The Fool's Journey
- palmerrae
- Apr 22
- 4 min read
Optimism. Joy. Positivity. Hopefulness. Mostly these qualities are considered ingredients for living a happy life. Sometimes, however, it feels like our society tends to discredit and dismiss hope in favor of fear. We focus on the negative, rather than the positive. When we feel our glass is getting full, someone points out that it's really half empty. Our viewpoint shifts and we lose the optimism we held only moments before.
Doubling Down on Doubt
When optimism engages with doubt, confidence fades. Doubt opens the door to fear. Once fear enters the picture, we begin to see the world as full of impossible challenges and insurmountable obstacles. Our world narrows in the face of negativity and positivity has no space. Our surroundings and other people feel problematic or even dangerous. In such an environment, staying safe and avoiding risk is paramount.
Often this doubt is brought in from outside of ourselves. If we choose to take an exciting risk in our personal life - quit our job to start a new business, move in with our partner, take a cross-country road trip - our friends and family may react with concern and worry rather than excitement. What’s going to happen if this blows up in your face? What will you do then? What is your backup plan? They are doubling down on doubt and infecting your innate optimism. With such interrogation, the brightness of our hope is stolen. We find ourselves in a position where we must justify our dreams and visions. We must suddenly convince others to support our hope, while we are slowly filling with doubt.
It is important to remember, however, that with the right discernment, taking a leap into the unknown may be our most rewarding adventure - regardless of how it turns out. The possible reward is greater than the risk. If the journey is the goal, then the potential for learning and growth will be there all along the way, even if the outcome is different than we anticipated.
Observing the Fool
In Tarot, the Fool card represents hopeful optimism and the joyful excitement of taking a step into the unknown. He is embarking on a thrilling new journey. The sun is shining and the horizon is clear.
So why is he called the Fool? Does his optimism undermine his intelligence? Or do we, as the observer, not understand his motivation? Do we see something the Fool doesn’t (like how in the card he is about to step off of a cliff)? Do we warn him or let him go on his merry way to deal with the consequences?
Our desire to protect the Fool from himself is actually an indicator of our own internal fear of taking risks. If a friend said, I’m going to make a choice and there is a 50% chance it will end in disaster, you would probably advise against it. Generally speaking, every endeavor has about the same success rate. Even something as joyful as a first marriage has a 40-50% chance of ending in divorce (increasing up to 70% for subsequent marriages). Even at the casino, where most folks would advise against going, you have a 42% chance of winning your hand in blackjack!
But think about it for a second… what if not taking the risk also had a 50% chance of ending in disaster? What if regardless of which path you choose, you wind up in the same emotional space, only the surroundings are different? Because maybe, you were going to learn the lesson no matter what you choose to do. I recognize I’m veering into the territory of free will vs. karma so I’ll just add this final thought: sometimes playing it too safe keeps us small and prevents us from growing as a person. If we are going to learn the lesson anyway, why not take the leap and have some (healthy) fun along the way?
Undeterred Optimism
Our optimistic hope is a part of our humanity. The belief that things can always change for the better is innate within us. But for things to start getting better, you have to first honestly acknowledge where you are. When we acknowledge that the difficulties we face have just as much value as positive experiences, we can shift our viewpoint to see the Fool in a whole new light.
Our assumption is that the Fool isn’t aware of his surroundings, but what if he is? What if he is purposely taking a leap of faith that the casual observer cannot understand? Maybe this experience is a welcome part of his personal journey. Maybe we can still ride the roller coaster of life with all its ups and downs, twists and turns, with the understanding that in the end, it will all be okay, regardless of the bumps and bruises along the way.
The Fool is filled not just with optimism, but also with trust. The Fool trusts his next step will lead somewhere interesting… Even if its tumbling down a mountain! Trust not only in the universe, but trust in yourself to weather both the sunshine and the rain is essential when embarking on the Fool’s journey.
If you are interested in relating more to the Fool’s Journey, I recommend contemplating the following:
Are you choosing your journeys based on hope or fear?
Do you trust that everything will work out okay for you in the long run?
Do you trust that you know what is best for you?
Are you risk-averse or do you enjoy taking risks?
Do you tend to take a leap or make a change when the idea is fresh or once you are backed into a corner?
In what ways or areas of life do you keep yourself small by not going for what you want?
Do you tend to judge the risks others take as negative when it is something you would never do?
Who in your world tends to judge your adventures most harshly? Conversely, who are your biggest advocates for new experiences?
Can you think of a time when you made a choice that didn’t end the way you wanted, but you still wouldn’t change the outcome?