The Emperor's New Clothes

Hans Christian Andersen in 1837 wrote this fantastic fable and there is a lot that can be learned from such a seemingly simple children's story.

The Emperor's New Suit - Hans Christian Andersen 1837

---

First, never trust a leader who puts himself before the best interests of the people. From the getgo, the emperor is described as someone who loves clothes and spends lavishly on his wardrobe, but no one seems to think anything of it. Always be sure to challenge your leaders to work for you, especially if they have been placed there democratically. Do not let them be sidetracked with vain ambitions or personal glory or personal financial gain. Their duty is to be steward and protector of the society so it can flourish.

Second, never trust anyone who makes fantastic claims without evidence to back it up. As the great Carl Sagan once said, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". The swindlers walk into town and prey on the emperor's fetish for apparel and sell him on "magic" fabric that would be invisible to anyone not deemed worthy enough or else just too stupid to see it. Just because something sounds great and you wished it were true, doesn't make it so.

Third, never go along with a ruse if it goes against your better judgement. The emperor's handlers and peasants were too scared about their position in the eyes of their ruler or the community, that they didn't speak up when they couldn't actually see the fabric. Many of them were forced to perpetuate the lie that there was this amazing new suit because of fear or because they felt like they should be seeing it if everyone else could see it too. This is a perfect example of a herd of sheep, blindly following the group or the shepherd without thinking for themselves.

Fourth, as the young child demonstrates in the end, it is always better to speak the truth no matter how harshly it may fall on the ears of the intended. If the subject is important enough, then everyone needs to be aware that a lie is being promulgated throughout society, either by people who knowingly choose to do so for manipulative reasons (swindlers) or by people so blind as to not see the truth or search for the truth themselves, or those who just pretend it is true to go along with the crowd (emperor and commoners), not wanting to disrupt a fragile balance.

I see a blatant correlation between this story and the perpetuation of the dogmatic religions that have plagued the human race for the last several thousand years. A few charlatans come around and start spreading rumors that they have this supernatural knowledge that only the chosen few can see or feel. It is an infinitely beautiful promise of redemption and ever lasting life, but alas there is no concrete evidence for it. With how little was known about the natural world and earth processes when these myths first took root, things that nowadays seem normal and easily explainable might have seemed truly horrifying and divinely authored to an ancient civilzation and those primal fears can be easily manipulated.

With enough persuasion over people's natural insecurities (being afraid to die, wanting to feel comfort in a violent, indifferent universe) the charlatans convince people of power to fall for their story who then use their power to spread this deceit to the masses. The swindlers then reap the treasures of society, laughing all the way to the bank. Some people follow along with the story because it is all they know, they were born into the tradition of believing it, never thinking that it could also not be true. Some people don't wish to question the veracity of the story because they fear retribution from the rest of the community or its leaders. Other people force themselves to pretend to see it because they think everyone else actually does see it and they don't want to be the only ones left out of paradise. For most of human history, there was no way to actually verify that these supernatural stories might have an ounce of credibility, but as scientifc inquiry and technological advancement push society forward, we now have the ability to describe nature in far greater detail and, in my opinion, in a much more eloquent and beautiful way.

With this knowledge now available, you start to get people like this child who do see the lies for what they are and try to call swindlers and religious leaders out on it. It is so obvious to those who actually seek the truth that the emperor indeed wears no clothes, but yet people bow down to him anyway. As atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, skeptics and scientists, it is our duty to try to set the record straight. To show people that they have been fooled all along by religious zealots who wish to prey on our greatest fears in order to control us for political and monetary gains. They have pulled the wool over our eyes to blind us from the truth... that we are mental slaves to what boils down to fantastic, unsubstantiated myth. Not only that, but because there are multiple myth stories and competing religions from various corners of the world, the threat of violence among the strict followers of one story against those that follow another story or none at all is very real and very dangerous. These are the stakes. It is the future of mankind that is on the line. We can either continue to keep the blinders on and follow the rest of the herd as we destroy ourselves and this planet, or we can stand up and say this is false!

Wake up society, and see that your emperor indeed wears no clothes!

If the businessmen drink my blood
Like the kids in art school said they would
Then I guess I'll just begin again
You say, "can we still be friends?"

If I was scared... I would
And if I was bored... you know I would
And if I was yours... but I'm not

All the kids have always known
That the emperor wears no clothes
But they bow to down to him anyway
It's better than being alone

If I was scared... I would
And if I was pure... you know I would
And if I was yours... but I'm not

Now you're knocking at my door
Saying please come out with us tonight
But I would rather be alone
Than pretend I feel alright

If the businessmen drink my blood
Like the kids in art school said they would
Then I guess I'll just begin again
You say, "can we still be friends?"

If I was scared... I would
And if I was pure... you know I would
And if I was yours... but I'm not

Now I'm ready to start

If I was scared... I would
And if I was pure... you know I would
And if I was yours... but I'm not

Now I'm ready to start

Now I'm ready to start
I would rather be wrong
Than live in the shadows of your song
My mind is open wide
And now I'm ready to start

Now I'm ready to start
My mind is open wide
And now I'm ready to start
And I'm sure you opened the door
To step out into the dark

Now I'm ready