Monday, April 20, 2015

In the House of Black and White Daenerys Targaryen is living in denial and thinks that life and rulership should be fair

Last night's Game of Thrones episode (called the House of Black and White) had Daenerys Targaryen really struggling to find her footing as the ruler of Merene. Last season, having promised the slaves of Merene fairness and justice (because Daenerys wants to be a benevolent ruler) the slaves overthrew their masters and essentially turned over the entire city state to her. Now the sons of the harpy are making trouble for Daenerys and her occupying army. They're doing a little butchering here and there, and unrest is spreading where there was none before. Wanting to avoid being another "mad" Targaryen, Daenerys promises a trial to a suspected "sons of the harpy." Presumably, a trial guarantees "fairness" but we all know it's just another kind of parade. However, it's probably the best that any kind of justice system can hope for so anyone facing punishment might as well take the best option seeing as none of us (even in George R.R. Martin's world) can read minds. But slaves who perceive that Daenerys has her hands tied take it unto themselves to deliver justice and one of them kills the "sons of the harpy" that's in custody.

She reminds this hapless soul that "the law is the law" and has him publicly executed. The crowd of slaves starts hissing, and she gets this pinched look in her face which is essentially what I think she might look like if passing a kidney stone. I've seen this look a lot lately (sometimes at my own work) as management struggles to come to terms with the budget deficit in our agency and liquidates positions. There's that "pinched" look in the face. Are you passing a kidney stone? No? Oh, I recognize that look...you are trying to be "fair."

But here's the thing people. Our idea of fairness isn't actually obtainable. In fact, it's probably the greatest lie ever spread by humans because it's a cloak for wishful thinking. If life was actually fair, companies would only fail if everyone who worked for them was evil and raindrops would fall only on bad people. So essentially we all have a broken idea of fairness. Our idea of fairness always serves "self interest." Oh your opinion coincides with mine? That's fair. Oh it doesn't? I cry foul. People love to invent moral authority and buy into the whole concept that if you work hard you will succeed. But there's plenty of situations where this is simply not true. The only ones you hear about though are the ones that do succeed. So the lie perpetuates itself.

In real life, children would be better served if they were told that life is a competition instead of telling them that it isn't. "Remember kids, life isn't a competition. I mean apart from grades, jobs, colleges, partners, wealth, and status. Yup...no competition so just do your best." And that's my epiphany about Daenerys' situation in Merene. I mean, maybe that's what the game of thrones is actually about. Cersei says, "To play the game of thrones you either win or you die." Well, no, but that does make a good sound bite. If Daenerys knows what's good for her, she'll embrace a different philosophy: to play the game of thrones means to realize that life isn't fair. Therefore you shouldn't strive to be a fair ruler, just a good one. You shouldn't have killed the slave. Sure, it wouldn't have been fair, but who cares? Life is a competition and you've got to play your advantages. That's just the nature of reality. Everyone who doesn't admit that (whether in George R.R. Martin's fantasy world or the real one that we all live in) is in denial. But I suppose that most of us get hung up on how we think the world should work that we fail to see how it actually does work.

10 comments:

  1. Well butter my bread and call me toast, that was a most excellent post.
    First, I agree. Life is not fair. Whether someone is fair or cruel is subjective anyway, in the eye of the beholder.
    Second, Man O' Man, I won't need to buy a sub to HBO if you summarize the episodes on Monday. *YeahBaby*

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  2. My thoughts actually. Kind of how I felt when I got a soccer trophy after playing one season of soccer as kid and we only won one game. Everyone is a winner! But it's not like the trophy made me a better soccer player. :)

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  3. The concept of "fairness" was invented by parents to keep their children from squabbling. The world is definitely not a fair place. As you say, it's all about competition. Not everyone is a winner, and societies are designed to keep most people at the bottom of the power pyramid.

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  4. She's finding like the US did in Iraq that it's a lot easier to liberate a country than to rule it.

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  5. She was in such a hard spot. I can't wait until Tyrion gets there to help her think these things through--she needs a STRATEGIC thinker rather than Ser Barristan's honor or Daario's bravado. I really wanted her to say "okay, mercy, but this is your ONLY chance. If anyone does this again, they'll be executed. "

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  6. I feel my life would be a lot fairer if I had a couple of dragons at my beck and call.

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  7. That's so true about how we're told "Just work hard" and all will be well, but that's a lie. Life isn't just a competition, it's a crapshoot.

    I love what you said about the pinched expression and passing a kidney stone. I know just what you mean, but I usually say the person has terminal constipation.

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  8. We're not very good at making adjustments maybe because we're such creatures of habit.

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  9. A fair is that thing with prize hogs, cotton candy, and a Ferris wheel.

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  10. Pretty sure I posted on this, but I don't see me anywhere.

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