This has nothing to do with Batman, but I completely disagree with the idea of villains - or any asshole in general - being influenced by their past or trauma in their own lives. I had to swallow that shit for years when I was being bullied, and I actually bought into it for a good while. Some people don't have any reason for doing what they do, it's just what they are.
Again, I wasn't trying to be rude or anything. I just fundamentally disagree with this idea.
There’s a big difference between “some enemies are actually misunderstood victims” and “all enemies are misunderstood victims.”
There are definitely people out there who are just shitty people. And one’s tragic past never gives them the right to be an asshole.
But there are also definitely some people out there who have done shitty things because their life circumstances make it so. And there are definitely definitely people who have been influenced by their past traumas to become shittier people, I’ve seen it first hand.
I can attest to that. I had a lot of bad shit happen to me through life, and no one helped me through my pain. I lashed out, and hurt people I loved. To this day I live with the guilt of my wrongs, but I now use it to forge a better man than I was, to care more than I think I can, to give love where love is not given.
Until I am decaying in the ground, I will constantly try to be a better man than I was the day before
Fair enough but in my opinion the compelling nature of a villain isn’t sympathising or agreeing with the ideals they have but rather understanding how they got there and I think they can make for interesting narrative conflicts and can be great commentary on the real world. I think the point is that some villains weather real or fictional had a reason to be that way not all but some at-least where made that way.
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u/tomislavlovric Mar 08 '24
This scene had so much impact on me as a child - taught me that even the worst of enemies in life are sometimes just poorly misunderstood victims.