Honor: One thing I love about Game of Thrones is the fact that honor gets talked about so much

[steve2470]

Yes yes, I know, the medieval version of honor totally lacked for progressivism, as we all know. At any rate, for example, Brienne of Tarth is very solemn and very serious about her vows. I really like that about her. The Night's Watch vow. All of that.

Our current orange atrocity would do well to learn about honor.

[politicat]

1. ... That type don't learn about it, except to manipulate it.

While even I am starting to get a bit annoyed with the long statements of intent the writers keep using (and I love Dany, and want her success), those statements turn out to be useful. (Especially because right now, everybody is meeting up.) Dany's statement last week really applies to all of our survivors right now -- they're here because they've got an inherent faith in themselves. And that faith is what is necessary for the honor to play by the rules and play better than by the rules. As they all learn to recognize that their individual faiths are not unique to themselves, but mirrored in each other, they'll figure out the basic outlines of a social contract.

The other side? They cannot recognize agency and self-control in others, because they don't have those attributes, and don't credit others with complete thought and personhood. (Cersei is a fabulous example of this - Jaime isn't a person for her, he's an extension of herself and she's said it many times. Also, her children.) All they can do is recognize it as a weakness and exploit it. So, alas, the Mango Mendacity would likely take all the wrong lessons. (See also: Christian Reich reads The Handmaid's Tale as Instruction Manual.) You know he'd identify with Joff and Walder Frey.

And I'm realizing I can write a whole paper on emotional development and developmental dysfunction using GoT/ASoIaF as archetypes.

[steve2470]

2. that was a great post, thanks :)

I wish more would chime in, ah well.

[politicat]

3. Spoiler thread, and threads are unpredictable.

I am an obsessive who is de-liiiiiite-ed with the way the writing tropes and techniques are being used, and I'm trying to give my head a little break from our national Winter is Coming, but sometimes threads sink.