In the 1960s, while animal lovers were choosing dogs and cats as pets, Salvador Dalí decided to adopt Babou, an ocelot with an elegant bearing, powerful legs and a hypnotic gaze that defied domestic laws.
Those of us who, like the eccentric master of surrealism, are fascinated by felines, would spend hours admiring the extraordinary beauty of this solitary wanderer that lives mainly in the tropical forests of Central America.
Although the painter tried to turn Babou into a real cat by traveling with him, sharing habitats as luxurious and free of freedom as hotel rooms, cruise ship suites or Manhattan restaurants, and offering him whatever whims he wanted, he encountered resistance. of the ocelot.
Babou, with the gold chain around his neck, frightened more than one diner, caused panic among the guests, destroyed part of the exquisite decoration of the furniture of the Parisian hotel Le Meurice and destroyed some valuable 17th century engravings in a gallery of art from the same city.
While Dalí tried to convince them that his leopard-like appearance was due to the fact that he himself had painted stripes and rosettes on his fur, the ocelot did not renounce its wild nature. There was no way that extravagant human, with the cheerful, pointed mustache, was going to turn him into a house cat! There was no way that genius of art would turn it into an op-art object!
Babou was and felt like an ocelot with his strengths and weaknesses. Despite the challenges he experienced alongside the genius, he remained true to himself, resisting attempts to transform himself into something he was not.
This instinctive behavior is not so far from what Socrates managed to formulate with his philosophy of self-knowledge, who invites us to explore our virtues and defects, our thoughts and values, as well as our limitations, fears or contradictions to understand ourselves and be. coherent. Introspection or reflection, key in Socratic thought, is a fundamental exercise that helps us understand why we act in a certain way or make certain decisions; It helps us connect with our true nature, accept ourselves and be more authentic.
The Greek philosopher invites us to discover ourselves with humility to grow and conquer calm and well-being, states for which so many people long today and always.
The Stoics, who developed and put into practice Socratic intuitions, spoke of serenity, ataraxia, as an ideal state of mind, far from anxiety and frustration. Isn’t that what images that we have left of the ocelot in Dalí’s arms convey?
In a world that often drives us to hide who we are, Babou savagely shows us the importance of being authentic and not letting ourselves be carried away by the expectations of others.
Being oneself, like Babou, accepting ourselves, loving ourselves just as we are, is the path to plenitude, the best gift we can give ourselves, a lesson that resonates not only in Socrates or Heraclitus, but in the philosophy of other great thinkers of all ages. time.
As for Babou, he managed to escape Dalí’s clutches in a California zoo. He had plenty of care and attention, and he enjoyed an environment that ironically was more appropriate for his wild and free nature. A place that undoubtedly allowed him to grow as a feline and achieve a fuller life.