Listen, Little Man

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Now onto this week’s article:

Meet Wilhelm Reich:

The Encyclopedia Britannica describes Wilhelm Reich as an "Austrian psychologist and student of Sigmund Freud." For a significant portion of his life, Reich was Freud’s “brilliant protégé”. While Freud's name commands respect, Reich, relatively unknown, faced imprisonment and became a victim of the only federally sanctioned book burning on American soil. Upon learning this fact, fueled by an unapologetic curiosity, I felt compelled to discover what was contained within his works.

Not only were Reich's books banned, but the situation escalated when approximately six tons of his books were subjected to a federal court order for destruction in New York in 1956.

In my pursuit of answers, I decided to delve into the pages of Wilhelm Reich's "Listen, Little Man". Contrary to what one might expect from a banned book, I found it to be truly inspiring and uplifting.

To ensure accuracy and prevent anything from being lost in translation, I have handpicked specific snippets from the book and will provide them to you verbatim:

“You’ll have a good, secure life when being alive means more to you than security, love more than money, your freedom more than public or partisan opinion; when the mood of Beethoven’s or Bach’s music becomes the mood of your whole life- you have it in you, little man, somewhere deep down in a corner of your being; when your thinking is in harmony, and no longer in conflict with your feelings; when you’ve learned to recognize two things in their season: your gifts and the onset of old age; when you let yourself be guided by the thoughts of great sages and no longer by the crimes of great warriors.”

“Listen, little man, your liberation begins with the recognition that you are entitled to a life of pleasure and fulfillment. Do not settle for anything less."

“You are great, little man, when you’re not mean and small. Your greatness, little man is the only hope we have left. You’re great when you attend lovingly to your trade, when you take pleasure in carving, building and painting, in sowing and reaping, in the blue sky and the deer and the morning dew, in music and dancing, in your growing children, and in the beautiful body of your wife or husband; when you go to the planetarium to study the stars, to the the library to read what other men and women have thought about life”

“You’re great, mother, when you lull your baby to sleep; when with tears in your eyes you pray fervently for his future happiness; and when hour after hour, year after year, you build this happiness in your child”

Of course, I encourage you to conduct your own research. I fully acknowledge that Wilhelm did not do himself any favors with many of the experiments he conducted later in his life in Rangeley, Maine (such as the Cloudbuster and the Orgone Accumulator), as well as his non-compliance with the FDA. 

However, his words in this book are inspirational and resonated with me so I felt it was my duty to share.

What can you do to shake the “little man” voice in your head today, take responsibility for your life and live with vitality? The little man within you is begging you to stay mean and small; “in the harbor where it is safe, but that is not what ships are for”. Stay true to your word and virtues. Live with principles and don’t settle for anything less than excellence.

Never underestimate the power of your words and actions. Both those in your life currently and the next generation rely on you and the choices you make. Embrace greatness not just today, but every day.

G