Breaking the Fourth Wall

When we were kids, my siblings and I discovered that repeating a word over and over caused an unusual thing to occur.

Have you ever noticed that?

Give it a try. Pick a word – any word works. I will use the word “happy.”

Now repeat this word out loud multiple times.

Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy.

I promise there is a point to this goofy exercise. And no, there are no hidden cameras. But you do have to say the word out loud. Otherwise, it won’t work.

Ok, you can stop. What happened?

Did you realize how silly your word sounded after repeating it several times? Did you become absurdly aware of the fact that you are just voicing a noise with your mouth? And for some reason, everyone understands it to mean something, but now to you, it hardly sounds like a word at all. It is just a random noise.

Let this next thought sink in for a minute: Every word is a random noise that we repeat regularly. And when we hear one of these specific word-noises, it evokes images in our minds and emotions in our bodies. Isn’t that hard to believe?

Now, if repeating the same word gave you the same experience as it did me, then it went like this: You took something as familiar as an everyday word that you have never questioned or given any further thought to – something innately part of your reality – and you took a step back from it. Instead of being surrounded by words, you stepped back and realized that words are all just noises to which we ascribe meaning.

It almost feels like one of those moments in a comedy movie where the protagonist breaks the fourth wall and starts talking directly to the audience. All the characters are immersed in the movie's reality, but one of them becomes aware of his surroundings.

This gets me thinking … is this fourth wall-breaking thing only possible with words? Am I only able to step back and observe language in that manner, or is it possible to do this in other areas of life as well?

Think about it like this:

Every day, we get pulled in different directions. We are flooded with emotions, weighed down by responsibilities, tempted by the desires of the flesh, and steadied by our conscience. Our stomach – and sometimes our stress levels – tell us when to eat. Our emotions tell us when to cry or laugh. Our sense of duty tells us when to do things even if we don’t want to. Our discipline fights against our laziness. And the wolf in us combats the lamb.

No doubt, there is a lot going on, and we are constantly in the midst of it, completely engaged. If I were to compare life to a roller coaster, we would certainly not be mere spectators. We would be buckled in, feeling the highs and lows as gravity and centrifugal forces pull us in different directions.

But what if we did not always have to be along for the ride?

What if we could step back and observe it from a distance?

I have found this to be possible to a certain degree. We can step back, and I think there is tremendous value in doing so.

Why?

Because the desires and the battles, the emotions and the hunger, can make it difficult to maintain a proper perspective. We can easily allow ourselves to be consumed by all that is happening in and around us. What meets the eye quickly becomes the highest priority; all that does not stand immediately before me is easily forgotten.

If I am hungry, food will be on my mind.

If I am thirsty, water will be my foremost thought.

If I want to find romantic love, my mind will be consumed by the search for it.

If I am sad, I will not want to rejoice.

But how important are these things in the grand scheme of life?

Of course, my hunger is pressing at the moment, but whether I eat now or in two hours is entirely insignificant for my existence.

Of course, sadness is powerful, and it can be hard to rejoice when I am not doing well. But how much do I have to be thankful for despite my momentary sadness?

It is possible to step back from these “little” moments in life.

It is possible to observe life as a whole, forgetting the things I want in the moment.

And it is through this stepping back that perspective is regained:

I wake up every day. I will do so until I die. What matters in this life? It is certainly not winning small arguments, fulfilling momentary desires, eating desserts, and indulging in pleasures … not if I zoom out.

Many things that occupy my mind at any given moment seem much less significant when viewed from the distance of a few miles.

I like to take time to zoom out and observe my life as a whole. I like to momentarily forget the small things that push and pull at me and instead look at the years I have on earth.

And then I like to ask myself, “What really matters in this life?” and I regain perspective, realigning my values with what is truly vital.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me, I don’t want to stop living in the moment. The moment has so much beauty to offer. What I want to do is remove myself from the rollercoaster that life can become, in order to remind myself of the most important matters – those that shape the reality of my everyday life.