Hey there, folks! This is ModernDayTrickster here making my first post in this new blog of mine.

What's it gonna be about? Well, if you couldn't tell by my username, my favorite character archetype is the Trickster, so my blog will be devoted to tricksters and trickster-themed or related subjects. Now, I don't like to brag (much), but I have a hobby of studying and comparing history books along with other kinds and I'd like to think that over the years, my research has given me a pretty extensive knowledge of this archetype and the concepts associated with it. Did you know ten years of doing something qualifies you as being a master of it?

I don't expect a whole lot of people to read this, but if you haven't fallen asleep or lost interest yet, chances are you actually want to know what I have to talk about. Naturally, everything I say is my opinion and everyone is entitled to their own, but to save time, I'm going to act like whatever I say on this blog is fact. Feel free to get offended when you disagree with me and send me angry hate comments, but I can assure you it's going to bother you more than me.

As the first entry, I'm going to explain the attributes of a true Trickster. Of course I could go on about each of these forever, but let me just summarize these here and leave an elaboration for later blog entries.

Clever, Witty, & Sly
Yes, Tricksters play tricks, but there's a difference between a trickster and a Trickster with a captial 'T'. A trickster as a noun can be synonymous with the term 'prankster', but if you're referring to the archetype as I am, there's a great deal more to them than that. They do use deceit and trickery to get their way and are often considered to be jokers or fools, but they usually only act like fools or clowns to be underestimated and are often more powerful or wise than they let on. Knowledge is power, so they keep many secrets to themselves in order to have an advantage against their rivals and enemies.

Knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence are all things Tricksters believe trump brute force, even metaphorically. So while it's common to say that Tricksters lie or break rules, that's a misconception. Breaking rules would be too easy, just like breaking objects or people with enough brute force is too easy. That's why Tricksters pride themselves on using mental prowess to bend rules in order to get their way because unlike breaking rules, bending them requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of the rule itself. In that, the very act of their bending a rule is a demonstration of their cleverness.

Amoral & Morally Ambiguous
Tricksters intrigue people because they are morally ambiguous. That is to say, they're unpredictable because no one knows 'which side they're on' and thus they're classified as 'chaotic'. They keep people guessing. True Tricksters are amoral, which basically means they have no conscience or sense of right or wrong, so instead they just do whatever the heck they want and end up being pretty selfish because that's the only way they know how to live. Since they don't recognize the rules of society (which is different from ignoring the rules of society), they don't feel or don't seem to feel any guilt or qualms against using people as their playthings.

If faced with danger, they often act cowardly - something they might refer to as 'acting in the interests of self-preservation' - because to them, bravery is a synonym for stupidity. They only help or harm others if it's beneficial to themselves and will shamelessly manipulate words, situations, and people to get what they want. True Tricksters aren't generally human because humans are all thought to have a conscience deep down. Of course that isn't to stay there aren't stories where tricksters develop a conscience, but that's when I believe they cease being true Tricksters, infected by emotions, love, caring, affection, and all that other human stuff.

Egotistical
When you're defined by your ability to trick and deceive others, chances are you're going to get a pretty big head no matter how much you try to play dumb. Because of this, Tricksters are prone to falling for their own tricks and traps when they forget that they themselves aren't all-powerful. Even if they have the power to simply someone do what they want, they don't like interfering directly with free will, as that would be too easy to them and they wouldn't be able to derive much pleasure from their win. Instead, they enjoy creating 'games' of sorts, sometimes in the form of a bet or a deal, so that they can prove their cleverness to their target in that manner. They prefer to give their target a 'sporting chance' and turn them into an opponent with a fair shot at actually beating the Trickster - provided they can beat them at their own game with whatever rules the Trickster lays down. You can be sure that a true Trickster will always make certain there is a way for their opponent to win, though, however small. It just becomes a matter of whether or not their opponent is clever enough to figure it out.

They are often blinded by their own ego and while they usually try not to succumb to emotions or display them so as to seem composed and in control most of the time (usually with a smile, grin, or other literal/metaphorical mask), in truth they are capable of getting irritated, annoyed, and frustrated as easily as they can irritate, annoy, and frustrate others. This fact can easily be and is often used against them. They don't get along with others of their kind because they know how each other works and can see through their facades, depriving them of much of their 'power'. However, they can still respect cleverness that rivals or surpasses their own. This is why when true Tricksters lose at their own game, they will keep their word out of their pride as a Trickster and as recognition of their opponent's mental prowess. Eris from Dreamworks' movie, Sinbad, was a prime example of a true Trickster because even though she used deceit to fool Sinbad into thinking he had lost her game, when he actually won and didn't know it, she still appeared to hold up her end of the bargain.

Instigators
You know those people on the internet that say stuff just to get a rise out of other people? The ones that are called 'trolls'? That's pretty much what Tricksters have been doing since the beginning of time. They are conflict-starters who often don't have any intention of participating in the actual conflict itself. They question authority and sometimes end up talking people into questioning themselves to make them really think. They test people, sometimes with the excuse of 'teaching them a lesson', but usually just for the sake of their own amusement. Tricksters are instigators, doing things and creating situations to get reactions, and boy do they love it.

One of the most common motivations of a Trickster to instigate something is boredom. Since they're selfish, they often seek to interact with others in order to entertain or amuse themselves with others' reactions. They won't directly interfere in someone's affairs because they believe that the more convoluted their subterfuge is, the greater an example the feat would be of their cleverness if they can manage to pull it off. Furthermore, it's also a form of defense because the more complex their plans are and the more subtle their actions to set things in motion, the harder it is for their targets to comprehend their plans and track their actions back to them.

Walking Contradictions
They are known as wise fools, anti-heros, and all number of other contradictory things, but the truth is that they are hard to define because part of their attraction is the defiance of classification and analysis itself. I mentioned the term 'anti-hero' because I came across it in my research, but I don't think even that is an accurate word to describe them because it still suggests they're a hero of some sort. The way I see it, they are the in-between of what Westerners call 'good' and 'evil'. In fact, Tricksters have more in common with you and me than any hero or villain. Many actually consider them villains or evil because their actions are often selfish, but isn't that human nature? Does that mean everyone is a villain by default? It's a shame how easily people forget the world isn't divided into pure black and white.

Tricksters defy dualities and blur the lines between them. They are walking contradictions because they are both clever and foolish, heroic and villainous, givers and takers, a duper of others while also duped themselves. They may not know the difference between good or evil, but they commit deeds characteristic of both. Order implies chaos and cannot exist without it just as things are defined by what they are just as much as what they are not. With this concept, Tricksters can do practically anything they choose. They believe all things are changeable and that, if looked at with the proper perspective or perception, anything can be made possible. This is how they twist words and invert situations as they are so renowned for doing. While many are often literal shapeshifters, their true power is probably their ability to shift their perspectives to see things in a way that suits their desires and goals. To them, nothing is impossible, because even if something seems to be one way in reality, if they manage to change the whole world's perception to see a different truth, reality becomes inconsequential.

That's all for this post! Thanks for reading and I hope you stay tuned for more blog updates!

This is ModernDayTrickster signing off for now~