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Pure As Snow: the Character Strengths and Virtues of a Hero

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Pure As Snow: the Character Strengths and Virtues of a Hero hat is a hero? Why do some people W stand up despite all odds and fight to do what is right, no matter what it costs them? Positive psychology offers sollle clues. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Pure as Snow: tb~ Character Strengths an() Virtues of a J-1~ro DANA KLISANIN "I shall take no wife, hold n~ lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come." -Night's Watch Oath1 "Heroes always deviant. Heroes, always doing something' that moSt people don 't. · · · " -psychologist Philip Zimbardo2 h it might seem easy hat makes someone heroic? Althoug ducted o ists have con W. to answer that question, psychol g d le identify httl · · Why o peop e research on it and debate what it is. · 239 GAME OF THRONES PSYCHOLOGY 240 e individual as heroic but not another? Many Game orT,_ on . ~ nrones fans see Jon Snow as ~ne of the ~o~t her01c ch~racters. But ? What are the 1naJor charactensttcs and qualities a .b w hy. sen ed to heroes? Are they born in special circumstances? What propels thenl to action? Are they courageous? Selfless? Honest? Do they obey authority or disobey? What makes them stand out frorn the crowd? Is Jon rea11 y " pure as snow "?. Heroism Although heroism has been historically understudied in psychol­ ogy, it has recently become a major topic of scientific inquiry. 3 Researchers are exploring the characteristics of a -variety of heroes, from military heroes to whistle-blowers, activist heroes to celebrity heroes.4 There are obvious differences between these heroes, such as the physical risk involved in a heroic act. Researchers Scott Allison and George Goethals suggest three important dimensions in which our perceptions of heroes vary: 5 1. We view them as moral or competent, and possibility both at once. 2. We view them as being born with stable heroic traits or made into heroes by specific circumstances. 3. They inspire us or show great leadership. 6 A famous soldier, a professional basketball player, and an award-winning actress will be viewed differently than.a whisde­ blower or an activist, but they each inspire us in some way, even as people argue over whether to call any of them heroes_. 15 · One of the most important· findings in heroism resea rch related to disobedience, in that those who actively refuse to do PURE AS SNOW 241 wrong are seen as more heroic in their effc d . orts to o what is nght In one of psychology's most famous exp · · . enments; a researcher m a white lab coat directed participants t d . 0 a minister poten- tially dangerous shocks to another person 7 . • surpnsmg · · 1 y, many participants obeyed the authority figure co t· . h . , n mumg to s ock the subject. although obvious pain and distres s were apparent. However, some disobeyed. When Samwell Tarly arrives at Castle Black, Jon directly disobeys his commanding officer's order to fight the unprepared Sam because it is a cruel and unfair order. In addition to refusing to obey orders to be cruel, heroic individuals will resist pressures to conform and to join others in their cruelty. In another of psychology's most famous exper­ iments, participants ~ere randomly assigned to play roles as either "prisoners" or "guards" in a mock jail at Stanford University. 8 What was surprising about this study is that a number of guards became sadistic toward prisoners in just a few days. Although the lead researcher, Philip Zimbardo, spent many years discussing how the roles brought out the worst in some of those assigned to be the guards,9 he later began to look more at why some people resist the pressure to do wrong and instead stand up to do what is right. 10 When others in the . Night's Watch set a fire to burn Mance Rayder to death, Jon Snow not only refuses to take part but instead shoots Rayder in order to spare him the agony of burning to death. This ability to disobey authority or resist conforming to actions that are contrary to one's moral values, ideals, or established code of conduct is a quality that many heroes sh are. 11 12 Heroism is closely associate· d wit· h mora lity, but the study . h · h d' .cc:.culty since it is closely of morality 1s often fraug t wit 1111 , bound to cultural norms, which vary widely. We see these cultural differences reflected in hotly debated issues such as abortion rights, with some individuals staunchly opposing a GAME OF THRONES PSYCHOLOGY 242 , ·ght to choose and others championing th . womans n . at right. differences are often aligned with religious view These s. For . ple although Jon Snow does not approve of Melisa d exam , . n re 's burning of sacrificial v1ctm1s to the fire god, her followers understand, support, and carry out her wishes. · We often th ink of heroes as people who inspire, show great leadership, or have character strengths-and for good reason. Research shows that heroes are often leaders13 and often share some combination of the following "eight great traits": smart, strong, resilient, selfless, caring, charismatic, reliable, and inspiring.14 It's unusual for a hero to possess all eight of these characteristics, but most heroes have some of them. Many of these traits are widely studied in the field of positive psychology. The Values in Action (VIA) Inventory of Strengths 15 is a classification comprising 24 character strengths that fall within six broad virtue categories: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Charac­ ter strengths are the positive components of our psychological landscape. Let's examine Jon's character strengths, using the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths as a guide, and see what we learn about him. Wisdom Wisdom is a form of cognitive strength made up of creativity, cur~osity, judgment, love oflearning, and perspective,16 rn°st of which Jon Snow epitomizes. • While creativity· · 1s· probably not the first characte r st rength that springs to mind when we think ofJon, in fact, he con · 1 · k of sistent Y demonstrates it when he thin s new. ways. to conceptualize· and do things. He frequen cly imagines. alt ernat1ves.· When Jon has a sword ma d e for his youngest · 17 · to s1ster, when he urges his superior 243 close the tunnel, 18 and when h e urges the the Night's Watch to make p . men of . eace with wildlin s t9 he shows creativity. In each of th . g ' ese situations J demonstrates a new way to do thin . ' on . gs or imagmes new alternatives. By giving. his sister a swo rd ' Jon sh ows her more than· affection-his gift actually empowers her to be who she is, rather than who society tells her to be. When he urges his superior to close the tunnel,Jon . presents an option that others haven't thought of, thus showing creative thinking. And finally, when he urges the men of the Night's Watch to make peace with the wildlings, he extends his imagination to the .limits of the possible-peace between enemies. • Jon frequently uses good judgment, thinking things through without jumping to conclusions, when he weighs evidence and considers it fairly. Examples are abundant, particularly in all of his dealings with the wildlings. He consistently demonstrates the ability to consider the merits of either side of an argument, ignoring whatever emotional involvements he may have, as well as overcoming prejudice. h b·1· 1 k at experiences and • Perspective is t e a 11ty .to oo , events critically, generally in more than one way. Jons . · is a ma1or part of ability to take multiple perspectives ~ th what led him to become Lord Commander of e d Mormont chose Jon Night's Watch. Lord Cornman er . 1 because he valued to be his personal steward precise Y d would be a goo Jon's perspective. He knew Jon reat leader. advisor, and could become a g Courage h that involves using· one's Courage is a form of emotional strengt f sition. Some . the face o oppo Will to accomplish goals, often in GAME OF THRONES PSYCHOLOGY 244 o f the traits associated with courage are bravery, perseveranc e, 20 h onesty , and zest.. Jon .is strong in all of these traits. • Bravery 1neans standing up to threats and being able to speak up for what is right. Though he is not a seasoned warrior, Jon readily faces every challenge of combat. Perhaps an even greate~ sign of bravery is Jon's willingness to stand up for his beliefs, especially in the face of his superiors at the Wall. • Perseverance, what it takes to finish what we start, means persisting in a course of action despite obstacles. Jon's unfailing commitment in his oath to the Night's Watch, even when it meant leaving a woman he truly loved, 21 is evidence enough. • Honesty means speaking the truth and showing integ­ rity. A great example of integrity is Jon's refusal to accept Stannis's offer to legitimize him as a Stark and make him Lord ofWinterfell.22 We know this is nothing less than his lifelong dream and yet we see his integrity when he informs Sam that he will not accept but will remain true to his oath. • Zest is about living life full throttle-with excitement and energy. We know that Jon is full of zest, having chosen a life of adventure at the Wall over a long and comfortable life as a member of a noble family.
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