Going with Heart: The King of Hearts

One of my favorite movies of all time is the King of Hearts from 1966.

Here is the summary from a Wikipedia entry on the film:

This 1966 film, directed by Philippe de Broca, stars Alan Bates as Charles Plumpick, a kilt-wearing Scottish soldier who is sent by his commanding officer to disarm the bomb. When Plumpick enters the town, he unknowingly leaves the door to the insane asylum open while being chased by the Germans. When the Germans have left the town, all of the inmates leave the asylum and playfully take over the town. The adorable lunatics coronate Plumpick King of Hearts with surreal pageantry as he frantically tries to find the bomb before it goes off. The film ends with the question of who is more insane, those in the asylum or the soldiers on the battlefield.

I love the movie because it is romantic, charming, and carries a powerful message in a gentle and loving way.

I loved the blurring of the line between insanity and sanity and that things are not always as they seem. The movie resonates with findings from social cognitive psychology that mentally healthy people do not face reality.

Research from Dr. Shelley Taylor and others have found that mentally healthy people do not face reality! They buffer reality with 3 positive illusions: unrealistically positive views of the self, illusions of control, and unrealistic optimism.

I believe Dr. Phil is off base at times when he cajoles us to: Get Real!

Frequent readers of this blog will identify that this film fits with my signature story. Click here to read the post on signature stories and Don Quixote.

Keep both your heart and mind open and you might just find a very rich kingdom of living and loving both inside yourself and connected to your relationships.

If you get a chance, give yourself the royal treatment and watch the King of Hearts.
~ Post by David Zinger

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JJL Editorial Postscript:
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Click here to visit and join the exciting and growing network David founded for people interested, involved, or engaged in employee engagement.

Click here for more from David here at Joyful Jubilant Learning. His last article for us was on our April theme of Digital Learning: 4 Zingers in Digital Learning.

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Comments

[Dean Boyer]

David,

I honestly had never heard of this movie and I am intrigued by it because of your summary! Thanks!

[David Zinger]

Dean:
If you get a change it is well worth a view.
David