Expressions such as “Think outside the box”…”we’re boxed in”… or even forms that say… “Stay inside the box”… are everywhere. Folks commonly want the same things,  Good health, happiness, safety, and consistency, all outcomes that boxed in thinking is imagined to bring. Boxed in thinking forces our brain’s harsh inner critic filter to strain what’s entering it,  blocking views and opinions… we’re uneasy to admit.

Physically, and metaphorically, being boxed in creates a safety zone we unconsciously seek.  Poet, Robert Frost describes this desire in his poem “Mending Wall” when reciting Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, he suggests structures offer an illusion of protection and organization, for both the strong and weak.

The power of the box is appreciated when acknowledging gifts are more desirable packaged… when given to you.  A blue Tiffany box is magic, while premiums skyrocket on a collectibles’ worth, when sitting in an original box, that’s mint or new. In medicine, ambulatory care centers are doc in the box stores, and in baseball we stay involved with runs and hits by penciling in… box scores.  

Without preference… boxed in provides a socially acceptable place to keep insecurities bound, at the high cost of restricting new skills. Rationalization argues… boxed in pressures are controlling, despite their constant challenges, that silently limit our wills. Greek mythology’s Pandora’s Box is actually a large jar containing all the world’s harms, a solemn reminder that boxed in doesn’t guarantee finding healthy, happy, or safe waiting arms.

When it comes to being boxed in, It’s a funny feeling to know… when we move outside the walls of false security… that boxed in poorly PROVIDES… we create fresh choices, ideas, and opportunities… that help us build a new future… without restraining walls… or SIDES.

Copyright 2018 Alan P. Xenakis, MD, Doc X MD and Audra RN Funny Feelings