Mammalian brain · Storytelling & Archetypes
The Martyr Archetype
Framing a leader's sacrifices as proof of devotion so that questioning their decisions feels like ingratitude; the suffering becomes the argument.
An everyday example
'I haven't taken a salary in two years' as a response to a strategy critique.
What it can cost you
Deferring to sacrifice rather than to judgment; competence conflated with cost paid.
Warning signs
- I feel ungrateful for asking.
- The answer was about their suffering.
One thing to do
Honour the sacrifice separately and evaluate the decision on its own; effort is not evidence.
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