Resilience Message in Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go
Dr. Seuss was correct, You have a brain in your head. Use it well. Wipe out the cobwebs. Nourish it with wisdom and compassion. Our present culture tends to fill our children’s brains will commercialism, greedy, sugar, violent images, mean-spirited competition, contempt, discontent, and trivia.
What really matters are the deep virtues that are expressed over and over again, but often in new and fresh ways. Dr. Seuss had that ability; to perceive and express ancient wisdom in fun and inspiring ways.
On March 2. 1904, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was born. Because of him, I read The Cat in the Hat to more children, more times than my farm-wife, mother peeled potatoes for the thrashers. This poet, writer, and cartoonist published 46 children’s books including many with resilience building messages.
How Dr. Seuss’s book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Strengthens Resilience
- Encouragement to persevere: The book highlights the ups and downs of life’s journey, emphasizing that challenges and setbacks are a natural part of the process. It encourages readers to keep moving forward, even when faced with difficulties. This message helps build resilience by teaching the importance of persistence and not giving up when faced with obstacles.
- Acknowledgment of fear and uncertainty: The book acknowledges that life can be scary and uncertain at times, which is a reality we all face. By addressing these feelings openly, it normalizes them and shows that it’s okay to be afraid. Resilience often involves facing and overcoming fear, and this book helps readers confront their fears with courage.
- Empowerment through choice: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” emphasizes the power of making choices. It teaches that our choices shape our journey and that we have the ability to make decisions that can lead to positive outcomes. This empowers readers to take control of their lives and make choices that contribute to their resilience.
- The importance of learning from failure: The book discusses the inevitability of failures and disappointments but emphasizes that these experiences are opportunities to learn and grow. It encourages readers to view setbacks as valuable lessons and motivates them to bounce back from failure with resilience and determination.
- Inspiration to dream and set goals: Dr. Seuss’s book encourages readers to dream big and set goals for their future. Having dreams and aspirations can provide a sense of purpose and motivation, which are important factors in building resilience. By instilling a sense of hope and vision for the future, the book helps readers stay resilient in the face of adversity.
Overall, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” instills important life lessons that can strengthen resilience by promoting perseverance, acknowledging challenges, empowering through choice, teaching the value of failure, and inspiring individuals to dream and set goals.
Favorite lines from Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true
And hang-ups can happen to you…
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself is not easily done…
But on you will go though the weather be foul
On you will go though your enemies prowl…
On and on you will hike and I know you’ll hike far
And face up to your problems whatever they are…”
When Seuss refers to un-slumping he is referring to picking yourself up, wiping yourself off, and demonstrating resilience. And, in the end, don’t we want that ability for our children when they face problems whatever they are?
More Dr. Seuss quotes that inspire demonstrations of resilience
- “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”
- “Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and twice as beautiful as you’ve ever imagined.”
- “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
- “When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, when you start to get mad…you should do what I do! Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky! Some people are much more…oh, ever so much more…oh, muchly much-much more unlucky than you!”
- “I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”
What are you reading to your children or grandchildren? To yourself, for that matter? What books inspire your sense of resilience?
