Beware of the Distorted "Brave Little La

Beware of the Distorted "Brave Little Lamb": Don't Let Self-Diminishment Steal Your Strength

 

Not long ago, the theme song of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Creative Ideas, paired with an "inspirational Lazy Goat" meme, unexpectedly went viral on short-video platforms. Initially, these videos were filled with ordinary people's "against-the-odds stories": some shared their journey of fighting illness alone, others documented their courage to face injustice in the workplace, and still more talked about the growth from their first solo trip. The creators labeled themselves "brave little lambs" — "little lamb" was a playful nod to their own ordinariness and smallness, while "brave" was a badge of honor for their refusal to back down in the face of adversity. These stories struck a chord with countless people who grit their teeth to keep going in life.

 

But as the topic gained traction, the core of the "brave little lamb" quietly distorted. In the comment sections, more and more voices strayed from the original sense of strength: "I forgot to turn off the faucet when I went out, but my parents cleaned it up quietly — I'm such a great little lamb!" "I'll just wait patiently for my boyfriend's salary, then spend it all — that's the coolest thing ever!" "I broke my dad's collection of wine, but I'm still a little lamb who deserves to be loved!" In these remarks, the standard for "bravery" was repeatedly lowered. What was once a label to honor "proactively confronting hardships" gradually became an excuse for "passively accepting indulgence." The weakness of the "little lamb" was amplified endlessly, while the core of "bravery" was quietly stripped away — even behaviors like relying on others or letting others bear the consequences of one's mistakes were packaged as "little achievements" worth showing off.

 

In fact, this kind of self-diminishment that "glorifies weakness" is nothing new. From the previously popular "Jiaoliuzi Literature" (which often emphasizes "being spoiled at home and unable to do anything when going out") to the now distorted "brave little lamb," though the outer form changes again and again, the underlying logic remains the same: people tend to position themselves as "the vulnerable party in the power structure," package their fragility and dependence into "sympathy-worthy snippets," and gain others' attention and tolerance by showing "I am weak," using external empathy to fill the gap in their psychological needs.

 

From a psychological perspective, this can be seen as a form of "rationalization defense" — when reality fails to meet expectations, people find reasons to convince themselves that "the current situation is reasonable." The difference, however, is that early "Jiao-style" expressions were mostly self-deprecating ways to relieve emotions. In the current "brave little lamb" narrative, many people gradually get addicted to the role of "being taken care of": they long to be held in the palm of others' hands, expect others to cover for their mistakes, and even take it for granted that "I am helpless, so others should give in to me." This echoes Milan Kundera's warning in The Unbearable Lightness of Being: "Once a person is intoxicated by their own weakness, they will only grow weaker and weaker. They will fall on the street under the gaze of others, fall to the ground, and fall to a place lower than the ground itself."

 

Of course, this does not mean we cannot express vulnerability. Everyone has moments when they need to talk, and real pain deserves to be seen. The key, however, lies in whether we still retain the "agency to change the situation" after speaking up. Looking back at the original "brave little lamb" videos that resonated with people, the protagonists never just complained about "hardship" — they carried the resilience of "even if it's hard, I'll give it a try": "When I lived alone for the first time, I fixed the broken water pipe by myself and remade the burnt rice; I finally got through it." "During my internship, I had no experience and was scolded by clients several times, but I still forced myself to revise the plan — and surprisingly, it worked out in the end." "The day I went abroad alone, I almost cried at the airport, but I still gritted my teeth to find my way and go through the formalities; now I can live well on my own."

 

The reason these stories are touching is never about "weakness," but about "being weak yet refusing to give up." They acknowledge difficulties but never use "powerlessness" as an excuse; instead, they take small steps to narrow the "gap between ideal and reality" with their actions. The results may not always be perfect, but that effort to "try to rely on oneself" is what the "brave little lamb" should originally be — not using "little lamb" as a shield, but letting "bravery" become one's own armor.

 

Don't let self-diminishment steal your strength. True bravery is never "I'm weak, so I'm in the right," but "It's hard, but I can still take one more step forward."