Things I learned from watching TV — part 1
World Television is at its peak. One day, I’m going to tell my grandchildren that in 2014, I was watching Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Person of Interest, House of Cards and Homeland at the same time, they are going to freak out. Watching TV over the years has not just given me an inexplicable comfort, it has also given me highs that I cannot even begin to explain. TV is love.
I was just thinking about how some of the characters have influenced my life. And I’ve gained some valuable lessons. And why not? Why should you get inspired by only real people? Why should only motivational talks make you feel better? Why only self-help listicles should make you feel that you can make a difference in your life? I think fiction is more powerful and truthful than fact.
There is a dialogue by Ari Gold in the TV show Entourage which changed my life forever. Until that point, I was a regretful, emotional dump. There are two parts to my life. One that happened up until that moment I saw that episode of Entourage and the other, is the life that happened afterward. It’s like Before Christ and thereafter. I can tell you nothing has been more influential in my life than Ari Gold, the character played by Jeremy Piven. This post, will not cover Ari. I will one day, write a book about it, maybe. Or just keep it a secret. The other fictional characters who I thought we all could learn valuable lessons from are as follows:
Walter White: Almost everyone I know has seen Breaking Bad. Walter White is the chemistry teacher who suffers from Cancer and in order to raise money, partners with his ex-student to make and sell drugs. What can you learn from him? Breaking Bad begins when Walter White is fifty. This is the age when most people give up. It’s the age when people drag through the years to retire. Dreams are forgotten. There are barely any goals left in life. He starts one of the biggest criminal enterprise at the age of fifty. Let’s forget for a moment that he’s manufacturing drugs. The operative word here is the zeal. It is never too late to start something. And as the seasons progress, Walter becomes more and more success hungry. He takes his business very seriously and fights tooth and nail to maintain his dominance. Yes, he makes mistakes, and becomes unsympathetic. But on the positive side, he’s the symbol of mental strength. He is so determined that even established criminals fall short to compete with him. That kind of determination is sometimes all we need in life. At least one-fifth of it.
Don Draper: Mad Men will forever remain my №1 TV show. And it’s because of Don Draper. Don has a strict personal set of principles which he will never compromise. He may sleep with a lot of woman, but he would never ever cause any harm to anyone on purpose. He has his inner devils, a secret past, deathly emptiness that haunts him all the time, but he maintains his composure come what may. Of course, he has his other bad qualities, who doesn’t? But I will always look up to Don Draper any day, as far as maintaining a relationship with co-workers is concerned. If you’re able to maintain the decorum and mental equilibrium at workplace like Don, I would say you’re already successful in your career. Don would never backstab, politicize, rev up rivalries or talk ill of anyone at workplace. And that’s why he’s successful at his job. Isn’t that lesson enough?
Marty Byrde: If you have not seen the Netflix show Ozark, please do it right now. It is one of the finest out there. And Marty Byrde, played by Jason Bateman is an accountant who launders money for a Mexican drug cartel. In two seasons, I have never seen Marty lose control of the situation. Even if he did, it was just for a moment, maybe, but the situation crawled back into his control because of how he managed it. What a brilliant character, this Marty. If I am ever stuck in a hard situation, I am going to adopt every technique I learned from Marty and try to emulate him while I negotiate my way out of it. He hardly loses his cool, he barely swivels away from his objectives and is a brilliant planner. You want something in life? Watch Ozark and learn how Marty convinces people. This is the kind of guy you want on your side when you’re negotiating something. Or getting out of a tough situation. Talk like Marty and fly like an eagle.
John Reese: Person of Interest is a show very close to my heart. John Reese is a cold-blooded assassin working for a good man, trying to stop crimes from happening. What I like most about John is how less he talks. More often than not, we all get into trouble for speaking when we’re supposed to keep our mouths shut. Even if John has guns firing at him from all directions, he’s tied to a chair or he’s about to get beaten up — he will not make a fuss. He will remain calm. He is so calm that it rattles me. That is the level of confidence you need in your abilities. He knows he’s capable and can get rid of everyone trying to do him in. But he will never panic. And he finishes the job with flair and a very dry joke. That finesse is all we need in life. No matter what is troubling you — if you have the confidence of John Reese and never panic, you shall succeed.
Carrie Mathieson: Homeland is one of my all time favorites. The kind of thrills it has given me is unmatched. There’s nothing like Homeland. And there is no one like Carrie Mathieson. But what makes her special is the way she fights back from everything. Nearly declared insane, unfit to be a mother, her child is taken away from her, her bipolar syndrome takes a toll on her, medication deprivation, and so many other things tugging at her. But what’s stronger than anything, is her resolve. Her resolve to fight. To succeed. To save her country from the terrorists. The way her instincts work, even if her body is in the worst possible situations is what makes Carrie great. She puts her job ahead of everything else. It is passion of that kind that makes her put everything else behind her and prioritize saving her country. What a terrific woman. What a terrific fighter. If you learn to fight like Carrie Mathieson, you will never ever lose anything in your life. And there’s a chance you’ll get back things you’ve lost.
Jon Snow: Game of Thrones has a few dozen characters and each one has a special significance. But Jon Snow is very very special. The first thing is the warmth. He is not unkind. In a TV show full of assholes, Jon Snow is the shining beacon of morality. A man of honor. There’s a human side, a subtle yet visible vulnerability in him that brings him trouble, but eventually, he wins everyone over. Well, at least until so far. And he’s a tough fighter — as tough a a fighter as he’s kind. What you can learn from Jon Snow is never to be scared of anything. Ever. You learn to face it all. And you learn to face it alone. You have a goal in life or a challenge that’s facing you. The only way to march is forward. Not sideways, not backward. As Mark Twain once said, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. Jon Snow has balls of steel and a heart of gold. There is a scene in which Jon draws his sword in the Battle of The Bastards as enemies march toward him. That scene is an inspiration in itself. That’s how you should face life. Each and every day. One quote especially comes to mind — “The White Walkers don’t care if a man’s free folk or crow. We’re all the same to them, meat for their army.”
John snow understands his challenges very well. He knows what needs to be done. Have you considered your challenges and wondered what needs to be done?
Mickey Donovan: Mickey Donovan in the TV series, ‘Ray Donovan’ is one hell of a character. He’s over seventy years old and loves life. There is a scene in which he’s sitting at his son’s bar and writing something. A woman walks in and says, ‘Didn’t know you could read.” And he retorts, “Didn’t know gas stations sold clothes.” That is the kind of presence of mind you need in your life. Mickey has one goal in his life — to have fun. Having served prison for almost two decades, he is tired of having a hard time. He does not have any room for sadness in his life, although somehow he manages to accommodate it in his life. But what is noteworthy is how he finds new ways to be happy. Our life is full of ups and downs. Everyone’s life is like that. It is up to us to be happy. And in control. And the best way to be in control of your life is by being happy. Sadness makes you vulnerable. Pain too. Once a colleague told me — there are two ways you can do your job, one is by whining all day while you’re at it, or by smiling and being happy about doing it. Mickey Donovan is the second type. And we all must be like that.
Rust Cohle: Rust Cohle in True Detective is a cold motherfucker. He believes that life is just a meaningless journey and hope is a delusion man imposes on himself. Once the above conditions are locked, true meticulousness comes out. There’s one thing that has to be understood with nuance here. Life is not a hopeless endeavor. Not like what Rust thinks. The takeaway here is that life doesn’t owe you anything. No one owes you anything. Self-entitlement is the real delusion and nobody gives a fuck about you. If there’s a goal and you want to achieve it, the only way to get there is by applying your mind, some hard work and great discipline. There is one line I will never forget. “If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward then, brother, that person is a piece of shit”. This quote is basically the summary of all that you can learn from Rust. There are no free rides in life.
(To be continued in part 2…)
Note: All images sourced from the Internet.
