Episode 229 - The Dark Pull

Often, we find ourselves either liking or being fascinated by villains. Consider how cool everyone thinks Darth Vader is, for example. There’s also Batman’s Joker, Negan from The Walking Dead, and Thanos from the Marvel movies. These are just some example, but there’s a common element here: we are attracted to these characters even though they are villains. But why is that the case? And should we be?

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Episode #229 – The Dark Pull

Introduction

Often, we find ourselves either liking or being fascinated by villains. Consider how cool everyone thinks Darth Vader is, for example. There’s also Batman’s Joker, Negan from The Walking Dead, and Thanos from the Marvel movies. These are just some example, but there’s a common element here: we are attracted to these characters even though they are villains. But why is that the case? And should we be?

The Appeal of Power

One of the reasons why we are drawn to these dark figures is because they hold a lot of power. Power is something that many people crave. In fact, you could argue that even Stoicism seeks power. That is, power over our own thoughts and perspectives.

There are many different forms of power, though. It really depends on what you prioritize. Recall that Stoics aim to live a lifestyle which allows them to flourish. That seems pretty great, right, I mean who wouldn’t want to flourish? Who wouldn’t want to live in harmony with the cosmos?