Life is like Living in a Village of Smurfs
Professor Galen Show Capt. Picard A Kurlan Naiskos. Star Trek: TNG ( The Chase)
There was a story told in Star Trek:TNG about an ancient ( fictional) civilisation called the The Kurl. The story was of the Kurlan philosophical belief that an individual is made of a community of individuals, each with their own voice, their own desires and their own view of the world. This belief was symbolised in the Kurlan Naiskos, a ceramic figurine made with a large hollow body, and a top half that could be removed to reveal many smaller figurines inside, similar in shape to the original one - the community that makes the whole.
The story and belief really resonated with me from the first time I heard it, I saw each individual representative of a different emotion - each one with it’s own personality, voice and role to play in making us whole. Identifying them in this way helped to understand that each emotion has an important role to play, manage them, not demonise “negative” emotions, and give each one an equal and relevant voice in my reactions, reasoning and thinking.
Seeing myself through the eyes of the Naiskos always felt too serious though. In the times when waves of depression and darkness took over I also found the Naiskos hard to find and give the right personalities in the community the grip or energy, or the right approach they needed to maintain some sort of balance to work through it and take back control.
Whether it’s been laughing at myself or at the relatable dark humour in the magic of things like 40 Memes That Might Make You Laugh If You Have Crushing Depression , i’ve always used humour and being able to find and laugh at the ridiculous, as a defence against depression, my inner critic, the darkness and emotional storms. The ability to laugh at the ridiculousness in these things has been powerful in disempowering them.. at least for me. I really shouldn’t have been surprised when it occurred to me that the concept of the Kurlan Naiskos felt a little like the Smurf Village… and it wasn’t long until my perception of my mind and emotions evolved into seeing it through the lens of that Smurf Village - and each Smurf giving each different emotion, mood, shade and vibe it’s own personality.
The concept of living in this Smurf Village is as ridiculous, simple and complex as it sounds. Just like the Naiskos, the Smurf Village helps to identify and manage emotions, my inner critic, the noise and conversations in my head, work out exactly who’s rostered on to work that day ( or at that time) and, just like Papa Smurf, bring some order to chaos - in the most unexpected and comical way I doubt anyone else could imagine.
Smurfette is alll selfies and daydreaming, and sometimes a little shady with a smile
Jokey Smurf is antagnostic and full of lols for the fun of it, Brainy Smurf does the work.. you get the idea..
Living in this ridiculous Smurf Village is surprisingly useful when the darkness rolls in to drag me down to the Smurfs of hell every now and then too. I’ve learned to frame it not as something that lives in the village but as evil Smurfs invading it. Managing my way through and fighting the darkness now often forms the imaginings of the village of Smurfs battling the evil smurfs to drive them out and take back control.. .. and if nothing else is good, at least that soul destroying darkness of depression now comes with ridiculous images that not even feeling dead inside can stop me laughing at.
The Naiskos and the Village of Smurfs have somehow become important parts of managing my mental health, and disempowering the dark and evil Smurfs that try to own me. And if you’ve heard of a more ridiculous approach to managing mental health… please… you have to share it.
This Smurfy life truly is a weird, wonderful, unexpected ride…
