Because having infinite consciousness is an unattainable status reserved only for God, Kleist suggests that it is only reasonable for us to move forward in the cycle skipping past infinite consciousness toward no consciousness: "we must journey around the world and determine if perhaps at the end somewhere there is an opening to be discovered again" (Kleist, p. 24). Though it would be considered moving forward in Kleist's view, returning to a state of no consciousness is effectively moving backwards from an Enlightenment point of view. In such a view, armed with "reason," mankind can only obtain more knowledge and a greater state of consciousness; improvement is a key tenet in Enlightenment. Therefore, going back is not an option. .
Puss-in-Boots challenges the idea of linear progression of thought in a different way. It does so through the progress of the play presented in the play. Initially the play, although ridiculed by the audience, proceeds 'normally.' Muller even has an idea as to how the play will go on, comparing it to a past work: "Now, do you see, it's going to be a moving scene of family life? Out of the bird they've here made a cat, and the play will follow the same course" (Tieck, p. 47). However, the play quickly begins to blur the division between the show and reality, with characters seemingly weaving in and out of character and the author himself getting involved in the middle of the play. The audience – the audience seated in the theater and the audience reading Tieck's work – cannot distinguish between what's staged and what is real. Furthermore, there are scripted interruptions within the play itself – the entrances of the happy then angry couple – as well as unscripted ones such as the ballet, stamping, and monologues from Jackpudding.
Moreover, Tieck and Kleist counter the value of self-certainty with self-reflexivity.