Winnie the Pooh has always been a self-proclaimed “bear of very little brain,” but there have been more than a few occasions where that description doesn’t exactly match up with the chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff. On the surface, Pooh might seem like a simple cuddly character intended for younger Disney fans, but somewhere behind that plush facade lies the mind of a great animated thinker.
There are more than a few quotes, instances, and sequences where Pooh has displayed quite a wise, yet alternative way of thinking. Soft-hearted the bear might be, but soft-headed? Hardly the truth.
“Can’t We Go Back to Page One And Do It All Over Again?”
Pooh might not be Disney’s greatest orator but if it’s one thing he does well, it’s cut right to the point. Where others might say “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” certain bear offers this little gem towards the end of his first full-length feature. Pooh is all about living in the moment, and with a touch of child-like honesty, he says what’s on the collective heart of the audience.
“For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain.”
Humble little guy, isn’t he? This might appear to be a self-induced jab at Pooh’s own intelligence but consider the following. A popular proverb dictates that a man who calls himself wise is truly a fool, and yet a man who calls himself fool is truly wise.
Given this logic, perhaps Pooh is actually submitting to the idea that he is in awe of all that he does not know? He just might be a wise little bear after all.
“Think, Think, Think!”
Three things some people these days seem to have forgotten how to do. Winnie the Pooh, on the other hand, makes a daily habit of taking time to be with his thoughts. He even has his own little “thoughtful spot” seen in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Perhaps this could count as his own form of daily meditation? Becoming at one with himself and the Hundred Acre Wood? He might not be a grand zen master, but he does know a thing or two about mindfulness.
“I’m Short, Fat, and Proud of That.”
Pooh definitely does seem the type to be comfortable in his own fur. Why not? Pooh gets most of his cuddly nature from his rotund and lovable figure.
He’s happy being the way he is and doesn’t try to be anything else. Much to the chagrin of the Hundred Acre Wood’s bee population, this does nothing but fuel his voracious appetite for honey.
His Impromptu Songs
Perhaps Disney did this as a nod to the Pooh books written by original creator, A. A. Milne, but it’s definitely something worth noticing throughout the Pooh franchise. Despite being a simple character, Pooh has an uncanny poetic ability to make up a song or two right on the spot. From his cheerful little hums to full-on musical numbers about blustery days or little black rain clouds, Pooh is quite a bard of a bear.
Rescuing Eeyore
Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore is the unsung classic of the original Pooh shorts and it also features one of Pooh’s more ingenious moments.
While creating ripples in a river to wash a floating Eeyore onto the shore isn’t going to win him any Nobel Prizes, Pooh did show a bit of rare cleverness in his quick think-think-thinking to get his friend out of the water. But what else can one expect from the inventor of Pooh-Sticks?
“I Always Get To Where I’m Going By Walking Away From Where I’ve Been.”
If there was ever one collected time in the little yellow bear’s career that completely displayed Pooh’s cuddly-yet-unconventional wisdom, it’s Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin might own the title, but Pooh owns the film. This line, though a tad obvious, truly echos Walt Disney’s mantra of “Keep moving forward.” While he means it in a physical/directional sense, it’s also a good reminder to focus on the journey ahead, not the path behind.
“People Say Nothing Is Impossible, But I Do Nothing Every Day”
Yet again, Pooh comes out swinging with a line that means more than he lets on. Perhaps it’s a callback to Alice’s six impossible things before breakfast but as any Pooh fan will know, doing nothing means anything but null.
This is literally Pooh saying he does the impossible every day and anyone can do it too, but his innocent charm masks his hidden wisdom. Well played, silly old bear.
“Some People Care Too Much. I think It’s Called Love.”
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a charming, and at times strange, animated series from Disney. To say it had its heartfelt moments would be an understatement, especially this emotional line concerning the temperamental Rabbit and his bird friend, Kessie. Simply put it might be, but leave it to Pooh to explain a huge emotional concept like love in a comprehensible way.
“Braver Than You Believe…”
Although the original line is from Christopher Robin, the way Pooh distributes the entirety of this famous speech individually to each of his friends, reminding them how they’re braver than they believe, stronger than they seem, and smarter than they think. Not exactly Aragorn’s speech at Black Gate, but it’s one of the best in all of Disney.
