Avengers: Endgame is coming, and everyone is getting ready for the greatest cinematic bash of the year. True Marvel fans -and even the fringe ones- have had to forcibly watch Captain Marvel inspite of it being a second-grade movie just because it contains major plot points for Endgame. However, there are some who are preparing to spoil the fun with ‘spoilers’. Who are these people? Where do they come from?
Sitting in the cafeteria, I came across an issue which not only aims to scar not only my Marvel fandom but also several movies and TV series which have become a religion of their own. The one and only holy commandment in movies’ and TV series’ watching is that spoilers are a strict no-no. People who give spoilers think of them as notorious forces who are born to liberate people from their love of inanimate and fictional objects. However, the people on the receiving end have nothing but disdain for them.
The broad question, however, is why do people hate spoilers inspite of them having no long-term or even remotely detrimental effect on their life. The answer I’m afraid lies far more rooted in the human psyche than people would like to think. Humans as conscious beings have a need to control their environment; the proof of which are the towering buildings and a habit to implement law and order when we dwell together in communities. However, beneath this basic instinct lies a high-level need for recognition in society; to not seem ordinary. People watching Game of Thrones or Marvel movies consider themselves unique and different than those who don’t because they are privy to information nobody else is. This sense of being part of a supposed secret makes them a community which has its own rules.
The cake is ready, but the cherry remains. Another basic instinct which comes on the top of these psychological phenomena -and is the cause of the aggression against spoilers- is the reward for effort. When you are anticipating an event for a year, or even more, you have not only put effort and time into it, you have invested into it emotionally. And if somebody ruins the supposed ceremony you expected at the end of the wait, it not only robs you of the chemical reward but also nullifies your one-year effort. That robbery of a person’s happiness can make anyone agitated, and borderline sociopath. Believe me, I’m not joking. I came close to hitting a dear friend of mine for spoiling GOT for me.
So next time you think you look cool by spoiling someone’s happiness take a hard look at yourself and shut up. Savvy?
Suburban Wordsmith 