, the Way of the Universe (Hoff 151). Pooh, often known as the bear with little brain, exemplifies this belief. Taoists understand that the brain can often lead people astray, as it focuses on less important matters. The masters of Taoism, like Pooh himself, instead listen to the voices within themselves that are characterized by simplicity and wisdom. These voices transcend mere knowledge (Hoff 154).
Despite Pooh’s simple-minded and childish nature, his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood Forest have shown that being knowledgeable and clever doesn’t always lead to achievement. Within every person, there exists an Owl, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, and Rabbit, but it is Pooh, the “Silly Old Bear,” who should be chosen as the leader.
