Winnie-the-Pooh

Some of the characters of Winnie-the-Pooh are known for their simple ways of viewing the world. Although their understanding may not always be the most productive, it’s almost always correct in its own way, and keeping their thoughts simple allows them to live fulfilling lives and cope with difficult situations. Through their different perspectives, both in thought and conversation, the characters show how keeping things simple leads to the best results.

Thinking simple thoughts helps the world make sense. Pooh is the best known for his simple but accurate view of the world. When Pooh is hungry, he eats. When he wishes for company, he visits a friend. Pooh lives in the moment, doing what feels right and letting his instincts guide him, typically with positive results. This is most clearly evident when one of his friends needs help. In Chapter 8, when Roo is stuck in the water, Pooh thinks that a nearby pole looks long enough for Roo to grab, and moments later Roo is back on dry land. In Chapter 9, when Piglet is trapped by the flood, Pooh realizes that he and Christopher Robin won’t both fit on his honeypot boat. Since Christopher Robin’s umbrella is bigger than a honeypot, however, that should work, and the two use the umbrella to successfully rescue Piglet. By looking at situations as they are rather than applying unnecessary context to them, Pooh can see solutions that remain hidden to characters like Owl or Rabbit, who are too busy making complicated speeches or plans to see the simple answer. Pooh’s simple thinking makes things easier for everyone.

Complicated thoughts lead to more trouble than simple ones. For the most part, Pooh follows his simple thought patterns, but when he doesn’t, he ends up in difficult situations. In Chapter 5, when he decides to catch a Heffalump, Pooh, with Piglet’s help, devises a complicated plan to dig a pit and use honey as bait. The entire plan relies on happenstance, such as that a Heffalump will happen by and that Heffalumps happen to like honey. Instead of working out easily, the plan becomes messy because Pooh leaves his last jar of honey as the bait. Later, when Pooh is hungry, he agonizes over whether to go back for the honey, reasoning that, without it, the trap will have nothing to tempt the Heffalump. Pooh’s hunger ultimately prevails, but in his desperation for honey, he gets his head stuck in the pot and frightens Piglet. Once he’s in this situation, Pooh reverts to his simple thoughts, realizing that if he can’t pull the jar off his head, he’ll have to break it off, and he thus frees himself, showing how simple thinking saves the day after complicated planning mixes it up.

Likewise, simple understanding helps the characters overcome blame. In Chapter 2, when Pooh is stuck in the entrance to Rabbit’s home, he says, “[I]t all comes […] of not having front doors big enough,” to which Rabbit responds, “[I]t all comes [...] of eating too much” (28). Each character blames Pooh’s situation on something different, relating to the other, but no matter what they blame, the circumstances remain: Pooh is stuck. Once Rabbit retrieves Christopher Robin and they devise a simple plan, to wait for Pooh to get thin enough to free himself, the characters can move forward to focus on other things. They still don’t like the situation, but having a simple plan keeps them from arguing and blaming one another. In addition, it allows them to find ways to cope with the situation: Pooh lets himself be entertained, and Rabbit uses Pooh’s legs as towel racks. Simple planning can help one get out of a tough situation by letting one think clearly and find a solution.

When the characters of Winnie-the-Pooh use simple understanding and logic, their lives are much smoother than when they make things too complicated or when they argue. Breaking problems down into their most basic parts takes away the clutter that can lead to complex solutions that don’t work. Seeing a problem for what it is lets one get to its root and find a clear answer.