Dating : Illusions of Sufferin & Loving Intentions

I recently revisited the film “Meet the Parents” and uncovered a meaningful message that ties into the illusion of suffering we experience in life. Throughout the film, we watch Greg Focker make wince-worthy blunders, leading everyone in the family to ridicule and blame him for destroying what was supposed to be a magical wedding.

In the end, Greg leaves Pam and her family in despair.

When the soon-to-be father-in-law, Jack Byrnes, sees how heartbroken his daughter Pam is from Greg’s departure, he acts fast to make things right. Jack finds Greg and opens a dialogue with him.

They don’t bother apologizing to one another. Instead, they realize why they did what they did and clarify that truth. Jack’s impenetrable wall of protection around his daughter was built to keep her safe from harm, and Greg’s horrifying first impression with his love’s in-laws was merely the result of desperately seeking the approval of her family.

They both reveal to themselves and one another that all the suffering they went through was an illusion. Their intentions were loving, and they got lost in a fake fog of confusion called control. Nothing is truly within their control, and that is the true illusion.

Greg was already on a path to make his mistakes and so was Jack. Their love for Pam brought them together at an intersection of insight—where they both recognize a shared focal point of devotion.