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  • Essay / The concept of willful blindness in Oedipus the King

    Oedipus, our ironic hero, suffered many tragic events that led to his fate predicted in the play Oedipus the King. Why did he suffer so much heartbreak and what can be learned from such a taboo play. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayUnfortunately, Oedipus was a victim of the concept of "willful blindness", as are almost all humans. Each aspect of the play lends itself to its psychological conclusion. Our hero moves from blissful ignorance to the reality of his true identity. “Wilful blindness” is an innate human mechanism that keeps our minds in the dark, and it usually manifests itself in almost everything we do. This can be seen in the common example of the phrase "How could I have been so blind?" » which is often heard on television or in everyday conversations. Voluntary blindness is caused by many factors and our brain's capacity simply cannot absorb everything it sees and hears. With this in mind, it would make sense that a lot of data is processed only to be modified or filtered to what we actually want. This may also be reflected in the fact that darkness and light are closely related to the theme of sight and blindness in Sophocles' play. Oedipus and his loyal citizens are unaware of his own origins and the murder of their former king. After Oedipus discovers what happened, he sadly comes to terms with the truth of how everything was actually "revealed." The information we let in usually reflects what makes us feel good about ourselves or, even worse, what makes us feel good about ourselves. the most comfortable. This means that much of what disturbs our fragile being is usually left aside without much thought. The hubris that Oedipus experienced and which ultimately led to his symbolic and physical blindness had to do with how the people around him treated him. He was surrounded by people who were familiar to him and these citizens and his closest friends made him feel safe and happy. The natural need to feel good is innate in human nature, we are required to seek pleasure and reassurance by any means possible. This is clearly seen when Oedipus declares: “Here I am myself – you all know me, the world knows glory. I am Oedipus. But with that comes everything else that doesn't give us such sensations. Everything else can be described as a blind spot. In the play, Oedipus was blind to all the warning signs throughout his journey. He refused to see, due to his human nature (and pride). Ultimately, when he was forced to face his uncomfortable and taboo fate, he blinded himself. Leading him to be exactly as he was at the beginning of the play figuratively. As humans, we are determined to find and protect the relationships that help us elevate our key “feel good” chemicals, such as endorphin, dopamine, or oxytocin, in our brains. This true main purpose of this motivation is to reflect our self-esteem identity. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Yet, I believe that this curse of willful blindness is not "It will not necessarily lead to our downfall as it did for Oedipus. Readers of all ages who have followed the sad hero throughout of his journey to come face to face with his destiny may consider it as a sign..