Psychology of Having People Die For You

[Valyndriel]

I'm writing a character who is an important political figure in a military conflict and is going to have to come to terms with people dying for her. E.g. bodyguards, members of a rescue team, starfighter escorts, collateral victims of attempts on her life...

Has anyone read anything about this process that might help me get into the mindset? My google skills are not getting me results. She is definitely not a soldier herself.

[Life in Color]

Maybe try checking out the psychology of being close protection.

That might help?

[Inkidu]

Guilt is generally the emotion associated with someone in this position. Survivor's guilt and guilt associated with the power over such people (even if it comes indirectly by having them assigned to protection detail).

[Chewy]

Inkidu is very right about the survivor's guilt. A friend of mine was in the military and fought in Iraq and him and a few guys in his crew survived some sort of explosion because he like burrowed under a bunch of bodies and he has horrible survivors guilt (I mean along with PTSD) but he often talks about how it should have been him, not them.

I've been watching Gotham and they talk about that a lot. Bruce convinces characters to help him and they get hurt and/or die in the process and he often battles that.

If it helps, check websites that have forums that aim for helping people struggling with mental disorders and/or PTSD. I used to be apart of one because of PTSD but for the life of me I can't remember the website! But anyways, if you're serious about it, you could easily join and ask for their input. I used to love talking to others about my emotions and things I felt. They're usually pretty amazing at helping and giving input as long as you're not trying to mock or hurt them in any way.

Good luck with your research!

[Eye of Horus]

On the flip side, bear in mind that if the casualties are not people that the character knew closely, then the lack of connection might make it comparatively easier for her to get over it, or to rationalise it away.

If she’s the empathetic type, then this might lead to the character worrying why she doesn’t care as much as she feels she should.

Or it might even lead to her feeling terrible when she is confronted with the much more obvious grief of someone who did know the victim, and has to try and answer their question of “Why did he / she have to die?”

[Mathim]

There's a manga, One Piece, where a very powerful crime lord has a whole inner circle of close followers who would die for him. It's not exactly fleshed out but the underlying message is they believe he's some kind of destined being, so there could be a superstitious component behind it, like a brand of religious fanaticism.

[Captain Maltese]

There are a number of parameters and variations here. PIQ=person in question

- they die beside the PIQ. Which creates questions like 'why was I spared'

- they die in the PIQ's place, but randomly. Someone takes a cab PIQ was supposed to get, and promptly gets killed. "I was supposed to die there!"

- they willingly die for the PIQ, but incidentally. Like a rescue worker losing his own life getting someone out of a burning bus. "He died because of me!"

- they willingly die for the PIQ, by choice. "They have knives! You run, I will delay them" said by someone who knows they could get away if they ran, but then PIQ would die. Then there will be "he sacrificed himself for me! I am not worthy!"

- and then the trickier one; they die for the cause they share with PIQ. "Sparta!" Then there will be "he sacrificed himself so I could make a difference. Or did he also sacrifice himself... for me?"

Every modern world leader has a group of personal guards. If there is a shot fired, their job is to protect their leader with their bodies. They know it and so does the leader. Try to think of ANY modern leader that would be burdened with grief if there is an attack and one of their guards are maimed or killed. Then try to think of any modern leader whose guards are there for idealism and loyalty to the leader, rather than to the paycheck and the pension. The leader gets new guards as necessary, the guards will keep their jobs even if a new leader is elected.

[Heathcliff Moors]

I think it would depend a lot on the person who is being rescued/saved. If your character is a political type than chances are they will be colder, more pragmatic and even ruthless in regards to the job being done and the cause they are fighting for. Someone like that might just chalk it up to the cost of doing business and leave it that.

Keeping in mind that given there is a conflict people would be dying all the time anyway.

In that situation you wouldn't be able to get too broody or emotional about the whole thing because it would stop you being able to make hard decisions and doing your job.