TRUE LESSONS

"The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." - - -Tom Bodett

One of the purposes of literature is to move characters through storied events to find some sort of meaningful Epiphany or change at the end. If LOST was a character study in life lessons, then what can we truly glean from the experience?

1. Do Not Trust Your Own Eyes. The eye metaphor was consistent throughout the series. It was used to open and close story arcs, to filter information from various sources, and to cloud judgment. Many characters saw strange things and could not believe their eyes. Coupled with the inability to trust their fellow characters, people's eyes turned blind to the most important events in their lives such as family, friendship and love. Locke is the perfect example of this with his failed relationship with Helen. 

2. Love is More. An aspect of a character's blindness to his or her own surroundings is the fact that many characters could not understand or appreciate the love or their life if he or she was standing right in front of them. Kate is the perfect example of this - - - she avoided commitment and love with all her childhood boyfriends. As an adult, she only used physical love to manipulate men to do her bidding or further her escape. Love is more than just words or flings, it is committed action. Without a full explanation, a light switch went off in Kate's head that her true love was Jack. The moment she knew Jack was going to die on the island she knew her true feelings - - - but it was too late. She could only re-connect and share those emotions with Jack in the after life. 

3. You Cannot Change Yourself.  Each character had a deep personal flaw. Whether it was awkward social skills, inflated ego, evil or criminal tendencies, each person kept true to their inner beast. When confronted with dangerous tests or strategy, they tended to fall back on what they knew best - - - their personal flaws to struggle their way through a tenuous situation. Sayid is a prime example of this when he was confronted with danger and he was in need of critical information, he fell back on his life skills as a torturer. He kept an distant demeanor because of this character flaw. Even when he was accepted by the beach camp, he could not keep his defenses in check (and he had to leave the camp, only to be captured and tortured by Rousseau). Sayid could only change his path when he took the submarine bomb down the hallway to save (most) of his comrades. It was that moment of change, taking life over death, did Sayid have a redemptive moment. Other people are needed in order for a person to change their wayward lifestyle.

4. Power Corrupts. There is a basic human desire to control one's circumstances. People want to be able to control all aspects of their lives. What they want is what they should get. When Locke constantly yelled "you can't tell me what to do!" he was lashing out against his own inherit weaknesses. The want to be accepted as a leader of men is an important aspect of a person with low self-esteem. Ben is the perfect example of a meek and lonely child, in a bad drunken father relationship, whose fantasy is to be king - - - to make the rules, to have followers, to be worshipped by his fellow man and loved by desirable women. But once Ben got to the throne of leadership of the Others, his love of that power base corrupted his soul. With any challenge to his authority, he would lash out against anyone near him. Fear took over for respect. That fear would compound into more and more inhumane reactions to challenges of his authority. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But the payoff was not their for Ben. His power was a mere illusion in a bigger game of life. But he burned down all the bridges he could have had with people who would have liked him for himself, but for his lust for power.