The Han Solo Ethic

“I don’t think I was ever that naive.”

I’ve been saying that to myself more and more recently. Some of the young men I’ve spoken with are so wide-eyed and wonder-bread they’re painful to talk to.

My life has been so different from the lives they’ve known. As a kid I had almost no parental supervision, and by the time I was eleven, I was pretty much on my own. My father was long gone, my mother was in and out of mental institutions. I spent time in a foster home, lived in a housing project, and had to become streetwise or forever be pushed around. I was a petty thief, skipped school so much I was held back a grade, and I don’t know what would have become of me if not for a little evangelical church made up of salt-of-the-earth types. They didn’t give me a program to follow, they gave me themselves. They were a real contrast to the helping professionals I despised, with their clip-boards and programs.

After I left my home town for college I largely stayed on my own. I worked for a corporation briefly, but I’ll never do that again. I’ve always had my own thing, always relied on my own wits, and always looked for my main chance. My life has been a long adventure. In spite of that rough start, I’ve enjoyed the ride.

Theses kids on the other hand are the most supervised and over-regulated generation in history. They’re bubble-children. I feel badly for them.

I want to help them, but I’m not sure how. The last thing they need is one more program, another to-do-list to short-circuit their brains and inhibit self-reliance.

I think they need inspiration.

The Han Solo Ethic

I’ve always identified with the quick thinking outsider. It has something to do with my background, I suppose. I’m just not much of a joiner. Can that be a problem? Sure, it can be a lonely life. But it also has a way of keeping you out of the clutches of people, and institutions, who prey upon the gullible.

There are a number of people who embody the ethic in popular culture–I’m thinking of film exclusively. They’re all charismatic, attractive figures. I could have named this ethic after any of them, but since Han Solo is probably the best known, I’ve named it after him. Here’s a clip of the cantina scene where we’re introduced to him. Go to minute 3:00 for his debut.

You may wonder why I call it, “the Han Solo ethic“. Obviously, the man is a criminal. True, but he’s not just a criminal. If you’re familiar with the story you know he’s actually a big softie and he’s loyal to his friends.

What I mean by an ethic is the pursuit of a good life. Solo, and the others, are all after the same thing. True, they’re also after some not so good things. But hopefully you and I can separate the wheat from the chaff and just go after the good stuff.

So, what is it?

Freedom

Above all, Han Solo is his own man. His name says that, right?

It’s easy to mistake “living for the weekend” crapola for this. But Solo doesn’t sell his soul for 40 hours every week so he can do what he pleases on the two days that belong to him. He wants to be free all day, every day. And to be free like that you need to be decisive, take risks, and think well on your feet. There’s an Empire out there ever ready to take over your life if you’re not careful.

Ive noticed that few things unnerve the bubble-children of our time more than taking away the script. They just don’t know how to perform improv. In spite of all the stuff about creativity and self-esteem that they’ve mindlessly chanted in unison from kindergarten on, they’re used to safe-spaces and having their work taped to the refrigerator, no matter how worthless it is. Criticize them and they crumble.

But genuine freedom is not freedom from harm, or want. And it is certainly not “free” health-care. Genuine freedom is making your own choices and living with them, either enjoying the rewards or suffering the consequences.

Decisiveness, risk-taking, and thinking on your feet

There’s always someone out there willing to sell you success in a can, or worse, promise you security by sealing you in his can. But a real man can take care of himself.

I was tempted to use, Frank Abagnale Jr, from Catch Me if You Can, but that goes a little too far, even for me. Instead I think Captain Jack Sparrow is to be preferred for the great line that seems to follow his more outlandish escapades, “Do you think he plans it, or does he make it up as he goes along?”

Freedom is unscripted. If you need a script, I suppose you’ll always need someone to take care of you.

Loyalty

But freedom is not amoral. What endears us to Solo, or Sparrow, or even Frank Abagnale, is they’re loyal to their friends. And it is precisely because they are free that their loyalty is so valuable. How would you live if you didn’t have the fear of being fired, or ostracized, looming over you? Well, these guys don’t live with that sort of fear. When they do the right thing, it is because they want to.

Jesus and Han Solo

You know, it’s just amazing what you can find when you’re looking for it. It just as amazing what you can miss when you’re blind to it. So it may come as a shock to hear that I see something of Han Solo in Jesus. Probably the better way to put it is the other way round, I see something of Jesus in Han Solo.

Talk about a man who knew how to think on his feet: the Pharisees were after him, the crowd wanted to use him for their own purposes, even his disciples had an agenda, but he eluded them all, Then there was the messianic secret, “Don’t tell!” (What was that all about?) Even the crucifixion and the resurrection, with their amazing judo-like turn, taking the full force of evil and turning it in on itself, has left the world wondering ever since. I’m reminded of Tom Bombadil’s song, “None has ever caught him yet, for Tom, he is the master: His songs are stronger songs, and his feet are faster.”

If that unnerves you, it shouldn’t. You can trust the master, not because you’ve got his script, but because he is loyal to his friends and he comes in the time of need. And he doesn’t come because he has to, he comes because he wants to.

Remember this the next time someone promises to give you something in exchange for your freedom. If you want to be free to come in time of need, you’ll need to follow the example of the men I’ve described here…at least the good parts.