The internet is filled with things. Here is one of them.
The B Lane Swimmer2023 Nov 8
In storytelling, a hero's motivation is frequently easy to understand. Who amongst us cannot identify with someone trying to do the right thing? Villains, however, are much more difficult to understand, and therefore more difficult to write well. Children's authors and lazy writers make it deceptively simple – this villain does bad things because they are "evil," as if there are people out there who survey the options before themselves and automatically default to the most wrong. Life, I'd argue, is not that straightforward. So, why then are some people assholes? I don't mean the big evil people – the fascist autocrats and serial killers and psychopaths – I mean the smaller villains, the everyday villains who key your car at the library, who say rude things at the family dinner table, who steal your bike from in front of the store?
This linked blogged post is about the mildest of all villains: those who push their teammates down, who ignore calls from help among their own colleagues. It offers some insightful ruminations on the motivations behind these people, suggesting why they may act the way they do.
In storytelling, a hero's motivation is frequently easy to understand. Who amongst us cannot identify with someone trying to do the right thing? Villains, however, are much more difficult to understand, and therefore more difficult to write well. Children's authors and lazy writers make it deceptively simple – this villain does bad things because they are "evil," as if there are people out there who survey the options before themselves and automatically default to the most wrong. Life, I'd argue, is not that straightforward. So, why then are some people assholes? I don't mean the big evil people – the fascist autocrats and serial killers and psychopaths – I mean the smaller villains, the everyday villains who key your car at the library, who say rude things at the family dinner table, who steal your bike from in front of the store?
This linked blogged post is about the mildest of all villains: those who push their teammates down, who ignore calls from help among their own colleagues. It offers some insightful ruminations on the motivations behind these people, suggesting why they may act the way they do.