Be First

[Villain - III]

The villain is an archetype with consistent characteristics, motivations, and orientation. (See Monday’s reflection for a description of this.)

The villain is a competitor, but not in a pure, healthy sense. Healthy competition feeds camaraderie and is ultimately for fun. Winning is the byproduct of (but not always a necessary end to) good competition.

The villain doesn’t compete to have fun but to win. Every time. Not during the race or the game or the match that will be over in an hour; rather, the villain competes to the top of life. Of course, winning at life means beating everyone else at the same “game". The sinister lining of this villainous way of living is that my winning must come at your expense. You must lose, or I’m not satisfied.

When we see children fight to be first in line, when the difference is 10 seconds of waiting, we are likely seeing a reflection of our own adult cutting, fighting, jeering, and complaining in nascent form. We don’t cut in line as adults (okay, some of us still do) but we certainly fight to be first in life.

And we compare everything we do to whoever we perceive to be first. In our race to the top, do we ever stop and ask, Where is the top and why are we racing there? Or, What exactly is the top of life? The villain, without this type of reflection, puts his or her head down and drives forward. Be first! Anything else is one place closer to last.

The first shall be last. The villain is proof.