Last Updated on August 25, 2015 by Paulette Brown-Hinds
“Silliness” in little children consists of “Aliveness” wrapped in “Excitement”—a Real Self manifestation of enjoying life “my way”. Such Free Minds, by being in a boundless state of wholeness and in contact with the Cosmic Organism, do not mentally cling to anything. Hence, they abandon themselves to the fullness of whatever they make into an illusion, and without reservation. Ancient Africans’ expression: “Enjoyment is the property of the Gods” indicates one is on the path headed toward achieving ones Highest Self divinity—the state human newborns were in at the time of their birth—the realm contents expressed by childhood “Silliness”. Such “Silliness” is the product of children investing in the most insignificant “Things”—“Things” imaged into any form they please—“Things” of a Caricature (‘overloaded’ representation) nature that exaggerates and distorts each “Thing’s” most prominent features into a comic effect. Next, their Magical Thinking directs these unrealistic “Things” to bring about changes in a Fantasy world. Each comic creation is “looked at “upside-down” or “inside-out” or in whatever ways they wish to see it that will repetitiously produce giggling and laughter. That is the ultimate in creativity–the essence of Play. But deeper than this Fun are the sure signs little children are bathing in the highest Cosmic (Spiritual) Energy system. Some of these signs include their effervescing Curiosity—naturally making them intensely interested in the unfamiliar—their unhesitating readiness and willingness to Courageously explore all unknown and especially mysterious realms with complete confidence–and untainted by fears, doubts, worry, or fatigue—as well as their unbounded “Awe” and “Wonder” about things discovered. All of this derives from their “Aliveness” (a Spiritual Elements off-spring) which displays as an alertness to, and the living of, Life by defining oneself from the view of always exploring ones potential possibilities rather than from believing oneself to be boxed in by ones limitations.
The fancifulness of “Silliness Aliveness” possesses a titillating (Latin, tickle) or tantalizing fantasy influence amounting to a kind of spell from their Contingent Being creations in the “here and now”. The Material World complementary counterpart, “Excitement,” promotes “Play and Stay.” By contrast, False Self people, from having chosen to disconnect from their Spiritual Selves, can only strive for “Excitement,” which is but a shadow of what it is when partnered with “Aliveness.” In doing Ma’at “Right” living, one is striving towards ones Highest Self divinity by intertwined Selfhood/Cosmic “Wholeness” practices. Silliness is a real experience Sample (a uniform piece of the whole) of this—a Sample composed of the essences of the Law of Correspondence—i.e. “as without, so within” + “As above, so below; as below, so above”. Cosmic/Selfhood Wholeness means all of its mutual ingredients are each enfolded (enclosed) within the Spiritual Elements—each is doing its own job—each interpenetrates all others so as to be throughout the whole—and each works in balance and interdependently as part of an interwoven flowing movement.
In short, Silliness is a signal of ones Selfhood participating as a total, natural, and orderly form in the harmonious Wholeness. And this is the ultimate in Selfhood Health! In African Tradition, the word “Health” literally means whole or sound in body and mind. These rise to their peak when living begins—i.e. when one really enjoys life. Perhaps this is why the Old English definition of “Silly” is “Blessed by God with Happiness”. However, today’s Black children are programmed out of displaying silliness from the culturally transmitted effects of slavery. Back then, the God blessing of being “Silly” was beaten out of the adult Enslaved while it was never allowed to develop in Enslaved children. The reason is that as soon as they were able to assume responsibility—perhaps at age 4—European slave owners sent them to do drudgery work in the cotton fields. That established a pattern for all ex-Slaves and their descendants, as indicated by Billie Holiday’s (1915-1959) comment: “I never had a chance to play with dolls like other [White] kids. I started working when I was six years old.” The atmosphere in USA’s hostile society is not conducive to Black youth being silly. Yet, because of its infinite variety of benefits—as in aiding being analytical and inventive—there is an urgent need for Black youth to cultivate their birth gift of “Silliness”.
