What Captain Hook Has in Common with Lady Gaga, Steve Jobs, Neil Patrick Harris, and You

Posted by Aaron aka Sir Scrapalot on Mar 9, 2011 | View Comments

Image via Wikipedia

I have a soft spot for Villains, Disney Villains in particular.  I think it’s partially due to their “misunderstood” nature, something I readily identify with.  when you look hard enough at one of the Disney Villains, you are sure to find some qualities that we find in some of the most influential people in the world today.  Take Captain Hook for example.  Sure, he had Tiger Lily tied to an anchor for drowning but there is a lot we can learn from Hook’s dastardly nature.

• He was focused. Sure, some may call it obsessed, but Hook was focused on the idea of getting revenge on Peter Pan.  He didn’t back down, even when his crew was begging him to move on (remember how one actually died of boredom?).  His unwavering devotion to getting revenge on Peter Pan keeps him on his toes, and always willing to try the “next best thing.”  Today, this is Lady Gaga.  She’s focused on the creative vision she has, and doesn’t let the nay sayers sway her focus.
• He re-assesses his plan. Always planning and scheming ways to capture Peter Pan, Hook is forced to keep refining his approaches until he gets it right.  This approach of “that didn’t work, what can we do better next time” is one that is commendable in some of the worlds greatest thinkers and developers.  Who would have thought that Captain Hook and Steve Jobs have something in common?
• He’s got charm. You really can’t argue this.  However “bad” he may be, the guy has charm and flash.  You can help but like him, even a little bit.  He knows that charm can take him some great places, and he well intends to use it.  Think Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney on “How I Met Your Mother.”  You may not like him, or agree with his “escapades”, but you can’t argue that he’s got some major charm.
• He shows fear. Wouldn’t you show fear if you knew a crocodile was after you?  While Hook may put on a great show of being dastardly and getting revenge on Peter Pan, the truth is that crocodile still scares him.  A lot.  He can’t help but show this fear when it gets down to the nitty gritty.  Showing fear makes him real, it shows that even though he thinks he is the biggest and baddest, there is still something that hangs over him.  Isn’t this all of us?  No matter how great we fancy ourselves, there’s always SOMETHING that makes us scared, something that we live in fear of.  If this wasn’t true, we wouldn’t be human.

No one crafts villains better than Disney.  The more you watch and pay attention to them, you see that they are truly flawed human beings who still have many redeeming qualities.  If you look hard enough, you can find the good in any villain.  Well almost any villain, I’m pretty sure Cruella DeVil is just plain mean.

Who is your favorite Disney Villain?