The metaphor of a caterpillar transforming into a beautiful butterfly is great for selling the feel-good story of becoming one’s true, beautiful self. I have some issues with this, however.
The first is that it assumes that caterpillars are flawed, and following the metaphor that means the way you currently are is somehow flawed.
The second is that it doesn’t talk about the fact that in order to turn into a butterfly, caterpillars need to literally dissolve themselves into a primordial goop before reconstituting themselves into a working butterfly.
How might we celebrate who we are now, acknowledge and strive for better, and also recognize the labor that will go into that transformation?
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