Cheering for the good guy

Adventure. Intrigue. Lies. Deception. Revenge. Redemption. Friendship. Betrayal.

Charles Darwin penned theories that the fittest survive, and the weak eventually succumb to those who demonstrate strength. I am not a scientist, nor do I ponder such theories in my daily walk, but I will say I am a huge fan of Survivor – the reality show, that is.

From basest of relational strategizing to the manipulation and sheer voyeurism of it all – I just love Survivor and have watched nearly every episode in the last 10 years. The very first season had me intrigued as the flagship for what would become a string of reality-based shows (OK, I know it is not really reality, but I have great imagination, and pretend it is). After the first couple shows, I took note that the “story” is based on William Golding’s Lord of the Flies – a novel about boys abandoned on a deserted island. I enjoy the human relational element of strategy and the concept of players working with and against each other on this elaborate “game show.” Right down to last sole survivor, it keeps me hooked every season.

I have been known to teach archetypes using Survivor as an example: every season’s cast includes the simple farm boy, the aggressive attorney who shows up to the island in a suit, the mean-spirited female, the easily manipulated female, the egotistical and manipulative male, the Adonis male, and so on. Producers know what they are doing, and in the 20th season, cast members might as well wear their roles on name tags in the first episode. And maybe this is why I watch. I like to figure people out, find out their intentions, their secrets, and how they use them to succeed or fail.

The intentions of people and how they use their smarts or lack thereof, and morals or lack thereof, can imitate life in some ways, with the understanding that this is just cool television, and not life. Or is it? Does what makes one successful on Survivor gain anything in the real world without the ubiquitous camera, and where it is socially unacceptable to carry on deep conversation with strangers in underwear? I think there are parallels, but thankfully, not too many.

Last week we met Phillip, a guy claiming to be a former special agent who worked for three branches, including the CIA. Now, I have never actually known a special agent, but upon learning a secret, this guy who says he is an expert in reading people, tattled like a school girl and sang like a canary. Really? Aren’t they were trained in keeping information hushed? I am going to enjoy watching Phillip, however, who grapples for authority in a faded pair of saggy pinkish BVD’s.

Lies and unkindness mark Survival success on this show. I sit on my couch and rally against the evil mongers, but they almost always come out ahead. This is definitely where I am going to break any weak parallels of Survivor to real reality. The folks I most look up to in this world and consider successful are the kind, the thoughtful, the caring. When I sit down to talk with a friend, I value trust and honesty. These attributes do not survive on television reality, but they are vital to true success in life.

When the kids were growing up, I used to say that friends are like the buttons on an elevator – they can bring you up or take you down. In life this is true, as well as the reality show. The friends who make us feel good just being in their presence are the buttons who bring us up, and such a hallmark of a successful life – not only having friends like these, but being one – and keeping them close.

Each week, someone who has made a relational mistake gets “voted off” the island. I am so glad I can make mistakes around friends, family, and co-workers in a world where they do not have the opportunity to vote me gone.

Life does not always mimic art and it this case that is a very good thing. Good prevails over evil and honesty wins over deception. With that understanding, and sometimes needing a good respite, I will continue to enjoy Survivor, but I always cheer for the good guy, no matter what the outcome.