Head over Heart

[andrewducker]

Sometimes my heart makes me cheer at things at things my head would rather not.

Sometimes my fantasies take me into areas that would horrify me in real life.

Sometimes my feelings contradict each other in the most peculiar ways.

I do not, for instance, believe in the divine right of kings, in fate or in any kind absolute Good and Evil.

I did, on the other hand, cheer when Aragorn, rightful king of Gondor, came to the defence of mankind (when I say cheer, I mean silently - I loathe people talking in cinemas).

I respond emotionally to moments like that, to Luke Skywalker taking up his own birthright, to all that kind of fantasy nonsense which the rational side of me thinks is ridiculous (I don't support the concept of royalty in any shape or form).

I happily blast people into small chunks, drop grenades on the heads of my enemies, chase them down with chainsaws and run them over with tanks.  Do I think this should happen to real people?  Not a chance.

It does make me understand why it is that so many people _do_ feel a sense of bloodlust.  Or why so many people do support the monarchy.  Because deep down part of me feels the same way.  I just don't let that part of me out into the world.

Comments

[cx650.livejournal.com]

"I happily blast people into small chunks, drop grenades on the heads of my enemies, chase them down with chainsaws and run them over with tanks."

I often find that doing just that in a computer game relieves real life tensions and feelings of violence and aggression.

[birdofparadox.livejournal.com]

i think with Aragorn and Luke it's different than actual monarchy, because it's a tale told specifically in the style of the epic hero... There's a great deal of introspective questioning of their mettle, and they have stumbling blocks and challenges. They aren't pampered princes: they're men who have faced terrible trials and eventually earn the right to be extraordinary....

Aragorn is a damned good guy, but I don't think of him as a blinding whitehat. He tries like hell to do good by all, though, and that's why he's such a compelling and emotionally charged character.

Luke's still a whiny little bastard, though. *wink*