The Truth Hurts

Do you know those books that you keep coming back to, time and time again, at different points in your life?

For me, one of these is a novel entitled The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, a short story about a group of strangers who embark on an unexpected day trip to the heavens (via flying bus, no less).

Up until that point, the characters have been living in a place Lewis refers to as the “Grey Town” which is an endlessly dismal and dreary spot, chalk-full of bickering unhappy inhabitants. Based on the behavior of these individuals, it doesn't take the reader long to surmise that this starting location is an allegory for Hell.

But what is Hell? Well… Lewis depicts it, first and foremost, as outlandishly petty. For instance, along the way we meet a cynical man who believes anything positive must be a scam. A husband who manipulates his wife into feeling sorry for him. A poet who self-harms because nobody likes his poems. Even figures like Napoleon, restlessly muttering about why he lost the Battle of Waterloo (blaming everyone under the sun except himself, of course).

You get the picture. Every one of these characters subscribes to a pessimistic reality, narcissistically and feverishly placing themselves at the center... Indeed, a very skewed reality altogether.

Conversely, paradise is depicted as so real it hurts. Blades of grass, absurdly solid beneath their feet, prick their skin. Apples growing from trees are too heavy to even lift. Waterfalls are loud enough to sound like a college of giants. And most importantly, the inhabitants are not petty - they don't spend time thinking of themselves that much.

And that is the whole point.

A good exercise for all of us is to reflect on our own pettiness. Think about what version of Grey Town we create for ourselves. We all have one. It’s lodged in our psyche, desperate for attention and validation. Don't be afraid to get specific and locate the exact pettiness. Perhaps it's your vanity. Or your wealth. Or your control over your surroundings. Or maybe you talk too much about yourself and don't listen very much to others.

Similar to the heavens in The Great Divorce, this process will probably feel so real it hurts. And that just means you’re doing a good job being honest with yourself, and that you're on the right track.