Weird Is Beautiful: The Wisdom of Octopuses

By Liz Marvin

Think like you’ve got nine brains, feel like you’ve got three hearts, and hug as though you have eight arms.

Wisdom begins in wonder: and there is no creature so weird and wonderful as the octopus. Wise, compassionate, strong yet adaptable – and with Houdini-like vanishing tricks – octopuses are the most fascinating creatures on the planet. They provide a masterclass in self-care and there is so much we can learn from them. With the help of Weird Is Beautiful you will discover:

• When to be strong, and when to be flexible
• How to sift through the flotsam and jetsam of your life to find the pearls you should cling to
• How camouflage can be self-care, but when you should let your true colours shine!
• How to multi-task, even when you don’t have eight arms
• When to allow the currents of the ocean to sweep you along, and when to stick your tentacles to the rocks and resist
• How to live wild, weird and free

Who said life above water can’t sparkle?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Apr 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9780008517885

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Think like you’ve got nine brains, feel like you’ve got three hearts and hug like you’ve got eight arms

As any octopus will tell you, it’s cool to be different – and it’s even better to be weird. Being strange is a superpower, as it unlocks all sorts of experiences and talents you might otherwise never have known you had. Not sure? Read on and let the clever and mysterious octopus convince you to embrace your inner weird.

These squishy-bodied molluscs are capable of amazing physical feats. They can lift up to 40 times their own weight and have a sharp and powerful beak that can deliver a dose of potent venom. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of an ink attack, you’ll know they are not to be messed with: octopuses know how to stand up for themselves if they have to and they don’t let anyone push them around. In other words, this is one invertebrate who doesn’t lack backbone.

But these awesome attributes don’t represent who an octopus really is. They may be powerful but for them, aggression is an absolute last resort. Rather, they are constantly curious about everything around them, very intelligent and incredible problem solvers. They are very house-proud, too – they know how important it is to have a den that’s comfortable and cosy, where they feel safe. And, more than anything, they are very wise. Which is no surprise when you consider that they have been around since before the dinosaurs. That’s given them a lot of time to learn how to navigate a world that’s full of wonder and beauty but one that can also be scary and confusing. Octopuses are the ultimate experts on living life on their own terms.

decorative watercolour illustration

They come in all shapes and sizes, too – from the tiny Octopus wolfi, who is only 2 centimetres long, to the mighty giant Pacific octopus, who proudly weighs in at up to 70 kilograms. But they never compare themselves to other octopuses. Though modest by nature, they are confident in their abilities and happy in their own skins. Independent and unconventional, they do things their own way and they don’t care what anyone else thinks.

Life, like the ocean, isn’t an easy place to navigate: there are sharp rocks and currents that can threaten to pull you off course. A predator may be around the next corner or a naughty wrasse might be waiting to steal your dinner. Keeping your wits about you is important and sometimes you will need to focus on your own survival. But life is also full of the magical, the fascinating and the strange, and if we’re constantly rushing from rock to rock, chasing after the next crab, or hiding away in our dens, fearful of what might be lurking, then we will miss out on so many wonderful things. Octopuses offer us a masterclass in camouflage and self-protection, but also show us how to appreciate what’s around us and celebrate our individual