What Robert Burns Can Teach Us About Modern Life

With Burns Night approaching, I have been thinking about Robert Burns and how many of us in Scotland first encounter his work.

Like many Scots, I was taught Burns at school. We learned the poems, memorised the lines, recited them in assemblies, and then moved on. At the time, I do not think I fully appreciated just how observant, insightful, and emotionally astute he really was. Burns often felt like something to get through, rather than something to sit with.

It has been later in life that his words have landed differently. Whilst Burns has many connections to various parts of Scotland, it was in Dumfries and Galloway that he settled and his impact is felt strongly across the regions, and especially in Dumfries itself.

Reading Burns now, I am struck by how clearly he understood people. Pride and insecurity. Regret and kindness. Fear, hope, and the quiet struggles we rarely talk about. His writing feels deeply human, and in many ways, very modern. It really strikes a chord with what we do in hypnotherapy, looking at things from a different perspective and shifting our perspective.

One of his most quoted lines comes from To a Louse:

“O wad some Power the giftie gie us, to see oursels as ithers see us.”

So much of our stress today comes from how we imagine others see us. Self doubt, overthinking, second guessing. Burns recognised this centuries ago. Learning to step back and see ourselves with more balance and kindness can be a powerful shift, and one that still matters.

In To a Mouse, Burns reminds us that life does not always go to plan:

“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley.”

How often do we judge ourselves harshly when things do not unfold as expected. We tell ourselves we should have known better or done more. Burns offers a gentler truth. Plans change. Life shifts. Adaptability and self trust matter more than perfection.

Another line that feels especially relevant today comes from The Twa Dogs:

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”

So often, people only pay attention to their wellbeing when they are exhausted, overwhelmed, or burnt out. Rest, calm, and balance are easy to ignore until they are gone. Burns captures that human habit with striking clarity.

Robert Burns

From Auld Lang Syne, a song many of us associate with endings and beginnings, comes the question:

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?”

It is not just about remembering the past. It is also about what we carry forward. Old habits. Old ways of responding. Old patterns that no longer serve us. Sometimes progress is not about pushing harder, but about gently letting go.

Burns also understood the limits of control. In Tam o’ Shanter, he writes:

“Nae man can tether time or tide.”

Trying to control everything often creates more anxiety, not less. Letting go of what is outside our control and focusing on what we can influence is still one of the most grounding shifts we can make.

And finally, another line from Tam o’ Shanter that feels particularly fitting in a busy, distracted world:

“But pleasures are like poppies spread.”

Moments pass quickly. Calm, connection, enjoyment. If we are always rushing, we miss them. Slowing down and being present can change how life feels, even when nothing else changes.

Of course there are many, many more. What strikes me most about Burns is how little human nature has changed. The same doubts, hopes, fears, and desires show up again and again. His words remind us that struggling does not mean failing. It means being human.

These reflections are not about nostalgia. They are about relevance. Old words, still offering something useful today.

As Burns Night approaches, it feels like a good time to pause, reflect, and perhaps read him again with fresh eyes.

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