Puss in Boots: You Can't Run From Yourself

A trippy experience with embedded metaphor.

In a particularly dark place, I opened up my eyes to escape from what I was seeing. A mocking voice said, “You can’t run from yourself.”

That really happened to me on ayahuasca, and it showed me a lot about trauma. That’s for another day. Today lets talk about a kids movie that gave me some interesting flashbacks.

Puss in Boots is a metaphorical journey into the Hell we create with our own minds when we run from ourselves and our responsibilities.

Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 @JackPosobiec

It was a meditation on mortality and how the choices we make in life affect where we end up https://t.co/PM8MxOPTAT

Cernovich @Cernovich

Puss & Boots = very important movie. Covers the impossibility of running from yourself and how Hell is a choice. Very good to take the kids to. You will enjoy the theme in it as well. Very “hero’s journey” with spiritual symbolism!

The movie opens with a montage of the main character, a cat name Puss, glibly and recklessly moving through life without fear, because cats have nine lives. He wasn’t worried about the consequences of his actions until he was approached by a wolf named Death:

Death: Death. And I don't mean it metaphorically or rhetorically or poetically or theoretically or any other fancy way. I'm Death. Straight, up. And I have come for you, Puss in Boots.

Facing his own mortality, Puss runs away, seeks to disguise his appearance, and seeks refuge with a crazy cat lady.

Soon Puss’s past catches up with him and he’s sent on a mission where he learns we can never hide from ourselves.

I don’t want to give away spoilers, but during the Map scene, do notice each character saw something different with the map, and that those who lived in a state of egotism had to face Hell. Compared to what the little dog’s map revealed.

Erwan Le Corre @ErwanLeCorre

I took my boys 2 weeks ago to to watch it and thought exactly the same. A highly metaphorical movie into the depths of the psyche, and how fear must be defeated before one can understand the meaning of life and fully appreciate its value. https://t.co/gKnyrjKxUt

Cernovich @Cernovich

Puss & Boots = very important movie. Covers the impossibility of running from yourself and how Hell is a choice. Very good to take the kids to. You will enjoy the theme in it as well. Very “hero’s journey” with spiritual symbolism!

You’ll also notice the Hero’s Journey vibe of Puss facing down Death, in the way Luke faced Vader first in the cave during the training under Yoda.

Death may be too intense of a character for some children.

ReasonableLatino17 @RLatino17

@Cernovich YES! my kiddo was a bit scrared of the wolf. I told her it's OK to be scared but if you're brave and work with your friends you'll beat the bad guys. She ended up loving the movie. very surprised by this movie

My 4 year old would turn towards me when you heard the whistle (certain a shoutout to Omar is coming) and the wolf entered through the vapor. My 6 year old enjoyed it throughout.

Andrew Ruiz @then_there_was

@Cernovich One of the best depictions of Death I’ve ever seen. They didn’t hold back on making him terrifying.

I highly recommend this one.