Hi! It’s Nico, Struggling Writer. Welcome to another 5 minute Friday, where we explore writing ideas that help me or get me thinking, or updates from my life. Today I wanted to talk about the theory of control, the (now-fading?) dark academia trend, classism, and the dangers of not updating our worldview.
Let's start with the basics. The theory of control is a psychological framework that examines how individuals perceive and manage their control over their environment and life circumstances. It helps us understand why people behave the way they do, particularly in stressful or challenging situations — the juice we want to read about in stories. I’m not alone in thinking it’s valuable for writing.
I recently came across a video by David Shapiro that does a good job of breaking down this concept as applied to character development. If you're interested in delving deeper, I highly recommend checking it out, but the aspect I’ve been dwelling on is how positive character arcs tend to feature more adaptable tenets or life philosophies, and how their controls change. David uses some Game of Thrones examples, and I stan critiques of Jamie Lannister’s arc.
Now, the dark academia trend — basically embracing somewhat traditional and monied aesthetics, think Harvard or Yale summers-circa-1950s-by-night — while romantic for some, sees many tropes feeling a bit played out. Bastion of candlelit libraries and predeterminist collegiate houses herself, J.K. Rowling even sees an Icarian plummet of public opinion concerning her meteoric Potter brand due to an inability to change her control values or, basically, “get with the times”. (Which is ironic, due to her popularly-alleged plagiarism — I myself am a Jane Yolen’s Thornmallow fan.)
But when have those at the top not glorified all that they possess, amongst each other and to the have-nots? An elitist view of education maintains that one must pay for their access to knowledge and even speech typified as intellectual.
Beneath its alluring surface, dark academia glosses over a history of scholarly pursuits being limited to the privileged few. (I’m not talking about your/your mom/your aunt who attended public school, or your friend who signed a note to attend an ivy they’re still repaying into their forties.) I love a good cable knit as much as the next person, but sometimes an examination of these eras can overturn rocks hiding spaces which are still not inclusive.
One forms their controls from everything they are and have been. For those who come from less privileged means, the perception of control in academic and professional settings can be vastly different. The barriers they face—financial, social, or cultural—can significantly impact their sense of agency and access. And if they’re lucky enough to arrive in hallowed halls, they had better experience a positive character arc quickly and shift their controls. There will be no lectures on exactly how, but an obviously less-privileged pupil will quickly be ostracized.
I guess what’s been on my mind is, how positive is every adaptation to one’s own controls? How far should a person take it to survive? And in reverse, what does the unwillingness or ineptitude of the traditionalists to bend really mean? A negative character arc denotes something, surely.
As we grow and encounter new experiences, it's essential to reassess and adapt our perspectives. Clinging to outdated beliefs or frameworks can hinder personal growth and perpetuate systemic issues.
In the context of academia and professional life, this means recognizing and challenging the traditional structures that limit diversity and inclusivity. It's about expanding our understanding and making space for new voices and ideas.
But those are just thoughts. In conjunction with Monday’s thematic questions, I leave these up to you. All these and more would be a great thematic question to explore in a short story, a personal essay, or a longer format, and those are the types of things I like reading. So, if you or someone you know has created or stumbled upon something of this ilk, please share somewhere with me (here, or Instagram, or email.)
Thank you for joining me today. I’m Nico, Struggling Writer, and this has been another 5 minute Friday. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends and subscribe for more writing thoughts. Until next time, stay curious and keep learning.
5 Minute Friday - Theory of Control