Yes! It’s the inevitable “Let’s write a blog that somehow works a Game Of Thrones reference in and jump on the newsjacking bandwagon!” blog.
But it’s probably not the blog you were expecting…
You see, this isn’t going to be one of those “20 things I learned about from Game Of Thrones” sort of post.
(Don’t worry, #NoSpoilers just in case you are one of the many who are still catching up with it).
The Problem
The series of 73 episodes across 8 seasons, which started on TV back in April 2011, drew to its conclusion with the last ever episode in May 2019. And by coming to a close, it now poses a small problem for some people.
No, I’m not talking about those who were quite to express their disappointment with the way the story ended, nor those who followed the show from the start and now have no more episodes to look forward to.
I am talking about a problem for a very different set of people indeed.
It has been hard not to notice, especially over the past 2 or 3 years, that every time a new season started there was a steady increase in the number of people who rushed to their preferred social media platforms to boast to the world that “I have never seen an episode of Game of Thrones”.
It was pretty much impossible to escape the tireless posts from such people.
Which was a very curios thing for them to do, when you stop to think about it.
Why devote time and energy and effort into telling the world specifically that you did NOT watch one particular TV series?
Do those people keep us updated with a comprehensive list of every TV show they never watch? Do they ensure we are kept abreast of which music they choose to ignore, which films they avoid, which foods they make a point of not eating?
One can only hope not!
Why Do They Do It?
So why the need to boast about not watching this one particular TV show?
It does seem to be a peculiar way to identify oneself – not by what one likes or stands for, but by what one dislikes.
Obviously, the main reason most do it is because it is something many others do, so they feel they can be part of a group. Which does fill a basic human need, that of wanting to feel that one belongs.
It is, after all, something which drives so much of what we think, do, and say.
The only issue is that in cases such as these, they are focusing purely on what they dislike, on what they don’t want.
Focusing on belittling the things which other people enjoy, rather than celebrating what they do enjoy.
Focusing on the negative, rather than the positive.
Bonding over what unites their dislike, rather than celebrating their unity of what they like.
Where’s The Harm?
It seems harmless enough, right?
How you do anything is how you do everything
Where else in life are such people focusing on the negatives, focusing on what they don’t want rather than what they do want?
And how is that showing up in the results they get in life?
“You are reading far too much into this Keith!” I hear you cry.
And maybe I am, of course.
But then again, where is the good in banding together to ridicule things others like, of uniting over a shared dislike, of focusing on the negative?
Surely letting people enjoy what they enjoy is more helpful?
Surely uniting around things you like, things which bring joy, things which embody positivity is a more helpful and ultimately uplifting way to live life?
Who knows.
So What’s Their New Problem?
One thing is for sure – these people now have a problem. A problem which fans do not have.
Because now the show is over, they will quickly have to find another source of things to hate on, another popular thing to ensure they tell the world they dislike. And you can bet the grouping of “I’ve never watched G.O.T.” will be a different grouping from the next “I’ve never watched” – especially as some will find they actually like the next target!
Which neatly illustrates the underlying problem of bonding around what one dislikes – then the thing disliked is ended, that bond dissolves.
Whereas those who bonded around their enjoyment of GOT (or anything else) will always have that bond of a shared love, shared experiences, and can spend (if they feel so inclined) the next days, weeks, months, even years, debating and discussing and reminiscing and generally maintaining that bond.
Where attention goes, energy flows and results show.
Are we going to get better results focusing on the negatives, or on the positives? Just a thought!
