Yesterday I cam across a friend after almost four years. The thing is we both live in different cities, and he is a cousin of my friend. So through this friend, we both became good friends. And the reason? Well "Breaking Bads". Yes, we talked about Breaking Bad on our first talk. This way, our meeting and becoming friends was nothing less than a miracle. Because being an introvert, I usually do not interact with others a lot. A simple "Hey!" and "Wassup" is all I have in my dictionary. So yes, yesterday once again, we talked about movies and tv shows. The talk went on for hours, and on my return, sitting in a bus. I had this thought about a concept called "fantacization". On broader level, this concept is the basic core of the literary world. However, But as I stared deep into this world, another question emerged in my mind: what happens when we begin fantasizing the wrong things such as heroes?
The thing is we often admire people we would never in our real lives. We wear cool gangster T-ees, quote ruthless lines and call deliquents as "legends" because they look powerful, fearless and stylish on screen. Characters like Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders or real life figures like Pablo Escobar are treated almost like icons. But, what if we strip away the cinematic music, handsome heroes, sharp dressings and dramatic telling; we are left with violence, corruption, disloyalty and the annihilation of morality.
"How many fathers, right, how many sons, yeah, have you cut, killed, murdered, fucking butchered, innocent and guilty?" - Alfie Solomons
Being honest, this is still one of my favorite line from season 3. Alfie Solomons is just pure love because of his acting skills. Now, back to the point, Thomas Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy, is brilliantly acted, there is not a single doubt about this fact. His intelligence, dressing, charisma and dialogues make him attractive. But what about the character? He is responsible for murders, intimidations and countless morally corrupt acts. Let us just forget about it. How many of you think of his smoking as "COOL!", I do, but what will be your stance if someone right in front of you is doing the same act? The fantasization will fade away, and the person will be treated as someone who is bad.
The same applies to Mr. Escobar. People, like me, sometimes romanticize him because he built houses, funded poor or challenged political elites. But this selective virtue ignores the bombings, assassinations and civil deaths tied to his empire. In Netflix show, there is a scene in which Pablo is burning money to keep the fire going on for his daughter. But what the daughter of those who died in the bombing? Helping some communities does not erase the suffering inflicted on thousands of others.
The same applies to Pablo Escobar. People sometimes romanticize him because he built houses, funded local projects, or challenged political elites. But this selective memory ignores the bombings, assassinations, terror campaigns, and civilian deaths tied to his empire. Helping some poor communities does not erase the suffering inflicted on thousands of innocent people.
So why are we drawn to these figures?
My personal observation says that human beings are naturally attracted to confidence. Someone who appears fearless, decisive and in control is admired, even when their actions are unethical and sinful. On some basic research, I found that psychologists call this the "halo effect". Letting one appealing trait overshadow serious bad things. A calm criminal with a dashing personality in a tailored suit often seems more impressive than an ordinary honest person hardly making both ends meet.
Power and Freedom
Yes, it is one of the most important factor. Humans are innately greedy for power and freedom. Most of us live in a world full of rules, obligations and social expectations. The heroes and the antiheroes appear free from all these boundaries. They do what their heart want. The contrast between being civilized and being savage is quite old. Sigmund Freud described this thing as the conflict between our innate desires and our moral conscience. Same is the case with Thomas Hobbes famous argument that in the "state of nature", human life becomes "brutish and short" without a social order. In simple words, human being are capable of harsh things easily. It is the modern society which discipline these instincts. The so-called idealized heroes become attractive because they represent our impulsive and suppress nature.
Good Storytelling
A good story gives heroes as well as villains such a backstory that we start to understand why they became like this. But this understanding cannot justify their acts. A tragic childhood may justify the reasoning behind the act, but it cannot make murder a moral activity.
This is where it becomes a philosophical problem because it shifts morality from actions to image. Aristotle believed that virtue is only possible through good habits and morally characterfulness, not through power or success. A true hero is the one who is courageous and just. For him, power without virtue is not greatness. It is danger.
And we live in this dangerous era where we promote not to "judge a book by its cover" yet we fail to implement. A world where cool aesthetic can hide the ugly nature, where violence is called entertainment and manipulation is named as deep strategy. Gangsters, tyrants and nominated politicians violate the good principles constantly by using people for profit, fear and personal gains. Yet, we name them heroes.
Not being an Anti-Art
This does not mean we should start avoiding every complex or morally flawed character. Rather art should explore darkness, henious actvities and hidden desires. The purpose is to appreciate acting, writing and storytelling; but without turning criminals as our role models.
This does not mean we must avoid every complex or morally flawed character. Art should explore darkness, contradiction, and human weakness. We can appreciate excellent acting, writing, and storytelling without turning criminals into role models. Because there is a difference between aesthetic admiration and ethical admiration. Someone can be attractive on screen and still represent values we should (and we do) reject in our real lives.
So next time a hero feels "cool", just pause for a moment and ask: would I accept this person in real life? would I want them as my buddy? Such questions often results in the dissolution of fantasy. In a world fascinated by power and corruptness, wisdom is the true ability and only chance to remain human.
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What are your thoughts on this?
Peace 🕊
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