"פאַבולאָוס" לעקציעס: וואָס דיסניי קאַרטאָאָנס לערנען

“A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it, a lesson for good fellows,” Pushkin wrote. Today, children grow up on fairy tales from different cultures. What is deposited in the minds of little people with each new — and old — story? Psychotherapist Ilene Cohen took a fresh look at the messages that Disney characters carry to children and adults. She was prompted to think about visiting the Disneyland amusement park with her little daughter — many years after Ilene herself was there for the last time.

“My daughter and I have watched a lot of Disney cartoons. I wanted to introduce her to the characters that I once loved myself. Some fairy tales inspired me as a child, others I began to understand only as an adult, ”says Cohen.

At Disneyland, Ilene and her daughter saw Mickey and Minnie dancing around the stage and singing about how good it is to always be yourself.

“I asked myself why since childhood I tried so hard to change and did not see that my favorite Disney characters were taught the exact opposite. I didn’t understand that you should be proud of who you are, ”the psychotherapist admits.

Disney stories tell about the need to follow your dream, achieve success and listen to yourself on the way to the goal. Then our life will be the way we want. This is useful not only for children, but also for adults.

However, when daughter Ilene looked at her idols with curiosity, the psychotherapist thought — are the characters of their favorite cartoons deceiving children? Or do their stories really teach something important? In the end, Ilene realized that Disney fairy tales were talking about the same things that she wrote about in her articles and blog.

1. Don’t regret the past. We often regret what we said and did, feel guilty, dream of going back and correcting mistakes. In The Lion King, Simba lived in the past. He was afraid to return home. He believed that the family would reject him for what happened to his father. Simba allowed fear and regret to control his life, tried to run away from problems.

But regretting and fantasizing about the past is much easier than acting in the present. It takes courage to accept yourself and face what scares and worries you. Draw conclusions and move forward. This is the only way to find happiness.

2. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. We need to be ourselves, even when everyone around us is laughing at us. Ilene Cohen says: «Disney cartoons teach that being different is not a bad thing.»

Features are what make us great. Only by loving them, little Dumbo could become what he really was.

3. Don’t give up your voice. Sometimes it seems to us that only by changing ourselves, we will make others happy, only then those whom we love will be able to love us. So Ariel in The Little Mermaid gave up her beautiful voice in order to get legs in return and be with Prince Eric. But her voice was exactly what he liked the most. Without a voice, Ariel lost the ability to express herself, ceased to be herself, and only by regaining her ability to sing was she finally able to fulfill her dream.

4. Don’t be afraid to express your opinion. Many are afraid to say what they think, they are afraid that they will be judged. Especially often women behave this way. After all, modesty and restraint are expected from them. Some of the Disney characters, such as Jasmine (Aladdin), Anna (Frozen) and Merida (Brave), defy stereotypes, fight for what they believe in, speak their mind without fear.

Merida doesn’t let anyone change her. Strong will and determination help her achieve what she wants and protect what is dear to her. Anna does everything to be close to her sister, and even goes on a dangerous journey to find her. Jasmine defends her right to independence. Stubborn princesses prove that you can’t live by someone else’s rules.

5. Follow your dream. Many Disney cartoons teach you to strive for a goal in spite of fear. Rapunzel dreamed of going to her hometown and looking at the lanterns on her birthday, but she couldn’t leave the tower. She was convinced that it was dangerous outside, but in the end the girl set off on a journey towards her dream.

6. Learn to be patient. Sometimes, to make a dream come true, you need to be patient. The path to the goal is not always straight and easy. It takes perseverance and hard work to get what you want.

The magical world of Disney fairy tales teaches us something that is impossible to do without in adulthood. “If I had watched these cartoons more carefully as a child, I might have been able to understand a lot earlier and avoid the mistakes that I made,” Cohen admits.

About the author: Ilene Cohen is a psychotherapist and lecturer at Barry University.