A key feature of children's fairy tales is their flat characters. From the very first lines, it's clear who's who—tyrant or hero, good or evil. This makes sense since a child's mind isn't ready for nuances.
Adults, too, sometimes crave a Marvel franchise movie. But that's just temporary fatigue and a regression into infantilism.
The older a person gets, the more boring two-dimensional simplicity becomes. They prefer the complex characters of "Game of Thrones."
But why?
Maturity means accepting that the real world is ambivalent. That is, paradoxical, contradictory, and complex. This is true both within us and around us.
Twenty-two years ago, I was struck by the book "Influence" by psychologist Robert Cialdini. He wrote about an experiment where a volunteer had to punish a screaming stranger with electric shocks for mistakes because a man in a white coat said so.
Originally, researchers wanted to see if Germans were particularly cruel. But it turned out that no matter the country, age, or gender, the result was the same. People readily obeyed supposed authority to inflict maximum pain on another person.
In the end, Robert concluded that the vast majority of people would act this way. He added, "Including you, dear reader." A horrible thought. Sadly, he's probably right.
There are no absolutely good or bad people. That's why saints are canonized only after their death. As long as a person is alive, even if he's a model of righteousness, he can commit a grave sin.
Each of us reaches for the pure infinity of the sky while our roots dig into the infernal depths of the earth. And this is good because we always retain the freedom to choose who to be.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.