There is a specific kind of heaviness that comes from maintaining an identity. We spend decades building a “self”—a professional reputation, a social standing, a coherent narrative—only to find that defending it becomes a full-time job.
I’ve started viewing Self-Importance not just as a personality flaw, but as a cognitive error—a literal glitch in the matrix.
The Glitch of Seriousness
When we take ourselves too seriously, we become rigid. We stop exploring because we are too afraid of looking foolish. We mistake the map (our reputation) for the territory (reality).
The “glitch” is the belief that the Ego is a solid structure that needs protection. In reality, it’s just a story we keep retelling ourselves. Taking yourself seriously is the fastest way to stop learning.
“Angels fly because they take themselves lightly.” — G.K. Chesterton
Fire and Play
If seriousness is the structure, then Humor is the fire that tests it.
I am drawn to the archetype of the Sacred Fool—not because they are ignorant, but because they are free. In medieval courts, the Fool was the only one allowed to speak the truth to the King. Why? Because the Fool had no status to lose.
This connects to the element of Fire/Play:
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Fire: Humor burns away the dead wood of pretense. It acts as a mechanism for rapid Ego Death.
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Play: When we are playful, we are fluid. We can try on new ideas without the heavy baggage of “identity.”
The Invitation
The goal isn’t to become a clown, but to cultivate a detachment from our own importance.
When you stumble, or say the wrong thing, or fail publicly, the “Serious Self” panics. The Sacred Fool laughs, recognizing that the fall was just part of the dance.
The question I’m carrying with me: Where am I holding on to my dignity so tightly that I am strangling my own curiosity?