Philosophy of a King


In light of a recently acquired fandom for the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones, I thought it would be interesting to tackle a topic that came to mind as I am learning more and more about the show. Wherever you are on the spectrum; at one end are the "die hard" fans, and at the other end are the innocent bystanders that know absolutely nothing about the show, allow me to give you a little hint as to what I have gained thus far.

The reason for the title of the television series is because the Iron Throne (pictured above) is what has most of the characters in the series perseverant, determined, and even obsessed. It is what everyone is fighting for. Rule over the land, and victory over their enemies. Whosoever wears a crown on their head and sits on the Iron Throne be who makes all the rules. Their words shall become law and their judgment to be what is best for the world. If you are the ruler of the seven kingdoms, you have the whole world hanging on every word you say. However, that is not without a price to pay. If you've been paying attention for the past six years, everyone who sits in that chair turns up dead.

In my opinion, the reason for that is because everyone who has been named king or queen is most likely evil. Want proof of this, look up King Joffrey. See if his death doesn't convince you that the bill always comes to those who don't pay for their crimes. This, however, is true to the extent in the orchestrated world of television programming. Anyway, in this series, everyone who has a shred of claim to rule makes it their life's ambition to one day sit upon the Iron Throne. All of the main characters are followed through their individual journies and will do so until the very end. This being said, sparked my imagination as most great fantasy television shows and movies do.

What if I were a king? What if I lived in a world where I wore a crown on my head, sat on a throne, and had multitudes upon multitudes of people living their lives according to the laws and regulations that I set into stone? What if I were a great warrior that either won his way or inherited his way to the throne? What kind of King would I be? I've thought it through plenty, and I have imagined this type of thing before. Less often now that I am older, therefore imagining it a lot when I was young. Now, I have a better understanding of what it means to be a leader and a ruler. However, since it is more common today to be a leader than it is to be a king or any other kind of ruler, I will specifically focus on that. Being a leader through the context of being a King or a President. If I lived in a world where I sat upon a throne with a crown on my head, what would I do and what kind of leader would I be?

In Game of Thrones, the popular favorite to attain the Iron Throne by the fans of the show is Daenerys Targaryen (the beautiful Emilia Clarke). She is the silver haired heroine of the series, who despite the evil connotation that plagues the Iron Throne, is the hope for good in the world. Mind you, the series does expose her flaws, as well as her savagery that could have been avoided if she chose to. I say this to state that she is by no means "perfect" at what she does and how she does it. However, she does provide a sense of benevolence to contrast the corrupt and seemingly evil characters of the series. As far as the fans are concerned, Daenerys is probably the favorite because she is always accompanied by her three, very large dragons. Hence why she won the nickname "Mother of Dragons".

So what would my nicknames be? King Noah "The Humble"? King Noah "The Negotiator of All Men"? King Noah "The Kindhearted"? King Noah "The Wise"? Or how about King Noah "Master of The Sword"? The last one would probably work the best because in the world of Game of Thrones, I would travel the world to learn from great instructors and teachers in the art of sword fighting.

While on the subject of nicknames, another that Daenerys acquired, that I find the most remarkable is "Breaker of Chains". She earned this nickname by going to various kingdoms and freeing the slaves among many other things. This is what grew her support with the common people and what makes her so relatable to me personally. If I were a ruler over a land, I think I would strive to do the same thing. To give freedom to the oppressed and give a voice to the voiceless. Not just to win the support of the less fortunate, but more so to help those in need. I view slavery as an illusion created by those in power in order to convince the enslaved that they are under par and unequal to the rest of humanity. Nothing could be further from the truth, which is why I would eliminate such a lie. A king is not superior to his servants. The truth of ruling is to not think yourself above your servants but to be grateful for their service and reward them for it. To raise up those who are below you to see the world as you see it. To offer a hand and lift up those who do not see the sunset as well as you do.

The nicknames that people would give me have to be true of course, but they also have to roll off the tongue.

On another note, when I consider who I am as a person, I think I would only fight out of defense of loved ones and my own life. If my people were threatened, if a loved one were in danger, or if I, myself, were in physical danger. If that were the case, I would draw the sword, prepare the catapults, and make sure all the swords, spears, knives, and arrows were sharp enough to pierce through the hearts of the enemy. To me, I view violence as the last resort. Not something that I would exercise out of malicious or destructive intent. Not something that I would resort to quickly. If there is a way to negotiate verbally and communicate with those who appear to oppose me, then I will take the route first and foremost. To resolve conflicts by sitting down and talking about it is, in my opinion, the best way. I would rather try my best to make peace with my enemies, instead of going ape shit crazy and killing them all.

I feel as though I know what qualities are important to have. It is important to be humble. To be kind. To be wise and pragmatic. To be grateful. To understand that it is a privilege to lead a group of people. To not act as though I have everything figured out and that I don't need help with anything. At the end of the day, I never have everything figured out, and I easily lose sight of the big picture. I will need people around me to advise and counsel me to make good decisions. To involve other people is to collaborate efforts for a good cause. Furthermore, to be a leader is not just a privilege, but it comes with numerous responsibilities. To show love to those who help me do my job better. Show love to my council and to my advisors. To do what is best for others...and then for myself.

Honestly, I am thankful that this is not my reality. I am thankful that I am not a king or ruler of a nation. I am thankful that Game of Thrones is but a grand realm of fantasy, and that the real world is not about a struggle for power...or is it? That topic is for another time perhaps? However, I know that I am better off if my world consists of the people that I love and care for. That is as far as it stretches. Hopefully one day, I will be called to lead people in the right direction. Until that day, I plan to serve those around me with a love and compassion. Giving all the glory to my creator who loved me enough to forgive me for my faults and wrongdoings, and leading others to accept the offer that he has placed at our doorsteps.



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