You know, if you have a zoo you don't want the other creatures

Tarsem Singh, the visionary director, once spoke with allegory when he said: “You know, if you have a zoo you don't want the other creatures to see you. You want them to hang out and act properly and, you know, when the monkeys will come and ask for the bananas, they won't act like monkeys. If you want them to act on what their true nature is, you've got to leave them alone.” Though seemingly simple, these words hold profound insight into the nature of authenticity, freedom, and human behavior. For when eyes of judgment are upon us, we wear masks; only in solitude, or in the absence of surveillance, do beings reveal their true nature.

The meaning of his reflection lies in the tension between performance and authenticity. Just as animals in a zoo, aware of human eyes, may change their behavior, so too do human beings alter themselves when they feel observed, measured, or controlled. They perform what they think is expected rather than living in truth. Singh teaches us that if we truly want to see what lies within another being — whether beast or man — we must give them space, freedom from the gaze, and trust in their natural rhythm.

The origin of such wisdom can be found in the philosophy of the ancients. Lao Tzu spoke of the sage who governs least, who interferes least, and thus allows people to live by their own essence. Similarly, Rousseau in later centuries would warn that society corrupts the natural man, shaping him to please others rather than to act as he is. Tarsem Singh echoes these traditions, wrapped in the imagery of the zoo, reminding us that control and surveillance distort, while freedom reveals truth.

History illustrates this vividly. Consider the experiment of Diogenes the Cynic, who lived in simplicity and shamelessness in the streets of Athens. He cast aside the conventions of the city and, by doing so, revealed the absurdity of society’s masks. While others performed their roles, Diogenes lived in naked authenticity, showing the world what man is when left alone by judgment. His life, like Singh’s metaphor of the zoo, taught that true nature only emerges when freed from the stage of expectation.

Yet Singh’s teaching is not only about animals or philosophers — it is about our daily lives. In schools, workplaces, and even families, people often act not as they are, but as they believe others wish them to be. They hold back their laughter, disguise their sadness, mute their creativity. Under the constant gaze of authority or approval, they become tame, like zoo animals begging for bananas. Only when trusted, when left alone, do they act from their core, revealing their genuine humanity.

The lesson for future generations is clear: if you would know a person truly, grant them the space to be themselves. Do not crowd them with judgment or suffocate them with control. Likewise, if you would know yourself, seek solitude, seek moments where no eyes watch you, and see what you do when freed from performance. There you will discover your true nature, your unvarnished self, your essence before the world’s expectations.

Practical action follows. Parents, allow your children moments where they may play and express themselves without correction. Leaders, create environments where your people may speak honestly without fear of judgment. Friends, give one another the gift of presence without demand. And within yourself, learn to step away from the stage of social performance, to dwell at times in solitude, where the masks can fall away.

Thus, Tarsem Singh’s words shine as a parable of authenticity. If you want creatures to act on their true nature, you must leave them alone. So too with humans: if we desire truth, if we long for honesty, if we seek authenticity, then we must not bind others with the gaze of control. Freedom is the womb of authenticity, and in authenticity lies the deepest beauty of life.