Things Game of Thrones taught me about Life

Game of Thrones, the name is enough. A world full of magic, dragons, supernatural powers, excruciating wars, fascinations and illusions. But there is one thing different from all the imaginary things which GRRM has described delicately and vulnerably with uncertainty. Its about Life. All the stories I have read before taught me that everything ends beautifully. But GoT is the only story which made me realize about the unpleasant endings, that it doesn't necessarily end well. Some tragedies are destined to remain irreversible, that some bitter things always remain bitter, that not all melodies are soothing, some describe pain too. Yeah, I agree that some things in this story do not apply to day-to-day life but they are important life lessons.

Here are some of the lessons which I learnt from many characters of Game of Thrones:
(Its going to be a long list)

1) Brandon Stark

From falling off the window in the pilot episode to being the only character who knows the truth about Jon Snow, this guy has came a long way. There are a lot of things to learn from him.

i) Your story never ends, at least until you don't die. You may lose everything in your life and a phase of your life might end badly but its only because you are off to a great start.

"The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield. Darkness will make you strong."

From the book, A Game of Thrones, my favorite conversation is of Bran with Ned Stark.

"Can a man be still brave if he's afraid?" Bran thought about it. "That's the only time a man can be brave", his father told him. 

Perhaps it was a warning about the long and terrifying journey that Bran was about to go through to discover the truth about himself. 

"My dreams are different."

So when Bran said this, there was actually some meaning in it. Bran is now one of the few people who possess magical abilities. At the end of 6th season, it turns out that Bran is capable of influencing past events and he can change events which were predestined to happen. Also, Bran is a warg, a person who can send his consciousness into minds of animals. 

So, it turns out a boy who became a cripple and lost his ability to walk is now a powerful warg who can travel through time.

ii) Also, for god's sake, don't go climbing on castle walls. Its disrespectful.

2) Ned Stark

Lord Eddard Stark, popularly known as Ned Stark who survived only for 1 season, known for his bravery and died like a fool. This character gives a lot of lessons about loyalty, honor and the consequences you suffer from when you refuse to use logic.

i) Learn to use the word "NO".

You got to learn how to say "No". Of course, maintaining relations is important but at a certain point in your life you have to say "No". There is no need of going of your comfort zone and agree to a proposal of a friend with whom you weren't even in contact for years.

If Ned refused to become the hand of the king and stayed in winterfell, all the horrifying events that happened with the Stark family could have been avoided.

ii) You grow up according to the people you be with.

The is no such thing called as natural behavior. Even if you believe that you behave according to your natural behavior but the people around you influence you. Sooner or later, you turn into the kind of people you live with. The world knows you according to the people you live with.

iii) If your bravery is going to harm you, then there is no need to be brave. You are just being stupid then. 

3) Arya Stark

Probably, the most loved my character ever. You will not find a single hater of Arya. She is a perfect example of the strength you get in great adversity and the magic that happens when you have the best teachers in the world. 

"You don't know how strong you are until being strong is the only option you have."

i) The society runs according to some rules. But you have another choice. Its perfectly okay to make new rules and live your life according to your rules. 

"And what killed your father?", Tywin asked. "Loyalty", Arya said with rage in her eyes. "You are a sharp little thing, aren't you?", exclaimed Tywin.

ii) The circumstances are always going to be inconsistent with you plan. No matter where you are, you have to learn. Learn so that you will live, and show the world what you are made up of.

"Who are you?", he would ask her everyday. "No one," she would answer, she who had been Arya of house Stark.

iii) Fear is uncertain, it follows you everywhere. You are never alone, fear follows you like your shadow and shows up when you standing against the dark, what you have to do is just accept that and learn to live with it.

iv) You will meet millions of people in your life. Some of them will become your best friends, those who will be there when no one is around you, those who will always bring a smile on your face when you forget how to live. But there are some people who might be fake, not everyone you meet becomes your friend.

4) Tywin Lannister.

"I am the king! I will punish you!" Joffrey shouted. "Anyone man who must say, 'I am the king' is no true king", Tywin smirked.

Tywin is the most underrated character, he is given much importance but still not as much as he deserves. He have so many haters for killing planning the assassination of Robb Stark but he did it because that was the most logical option at that time. Although, he too died like a fool but he has so many things to learn from.

i) Sometimes you have to decide, if to do the noble thing and lose or use tricks and win. The world will hate you for that but in the long run, history always remembers the one who won, not the one who lost.

"What have you ever done something that wasn't your interest but solely for the benefit of the family?", Tyrion asked. "The day you were born, I wanted to carry you into the sea and let the waves wash you away. Instead, I let you live. And brought you as my son. Because you're a Lannister", Tywin said.

ii) There will always be some people who criticize you, no matter how good you are. There will be no reason but still they will loathe your work. There is no reason to pay attention at them, for there is no elephant ever walked on a road without a dog barking at him.

"When your enemies defy you, you must serve them steel and fire. When they go to their knees however you must help them to get back on their feet. Else wise, no man will bend the knee to you", Tywin said.

iii) You are not always going to be great at everything. There will be some things which will just be out of your capacity. The people around you might be better at those particular things. Respect them. 

iv) Yeah, this please.

5) Robb Stark

"Jeyne?", Robb grabbed the edge of the table and forced himself to stand.  "Mother," he said, "Grey wind..". A man in dark armor and a pale pink cloak spotted with blood stepped up to Robb. "Jamie Lannister sends his regards." He thrust his long sword through her son's heart, and twisted. 

Robb Stark, another hero who died like a fool. Like his father, illogical decisions and doltish nature of trusting enemies was the reason of him getting killed. But he also gave some life lessons which are worth noting.

i) Sometimes you have to do things, not because you want everyone else to know but that's what the time demands. Not every great thing is meant for glory, there are somethings which need to be done irrespective of fame.

ii) It is natural to fall in love. So did Robb. But there are some things which are more important than love. You should be careful that your goals and love don't intersect. 

The young wolf cannot be blamed for falling in love with Jeyne. After all, its tough be a king at the age of 17 and be at war without being attracted.

                                                                                 

6) Lord Petyr Baelish

There is so much to learn from this man. Seriously, there are some theories that he is going to die in season 7 but so much thrill will end if he dies. He is a perfect example of how to rise even when you have nothing on your side. In a game of kings and queens all around, he who was just a piece played his moves and has already proved himself by killing a king and playing an important role in helping Jon win the battle of the bastards.

"In the Game of Thrones, even the humblest pieces can have the will of their own. Sometimes they refuse to make their moves you have planned for them. Mark that well, Alayne. Its a lesson Cersei Lannister still has yet to learn", Littlefinger said with wrath in his eyes.

i) The world is full of people trying to win the race, which no one as ever won before. You can't anticipate every time who your enemy is. Sometimes you get stabbed by someone you cannot guess, the one who is in the same track which you have been walking on since a long time. 

"Look around you, we are all liars here and everyone of us is better than you", Littlefinger said with his eyes looking at the reflection of Catelyn's face in Sansa's eyes.

ii) You may think that you have complete knowledge about a certain thing but you will never remember some little details. Its all because of those little details that we lose.

iii) There is chaos around everybody. Confusion, which renders you helpless. A lot of people try to escape from this chaos and lose. They never find the answer of the question they are searching for. But they forget that escaping from that chaos is the only answer to all the questions. Those who escape from this chaos are the real ones who find the reason of them being alive.

iv) Life is not some kind of a tale with a perfect ending written end. You have to wake up everyday and fight and write your perfect end yourself.

7) Lord Varys

Another important character who has a lot of potential to change the course of on-going events. Like Littlefinger, he is just a piece who raised himself and now holds the power to save the realm. Here are some of things Varys taught us about life:

i) With every day passing around, some people help you while some just pull you behind. Don't forget anyone of them. Repay and Revenge are the two most important R's which you should never forget.

"The high Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer. If that's true, Lord Eddard, tell me why is always the innocents who suffer the most, when you high lords play the Game of Thrones?", Varys asked Ned.

ii) There is nothing great about being born in a powerful family. At the end, its your hard work that defines you. People remember you by the power you earned yourself.

iii) You are not defined by your size. No matter how small you are, still you can influence the world. Its all the technique that lies inside you that matters.

8) Tyrion Lannister

There is no need of introduction for this man. The TYRION LANNISTER, his entire life is a complete life lesson. He is a perfect example of how to live when you are entirely different from the rest of the world.

i) Your identity always remains constant. No matter how hard you try or wherever you go, its your identity that is always going to be with you. Just learn to live with it and no matter how much the world teases you, it won't hurt you once you have accepted yourself.

ii) Nobody is perfect. Its our imperfections that makes us who we are. You can't change that. You just have to accept it and then those cannot be used to pull you down.

iii) Read as much as you can. Reading is the only thing that holds the power to change perspective of a human mind about a thing. Reading helps you to be alive in a character which never even existed. For a moment, it helps you to forget everything and live in a completely different scene.

iv) The best thing about fear is, when you run towards it, it runs away. Sometimes knowing the truth is dangerous, all you find is pain in there. But in the long run, truth is the only thing which you need to know to understand where you stand.

9) Jon Snow

Jon fell on his knees. He found the dagger's hilt and wrenched it free. In the cold night air the wound was smoking. "Ghost", he whispered. Pain washed over him. Stick them with the pointy end. When the third dagger took him between the shoulder blades, he gave a grunt and fell face-first into the snow. He never felt the fourth knife, only the snow...

The above scene is the one when he was killed. So, the newly crowned king in the north, the prince that was promised, the former lord commander, this man has earned so much in his life. There is so much to learn from him. 

i) Never break your promises. At the end of the day, you will regret if you break it. Keeping the promise is one of the many things of keeping relationships alive.

ii) There will be a time when you will have to give up everything to fight. You won't know what will the consequence of it, you will just have to stand up and fight. 

iii) You can never guess when the ones you love are going to leave forever. Live every moment with them. Make every second count. :)

"Good", she whispered. "I wanted to see one proper castle before... before I..."

"You will see a hundred castles", he promised her. "The battle is done. Maester Aemon will see to you." He touched her hair. "You are kissed by fire, remember? Lucky. It will take more than an arrow to kill you. Aemon will draw it out and patch you up, and we will get some milk of the poppy for the pain." 

She just smiled at that. "Do you remember the cave? We should have stayed in the cave. I told you so. "

"We will go back to the cave," he said. "You are not going to die, Ygritte. You are not."

"Oh." Ygritte cupped his cheek with her hand. "You know nothing, Jon Snow," she sighed, dying.