Life-Lessons To Learn From Tyrion Lannister
The dwarf's life is a tale worth retelling
Following Tyrion Lannister’s life through the book A Game of Thrones instructed me lessons worth remembering. From understanding the importance of money to considering books over swords, this small man taught me big deals.
Here are a few I have considered the most important.
#1: Mind > Sword
In the first book, Jon catches Tyrion lost in a book and asks, “Why do you read so much?”
His answer is worth quoting.
“My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his war hammer, and I have my mind . . . and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge. That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.”
Tyrion is a dwarf. He won’t make history by attempting to joust or impress anyone by his looks. He is frankly too ugly and he knows this. Hence, he sharpens what he can and what most don’t.
His mind.
As the series progress, we see how Tyrion’s cunning makes him gain an upper hand in every situation. Due to exercising his mind he defeated Stannis grandly and cleverly and plucked himself alive out of King’s Landing.
195 main characters died by the end of the story.
Tyrion didn’t.
You know the reason now.
#2: Don’t lie to yourself
How did Tyrion grasp the fact fast that he wasn’t worth anything without his mind? To quote him,
“I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses.”
If you consider yourself an All Mighty or get a terrible bout of imposter syndrome, you cannot succeed. Nobody would come to haul you up. It is on your shoulders.
And if you lie to the only person who will help you win, your life will go astray.
“Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.”
Take Robert Baratheon’s example.
He laughed off matters that needed importance. His health and agility had slipped into decline. His sense deserted him while meeting with enemies. He didn’t accept until his death that he had failed as a king and as a father.
“Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.”
Only when you face the truth of the circumstances, you can consider strategies to defeat it.
#3: Power is an illusion
Power resides where men believe it resides. This conversation1 from A Clash of Kings is worth quoting:
Varys: “Oh, I think not. Power is a curious thing, my lord. Perchance you have considered the riddle I posed you that day in the inn?”
Tyrion: “It has crossed my mind a time or two. The king, the priest, the rich man—who lives and who dies? Who will the swordsman obey? It’s a riddle without an answer, or rather, too many answers. All depends on the man with the sword.”
Varys: “And yet he is no one. He has neither crown nor gold nor favor of the gods, only a piece of pointed steel.”
Tyrion: “That piece of steel is the power of life and death.”
Varys: “Just so…yet if it is the swordsmen who rule us in truth, why do we pretend our kings hold the power? Why should a strong man with a sword ever obey a child king like Joffrey, or a wine-sodden oaf like his father?”
Tyrion: “Because these child kings and drunken oafs can call other strong men, with other swords.”
Varys: “Then these other swordsmen have the true power. Or do they? Some say knowledge is power. Some tell us that all power comes from the gods. Others say it derives from law. Yet that day on the steps of Baelor’s Sept, our godly High Septon and the lawful Queen Regent and your ever-so-knowledgeable servant were as powerless as any cobbler or cooper in the crowd. Who truly killed Eddard Stark, do you think? Joffrey, who gave the command? Ser Ilyn Payne, who swung the sword? Or…another?”
Tyrion: “Did you mean to answer your damned riddle, or only to make my head ache worse?”
Varys: “Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.”
Tyrion: “So power is a mummer’s trick?”
Varys : “A shadow on the wall, yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow.”
#4: Money and status matter a big deal
Tyrion was mocked for his short height and was often called "Imp" and "Halfman.” It was common knowledge that had an infant with dwarfism been born a commoner, he'd have been left in the woods to die.
It was his birth in a noble family which ensured his survival. Status matters.
Tyrion came on the brink of death several times. He was wrongly accused of crippling Brandan Stark and taken to the Eyrie for a trial by battle. We can imagine how poorly it would have gone for such an incompetent being.
But Tyrion had his mind and cartloads of gold coins.
Before getting arrested, he loudly boasted in the inn how wealthy his house was. A sellsword, Bronn, accompanied the entourage and later helped Tyrion win the battle. Tyrion promised him gold coins as a way to repay his debt.
As they escaped, they were surrounded by men of the hill tribes, led by Shagga.
The tribe could have easily killed Tyrion and Brom.
Tyrion used his wits and money again to win their love. He offered them better weapons for battle with the wealth at Casterly Rock and let their imagination run in which they conquered the Eyrie. Money matters.
Capital has saved Tyrion a lot many times — those who tell that money can’t buy happiness are fools.
#5: People *will* judge you
As mentioned above, Tyrion was usually mocked by his fellows.
He could have taken the jeers at heart. He could have sealed their mouths forever by the use of his money. He could have denied the truth of himself — or killed himself if he accepted it.
Instead, he remained stoic.
“Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armour and it can never be used to hurt you.”
Words are wind — he knew that. They couldn’t hurt him until he wanted them to. He laughed with those who teased him, adding humour to all lives around. He let others come into the delusion that he wasn’t a threat.
Quietly, he used the best of what he had and won the game of thrones.
People will speak; it is their nature. You cannot stop them. What you can do is to accept yourself. If you don’t love yourself, don’t expect others to. Work hard when nobody is looking. When you prove yourself, the reaction on others’ faces will be priceless.
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Previous issues, in case you missed them:
What Asch’s Psychology Test Tells Us, Herd Mentality and Immunity, and the Virus
Soft Skills Are A Must For This Era: Possess These Three of Them
Other works by the author:
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