How Littlefinger Controls The Game of Thrones

Littlefinger is probably the best Game of Thrones player. He has indirectly brought about the downfall of at least three major houses and advanced his own position at every opportunity. In this video, we're going to explore what it is about him that makes him win and how deviating from his strategy can lead to the end of his winning streak. Two warnings before we begin: first, spoilers for season six and some speculation about season seven. And two, don't do the things Littlefinger does; It's fun to analyze Littlefinger's manipulations and learn how you can avoid them in your own life, but don't be a liar or a traitor, it's just not right.

Let's start. Game of Thrones is all about power. Some people like Cersei use their position to boss others around. Grab it. Cut his neck. Arrest. Oh wait. I have changed my mind; she let him go. Power is power. ...then there are people like The Mountain who literally dominate through brute physical force. But in the long run, it is those who wield power most subtly who excel in the

game

, and perhaps no one is more subtle than Petyr. He is the best player in the

game

because he gets other people to do exactly what he wants without them even knowing that he has influenced them.

How does he do this? Well, first of all, Petyr is able to hide his influence because he doesn't try to convince anyone of anything. He may make some persuasive points, but he very quickly abandons the discussion when he feels that someone is being stubborn. He watches how quickly he allows Sansa to stay in King's Landing after offering to help her escape from her and having her deny him. I can say a lot about her in you. She was like a sister to me. For her, I will help you get home. King's Landing is my home now.

Look around; Here we are all liars. Each one of us is better than you. Instead of insisting, he simply plants the seed of doubt in Sansa's head and then lets her ponder until later, she literally begs him for help. You said you'd take me home. You said King's Landing was your home. Being property of the crown, stealing from you would be treason if you told just one advisor. I will not tell anybody. How can I know? Because I'm a terrible liar; You said it yourself. Please, Lord Baelish, tell me what to do, tell me when. Furthermore, once Littlefinger has made his case to persuade someone, he will immediately make it clear that the decision is his.

Listen to what he says to Sansa after informing her that he plans to marry her to the Boltons. Side note: I know the book Littlefinger probably would never have made this move because it's a little ridiculous to give up on Sansa, but this conversation is still indicative of Petyr's general strategy of not being aggressive when he's trying to persuade someone. Sansa. No, you can't make me. I will die of hunger. I'll die before I have to go there. I won't force you to do anything. Don't you know by now how much I care about you? Say the word and we turn the horses but listen to me.

Hear. You've been running your whole life. So why does Littlefinger do this? Wouldn't it be faster to tell people what to do? It may seem like that now, but when people accept what you want because of pressure, they don't own the decision. And when they don't own the decision, they may accept it for a while, but they are unlikely to stick with it long-term. This is because one of the fundamental drivers of all human action is the need to feel in control. When people feel like they have made a decision for themselves, they are much more likely to stick with it.

So, as counterintuitive as it may seem, when you try to convince someone of something and you are persistently persistent, you make it less likely that they will do that thing even if it is good for them simply because they want to feel like they are in control. Littlefinger understands this, so everything he does is aimed at making other people feel like his decisions are their own when, in reality, he is pulling the strings behind the scenes. By the way, if you want to see more about how people like Tyrion, Daenerys, and the Starks differ in their use of power, I set up a Game of Thrones playlist that breaks down each of them;

Just click the link in the description or the white button in the top right corner to view it. But back to Petyr, regarding his subtlety, in the next scene, he is dealing with Robin, who is naive and is able to get him to focus on the fact that Sansa is not safe, allowing him to come to his own conclusion. obvious. . ...he runs north telling Sansa that she has escaped Winterfell. I assume he'll head to Castle Black, where her brother serves as Lord Commander, but she won't be safe there, not with the Boltons chasing her. She is my cousin.

We should help her. That was my instinct too. This is very similar to what Littlefinger does with Ned when he tries to convince him to follow Jon Arryn's path of research. If Littlefinger had insisted that Ned stay in King's Landing and play detective, Ned would probably have been stubborn, suspicious of Littlefinger's motives, and then rejected him, but instead, piquing Ned's curiosity, he would have He said it would only take an hour. In order to explore and then leave the room, Little Finger gets Ned to take charge of this decision which ultimately leads to his death. When are you returning to Winterfell?

Because? What do you care? If you're still here after dark, I'll take you to see the last person Jon Arryn spoke to before he got sick, if that sort of thing still interests you. I have no time. It won't take more than an hour but as you wish. Around the group of men we have. There is another benefit of influencing in this subtle way and that is that people never know what you want, as Littlefinger says. A man without motive is a man whom no one suspects. Always keep your fools confused. If they don't know who you are or what you want, they can't know what you plan to do next.

So that's the first and most important lesson of Littlefinger's influence: when people feel that someone is exerting power over them, they can sense the ulterior motive and resist, but when they feel that they have come to their own conclusions, it is more likely to advance. Because of this, Littlefinger is always careful to make sure that people of status never feel like he is exerting power over them. The second great thing is that Littlefinger doesn't let his ego get in the way of his goals. People insult him, talk down to him, and underestimate him all the time, but Littlefinger and especially the book Littlefinger are no match for these taunts.

He knows that he will eventually raise his profile and create an enemy in the future, so he shows no signs of outward animosity when people swipe at him. ...he flooded the sewers with wine, smashed the false idols, and sent the goddess fleeing. Well done. I am here on urgent business for the Queen Mother. Should I let you know that I'm late? This turn-the-other-cheek mentality at least outwardly is the opposite of what Cersei does. She makes situations worse by talking to protect her ego. For example, there is no strategic game in insulting your jailer in front of other people.

If anything, she'll only give him worse treatment. But Cersei lets her ego get in the way of her interests and she ends up speaking as soon as the faith activist takes her. Look at me. Look at my face. It's the last thing you see before you die. Speaking of Cersei, I'm thinking about making a video about her in the future, so let me know if you're interested or if there's another character you prefer in the comments for her. However, back to Littlefinger, he also does a good job of keeping his ego in check when it comes to allowing others to think they control him.

Listen to Lysa talk about Littlefinger's plans to capture Sansa as if it were something she let him do. Now we know better; Clearly, he was the mastermind, but most people of status wouldn't tolerate that trick. However, Littlefinger remains silent, happy that Lysa thinks she is in charge of the decisions. You don't think I know who you are? Don't you think I would let my assistant leave the Eyrie for an urgent matter without knowing what it was about? I let him go because he could bring you here... to me. It is also true in our own lives;

People don't necessarily want to be in charge: they want to feel like they are in charge and they want others to recognize them as leaders. Likewise, Petyr Baelish has no problem letting other people take credit for his hard work. He leaks information to the people around him, leaving them always grateful and proud to be the center of attention and receive praise when, in reality, they are only getting the information he wants them to have because he knows what they are going to do. with that. In the event of telling Cersei about Tyrell's plans to marry Sansa to Loras, Littlefinger correctly predicts that the Lannisters will respond with sneaky marriages of their own.

For; You're making me feel uncomfortable. Your sister knows that your new friends, the Tyrells, are plotting to marry Sansa Stark to Ser Loras, so we find Sansa Stark a different husband. Marvelous. Yes it is. You should thank the gods for this; This is more than you deserve. Tyrion will do as he is told... and so will you. What do you mean? You will marry Ser Loras. I will not. So, Cersei feels good at first because she gets Tywin's praise and she can tell him all this new information, but in the end she doesn't get what she wants.

And this is what makes Littlefinger unique because while everyone else chases the symbols of power, like respect, titles, praise, and the ability to speak up and not worry about the consequences, Petyr just wants big victories. He has a singular goal in mind and everything else, including his ego, is just a distraction. Here's a lesson you can apply in your own life: if you prioritize your ego and being shown respect, you deprioritize your other goals. Like the person who gets into a verbal altercation because someone called him a nickname, instead of realizing that it would be much better to let it go and continue enjoying his day.

Serving your ego may seem like a good idea at the moment, but it usually takes you away from the things you really want in life. And that brings us to the third important piece of Littlefinger's game, which is that it completely lacks sentimentality. For example, he has absolutely no problem lying. I swear on my life. I swear by all the gods. Let her go, Lysa. He also feels no obligation to keep pawns alive in his game once they have served their purpose and is especially willing to kill people when they know enough about his plans that they could undermine him if they talk to the wrong person. .

Just look at what he did to Dontos after handing Sansa over. I should go back. They will be looking for me. First, you want your pay. Ten thousand, right? Ten thousand. Wait. For Littlefinger, nothing is sacred and that means he is even more able to focus on his goals without being distracted by honor or moral goodness, so in some cases, Littlefinger doesn't try to convince people. He allows his ego to be bruised in the service of his goals and has no notions of sentimentality to distract him from his goals. All of those things make Littlefinger a patient player and master of the game who has won non-stop throughout the sixth season and the fifth book, but at least one of those pillars is shaking, specifically, his sentimentality when it comes to Sansa.

Not only did he go out of his way to train her to become a player, but he also encouraged her to acquire power and basically exposed her deepest desires to him. ...a photo of me... on the iron throne... with you by my side. Never before has Littlefinger let someone with so much power know so much about his ultimate goal and that seems like a massive tactical mistake to me that will cost him in the end but that doesn't mean that his strategies have completely fallen apart; He still doesn't insist or try to convince Sansa and continues to give subtle hints to cause a rift between her and Jon. ...the time may come when you need an army loyal to you.

I have an Army. Your brother's army. Half brother. ...I love you. I have the future of House Stark. Who should the North support? True daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark born here in Winterfell or a motherless bastard born in the south? The king of the north. The king of the north. The king of the north. The king of the north. So it seems like Littlefinger isn't completely out of the game and may even succeed in turning Sansa against Jon for a while, but I think he's sown the seeds of his own destruction by making Sansa such a savvy player, especially in As for his own ambitions, and since it looks like the Starks are about to clash in the north, I'm guessing some combination of Sansa, Arya, and Jon will take him down.