the psychology of PETYR BAELISH | therapist analyzes Littlefinger

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Use the code TREE for 51% off World Anvil with the link worldanvil.com/?c=mltt Or else try it out for free!! Patreon link: www.patreon.com/mylittlethoughttree Buymeacoffee link: www.buymeacoffee.com/mltt

[@ArtingFromScratch]

Peter reminds me of Steerpike from Gormenghast and could have been so much more

[@emperorpelican8187]

pls do more

[@CCEkeke]

Please do Robert, Stannis, and Renly Baratheon.

[@movieloverfan18]

Littlefinger sending Jeyne to Winterfell was a plot he cooked up and took to Tywin. The Boltons needed to put down the Rebellion and control the North who hated them after the Red Wedding. They betrayed the Starks and a lot of northern lords and men were killed or ransomed or still imprisoned. The population of Winterfell was displaced or killed. No one there remembers Jeyne or Arya from years ago. And Jeyne knew Arya and grew up there. She jumped at this chance to marry the heir of a noble high lord and have her children be lords, her alternative is being a prostitute. Tywin wants the Boltons to take power ruthlessly and crush Rebellion, and probably to continue to be disliked intensely. But it is only for Roose's Lifetime I strongly believe. Once Roose dies and Ramsay tries to take power them somehow it will come out that Jeyne is not Arya. Ultimately, Tywin intends the children of Tyrion and Sansa to claim the Northern lands. And would bet be protryed as saviors to the North at the head of a Lannister army to free them from the usurping Boltons. As for Littlefinger, his plan was to marry Sansa to Harry the Heir, announce who she is at the wedding, unite the Vale to ride to the North to win back her lands. And he also knows that Jeyne is a fraud.

[@ceres090]

Whenever I think of book Petyr, I think of the phrase "Dan, from Accounting." Just some guy you would never think twice about and forget the moment his existence wasn't relevant to the conversation anymore.

[@mrsir2254]

Right? Game of Thrones Stalin to the max.

[@supereero9]

​@@mrsir2254 Or Game of Thrones Khrushchev, as he's known for being a joker

[@GDSprodify]

Wait, you all think of other humans you interact with in Life like this? As insignificant as soon as they leave your line of sight. So blessed to not think like the lot of you and to value every human I meet whether their worth is obvious or not.

[@ghoulishffx]

@@GDSprodifyoh my god dude no dan from accounting is a meme

[@milkmilk2328]

He is also one of the people who had a romantic view of the world, before he was cut by Brandon, like Sansa believed the songs, and the hound believed in knighthood before his brother was knighted. They become jaded after pain of realization in childhood.

[@thesahel7218]

This is also Jaime before he met Aerys, and Tyrion before Tysha. A lot of the characters were like this, the key is to “take the red pill” as early as possible like Arya or Margery. That way you have a headstart.

[@scoliosis9478]

@@thesahel7218I don’t know if that’s exactly the message GRRM is going for lol

[@wisdommanari6701]

​@@scoliosis9478people who see life as a song always get that beat out of them.

[@scoliosis9478]

@@wisdommanari6701 i mean i wouldn’t say in every case, but even then, i don’t think grrms message is “life isnt like a song so you must be a calloused jaded psychopath like Arya or littlefinger”

[@morlath4767]

@@scoliosis9478 I think Martin's problem is he doesn't _have_ a final message like that. He's so busy commenting on how life isn't a song and pointing out all the ways seeing it like that can go wrong, he has forgotten to finish the thought and come up with a solid alternative.

[@MrFredstt]

Petyr always struck me as the kid that grew up poor, loved a rich girl he could never have, and deeply resented being poor and those that were rich

[@MAR10WORLD]

Its basically machiavellian Great Gatsby

[@CCEkeke]

@@MAR10WORLD Literally have been saying this about Littlefinger for years. He's an evil Jay Gatsby.

[@bonbonvegabon]

But funny enough, he ended up getting very rich himself.

[@blueblack3591]

Yeah good point

[@kekero540]

Littlefinger is everything Tyrion thinks he is. Tyrion is actually quite a privileged person even for a noble.

[@thecriticalmaester9702]

I love how, in the books, it's only Tyrion that sees through Petyr's nice-guy facade, and even then the only reason why he does is because he knows that Petyr set him up with the whole incident about the dagger. Before then, Tyrion probably saw Petyr the same as everyone else: as a nice guy who's harmless and who's almost like a magician who rubs his fingers together and produces gold from thin air. But then after the whole dagger-thing, Tyrion finally sees him for who he really is. _“Is it?” There was mischief in Littlefinger’s eyes. He drew the knife and glanced at it casually, as if he had never seen it before. “Valyrian steel, and a dragonbone hilt. A trifle plain, though. It’s yours, if you would like it.”_ _“Mine?” Tyrion gave him a long look. “No. I think not. Never mine.” _*_He knows, the insolent wretch. He knows and he knows that I know, and he thinks that I cannot touch him... Oh, he was clever._*

[@thecriticalmaester9702]

@@blaubeer8039 The only reason why Tyrion doesn't touch him is because Littlefinger has made himself indisposable as Master of Coin. He is like a magician who finds money out of thin air, and he is very much needed during the War of the Five Kings as the Lannisters need money for armies and to maintain the city's defences. Littlefinger becomes invaluable during such a time, so, in a way, Tyrion feels as though he cannot touch him, or rather, that he *should not* touch him. It's not a plot-driven thing (though it could be since George probably doesn't want Littlefinger to die yet), it actually makes sense for Tyrion to be a little hesitant in this moment. Where else are they gonna find a Master of Coin as talented as Littlefinger??? It might take a while, and 'a while' is too long during a war - especially when Stannis is planning on attacking the city. Though Tyrion does send Littlefinger away on a mission instead: *negotiating an alliance with the Tyrells.* Littlefinger succeeds in this mission, by the way.

[@thecriticalmaester9702]

@@blaubeer8039 So it's not a question _'could'_ he touch Littlefinger, it's a question of _'should'_ he touch Littlefinger. Would it be wise? It's something that Tyrion contemplates with for quite a while in the book.

[@mrmcawesome9746]

​@@blaubeer8039 Yeah, mainly because Tyrion doesn't know how much debt there is or the fact that Petyr is responsible for it, he only learns the crown is millions in debt after he becomes master of coin himself. He's basically always a step behind Littlefinger in the books, like he sends him away to negotiate with the Tyrells to get him out of King's Landing but then that's also a wrong move because he uses that to later murder Joffrey and frame Tyrion (among other things). Basically seeing it as an error is a matter of hindsight, Tyrion is making the correct choice with the information he has access to, Littlefinger just not only made the first move with the dagger but also had years to set himself up for success while Tyrion wasn't playing the game at all.

[@rickwrites2612]

​@@mrmcawesome9746I thought the old lady killed joffrey

[@supereero9]

​@@rickwrites2612 In collaboration with Baelish

[@janeway73]

I'm convinced that, despite all appearances, Petyr is not in love with Kat, he thinks he is, but no. He is in love with the idea of her, of what she represents. Love and desire is connected to power in his head, Kat is the daughter of the lord who was the most powerful in young Petyr's world, whereas Sansa is the heir to Winterfell. The fact that possessing these women would give Petyr a position at the top of society is a dizzying prospect. Thank you for talking about the revenge aspect behind a lot of his actions, though, I never realized how mad he is at Tyrion for exposing him or how much he felt used when Lysa played a trick on him as a teenager. This experience would explain why he has never had a healthy relationship to women.

[@apowerfuldog]

He's basically Jay Gatsby, his desire for power is like Gatsby's pursuit of the American Dream, and Cat is like Daisy, the rich girl that he pursues and thinks he's in love with because of what she represents - the American Dream/power. They're also both guys who starter off poor and are ashamed of their humble beginnings, and who became infatuated with the idea of power and wealth.

[@morlath4767]

Don't forget, "taking Cat's virginity" is also a way of spiting the memory of Brandon and Ned. The men might have her body, but HE got that something special they could never get. He still "won" even when Brandon almost killed him and Ned ended up marrying her.

[@DavidCarradinesBelt]

When did he take Cats virginity, Lysas yes but Cats please

[@blackmoonvenus]

I feel kinda sorry for him .-.

[@morlath4767]

@@blackmoonvenus Why? If pushed, I can come up with a sympathetic angle, but I'm curious to your reasoning.

[@mrsnatural2368]

​@@morlath4767Probably the part because he at least somewhat males that claim because he was raped?

[@lukesguywalker]

As someone who was firmly in the "he makes my skin crawl" camp as a book reader, I really appreciate this discussion giving me a different perspective on this character. Always enjoy your videos!

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

In my case, it's because he pretends to be a humble servant, but he's full of rage and darkness. There's a passage in which Sansa describes the way his mouth was constantly smiling, but never his eyes. Creepy.

[@WatashiMachineFullCycle]

Same camp here, I'm a victim of grooming and CSA so the way he treats Sansa and the whole fake daughter thing gives me a MASSIVE ick. It's interesting to think about the other parts of him but his relationship with Sansa will always make me feel gross

[@jessjess23brooks89]

In the first few books, I actually admired Petyr a little bit. The way you'd admire any Machiavellian villain, I suppose: from afar. He was an underdog, beating the high lords at their own games with his own tactics. He kept up with the likes of Tywin without the prestige, Tyrion without the sharpest mind in Westeros, and Varys without the decades of experience and connections. And then the Sansa thing happened. At first, he seems like a total white knight, risking his neck by aiding in the murder of a king to save her. Until the snow castle scene gave me one of the most surprising and vibrant ick shudders I've felt in a long time. Now I can't wait for his own protege to outsmart him.

[@ariellann4555]

I'm a simple person, I see little thought tree and I click.

[@stevenferguson6845]

Its not much but its an honest days work

[@treydefoor7481]

Came here to comment literally this

[@mylittlethoughttree]

I know I'm moving up in the world, when I start getting comments like these on my videos!

[@LongerThanAverageUsername]

Simpletons comment

[@MorsCodefood]

​@@mylittlethoughttreePathos is a ladder

[@alessiodoomboy6192]

I'd love to see an episode about the Spider himself, Varys. He always come across as one of the most coldly logical characters but he's also (at least vocally) motivated by the maximization of human wellbeing, at least for the common folk. He always came across to me as more of a force of nature because of how little his emotions seem to come into things. It'd be fascinating to see a dig into his psyche!

[@lostvarius]

Eh, the utilitarian common-folk loving thing is mostly a facade, I think. Or at least the story he tells himself to justify all the terrible things he does. Deep down, Varys pursues deeply personnal goals, and like most others wants his particular champion to inherit the throne, at the expanse of everyone else if need be.

[@jessjess23brooks89]

It would be an interesting topic to cover, because book Varys and show Varys have different motivations. Book Varys claims he is doing what is best for the realm, but by causing as much instability in Kingslanding as possible to make way for a potential true born young Aegon, but who's probably a secret Blackfyre. Because in book, Varys is also a Blackfyre (maybe). There's a lot of stuff going on there.

[@DavidCarradinesBelt]

You can tell you dont know Varys motivations are based in greed because you only watched the show and buy all that BS. Varys has been undermining the rulers of Westeros for decades to install a Blackfyre on to the Iron Throne, the smallfolk is his excuse to claim self righteousness.

[@MrFredstt]

@@jessjess23brooks89Also that he says he owes a debt to Mopatis. Whoollleee lot going on with book Varys

[@irena4545]

People who genuinely care for the wellbeing of others don't tend to abuse young children to achieve that goal. And if Varys really acted in the best interest of the realm, he would have sided with Rhaegar against Aerys and wouldn't have undermined Rhaegar's effort to gather a Great Council and depose Aerys.

[@WanBelltrum]

He was honestly one of my favorite characters. I hated the way he died.

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

He didn't. The show died in Season 5.

[@mariuslackenbucher6696]

At that point in the show I was glad he died (even if it was in such a stupid way) because they didn't know what to do with him for the entire Season, and I doubt they could have come up with ideas for him afterwards. I took solace in the fact that I didn't have to witness them destroying this fascinating character any longer.

[@lavinder11]

Seriously. It was so stupid and uncharacteristic.

[@samlerf]

KZbinr Macabre storytelling did him justice in Sansa's episode of game of thrones rewrite.

[@jimmyrolls37]

Agreed. I always felt he should have made it to the 11th hour

[@wallybonejengles5595]

Hey! Petyr! Leave them kids alone! Seeing how he interacts with the people who raised him puts his obsession with Catelyn Tully in perspective to me. She was probably the only person the "sweet boy" Petyr was every really vulnerable with. And she "betrayed" him. For Brandon Stark, then Eddard. In a way. Sansa represents BOTH having Catelyn, and one upping the men who emasculated him. I think its about absolute control for him. Never being in a position for his ego to suffer such a blow again. So he keeps everyone on a string and cuts off those he can't. He is a wounded little boy grown into very sick man who doesn't care that he hurts people, so long as it helps him maintain his control. After all. "after everything they have done to me I'm not the villain, I just got better at their game. I'm smarter. I am better. I am self made. They aren't better than me. Why cant I climb to the highest positions and spit on those below me? Why can't I sit in the high castles? Why can't I be a conqueror who ruins the man and steals the woman? (Brandon). Sansa represents the ultimate elevation in status for him. As long as he control the girl, he is winning the game. She isn't even the end goal. There isn't one. She is a means to an end in his own emasculated pathology. Littlefinger would see Sansa dead and buried before he let her out of his ultimate influence. Thats why he is such a scary villain to me. So long as it was him that owned her life in the end. So long as he was in control of "the ball." He can say "I won" In matters of misogyny. women are not the other team. They are "the ball" in the unconscious competitions men play with each other over status. To me Littlefinger is a personification of this. And Sansa is in danger because despite all he says and even what he himself may think. Sansa Stark means nothing to Petyr Baelish.

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

Sansa I feel is yeah, his way of having control over Catelyn. I wouldn't be surprised to discover Petyr literally sees Sansa as an extension of Catelyn. Not as Sansa Stark, the Lady, the Winter Rose, but as Catelyn II. She's his way of having all of his feelings validated. Of feeling like he has control over the highborns. She's just another tool more, sadly. And I'm pretty sure he sees her as merely another chance to write his past regrets. Getting the girl and stuff, the way he could never get Catelyn.

[@irena4545]

@@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ Exactly. Catelyn 2.0, younger, prettier, and more available.

[@aliceleclert]

I love these ! Also I really appreciate that, despite not having enough visuals, you're not resorting to using AI pics. Very refreshing and commendable 💚

[@mylittlethoughttree]

I tried a couple in a video once to see how it felt, and what people thought. Annoyingly, barely anyone commented to offer thoughts but I felt uncomfortable about it and decided I didn't want to ever use them again. My main aim is always bigging up original art but yeah, if there isn't enough of it, then Dave's Walks are always beautiful

[@jessjess23brooks89]

​@@mylittlethoughttree I love the walks. It feels like we are on a stroll while you tell us stories. Very unique.

[@WatashiMachineFullCycle]

I also greatly appreciate this, I see way too much ai in ASoIaF content these days and it's really obnoxious. I quite liked the walking footage when there wasn't anything else to show on screen, very relaxing.

[@mrsnatural2368]

Thank you so much for acknowledging the obvious impact Littlefinger's history of SA has had on him. Too many people completely ignore that it happened.

[@missemilita7]

My read of Petyr's mistreatment of Jeyne was that he wanted to break her down enough to make her entirely compliant with his plans. He needed a girl from Winterfell so that she would know the place and the scheme would work, but Jeyne was the daughter of the steward and apparently perfectly well-adjusted and confident. I believe Petyr wanted to cow her enough that she wouldn't reach out to someone at Winterfell for help. (Rather like Ramsay did to Theon/Reek in fact).

[@AuroraExhale]

Petyr is a treasure trove of fucked up psychological breakdowns; not the least of which pursuing Sansa for looking like his childhood crush, identifying her as his daughter, and renaming her after his mother THE MAN MUST BE DISSECTED

[@WillowGardener]

Petyr is not a psychopath--he is vengeful and sadistic, but his sadism is one that comes from trauma--he is deeply invested in torturing people emotionally in a way a psychopath wouldn't be able to understand. He holds onto the traumas he's suffered and recreates them with himself in the position of power. With Sansa, he feels that he finally has control over Cat--over her beauty, her strength, her intelligence, her empathy, her nobility, over all the things Petyr fantasized about as a child. And he repeats the situation with Robert and Sansa that occurred between him and Cat. Because Sweetrobin fantasizes and idealizes Sansa in the same way Petyr did Cat. But this time, Petyr is in control, Petyr can poison and manipulate the Lord of the Vale. I think he does similar things with Jeyne and Lysa, torturing them sexually and using them to advance his position. He uses power to try to cope with his insecurity, like most of the powerful characters in the text.

[@lostvarius]

Ok, so the thing is : psychopaths (or as we now call them, people suffering from antisocial personality disorder) do feel emotions. They feel A LOT of emotions, actually, so much that they have trouble dealing with them. They can feel pain, anger, joy, and so on. Those emotions are what usually drives them to violent behaviour, wether in a fit of rage or in the search of pleasure through sadistic means. What they lack is empathy and remorse for their actions. And even this is like a gradual scale, it's not an on or off thing. They do very often have a history of trauma or a difficult upbringing. We like to view them as lacking any kind of emotion as a way of dehumanizing them. Because when someone does something terrible, we prefer to label them a monster, or just call them mad like it's an insult. It's more comfortable thinking we're nothing like them. Except it's not true. We're all human beings. Plenty of very sane people do terrible stuff. Plenty of "psychopaths" never harm anyone.

[@edmann1820]

The other thing with ASPD is that they will have an acute knowledge of other people's emotions. You must be able to recognise emotions in order to manipulate them. I don't think there's anything in the text that suggests he isn't a psychopath. It's more like you can't say he is definitely a psychopath.

[@TealWolf26]

He's emotionally stunted and repressed. Boxed into a caricature of his own creation.

[@CosmicPhilosopher]

Excellent video. Martin has such skill at building deep, complicated characters. The story and the world-building are top notch, but it's his characters that really elevate these books.

[@CCEkeke]

Littlefinger always struck me as an evil Jay Gatsby, especially when you factor in his lifelong obsession with Catelyn Stark and his impoverished upbringing. And I agree with you how Littlefinger took Tyrion playing him personally and used the Purple Wedding as a chance at payback. A very important aspect of Littlefinger's ascension was Lysa. Petyr used her to get a lowly job in the Vale under Jon Arryn and rise up the rankings. Lysa was Petyr's benefactor and puppet for as long as he needed her, which included using her to spark a war between the Starks and the Lannisters.

[@AngDevigne]

"Let's watch a train move across water and then discuss his childhood." Is just the best quote lol Thank you.

[@PinkGrapefruit22]

I used to be one of those people who believed that Petyr had some master plan to take over the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands as revenge against the families he feels slighted him. However, I've now come around to your way of thinking that, while he may have some vague idea of revenge driving him, he's confused about what he truly wants. He himself doesn't know what the goal is because everything he's doing is about trying to patch up this gaping wound of his past trauma and he's throwing everything he can at it, hoping that something sticks. He's desperately hoping that *something* he achieves through one of his plans-power, title, wealth, revenge, Sansa-will finally be the thing that ends the hurt. So, like you said, he's just stuck in this cycle, striving for something that he can't get through scheming, which is healing.

[@feelthepony]

if you think about it, the evil anime chessmaster mastermind peter doesnt make a lot of sense, a sort of bitter, boring version of the wolf of wall street fits a lot more the rest of the books, like cersei, they are a drifting bag of insecurities, aimless... and lucky (cersei happens to be dumb as a rock, unlike littlefinger)

[@keturahspencer]

Finally, an analysis of good ole Creepy Finger.

[@mormontsraven4072]

This has completely changed my opinion of Petyr Baelish, he is still a villain, but I have a better appreciation of his character

[@P-C-Principle]

Being in the same field of work, I tip my hat in your general direction. So many people I work with consistently diagnose patients far too early and usually end up causing far more damage than they would’ve otherwise expected.

[@aehlces]

babe wake up, my little thought tree dropped another analysis

[@islaa2824]

This is the first video I've seen that delves into Petyr's feelings rather than his plots and theories of what he truly 'wants'. He is a very complex character and I really like the points you brought up in your video. I'd really like to see a psychology video about Theon! I think he's pretty interesting, and there's probably a lot of videos about him out there but I'd love to see your takes on him

[@elenabantista1920]

Great video as ever, thank you! It's hinted that sweet Robin might be his son really, he's so small. feels like lysa continued to abuse pb basically in king's landing using blackmail. I think Jayne Poole is a surrogate lysa, one he can enact his revenge on.

[@lindenshepherd6085]

Woah, this feels like it just opened a door of possibilities, and it make so much sense! Especially since he sees Sansa as Cat, it would make sense that he projects Lysa onto Sansa’s friend, who is less important in the Westerosi class structure and more vulnerable. I’m not sure about him fathering Robyn, but I definitely think he feels a sort of mixed self-hate and fatherly duty towards him. Lysa might have born his child if not for her father’s actions, and it seems like Lysa immediately starts imagining them as the little family that might have been when he marries her.

[@gracehaven5459]

Truthfully, I've never read the books, and I only got to about season six of the HBO series so I'm always half apprehensive to comment too deeply on a character and their motives / background besides in broad stroke. But Petyr has always struck me as the type of villain that is more similar to real life. There are parallels to real world traumas and life events that many people can still tangibly relate to leading up to his present-day persona. Limerence is such an interesting concept we don't talk about enough as a society, at least in a productive way behind villainizing or mocking it. There are usually ties to significant insecurity, attachment wounds, trauma bonds, etc. Those all are applicable to Petyr. From what we know about his background it makes sense he'd fixate on Cat at least a little bit. She's acted as a sort of cornerstone for his boyhood in many ways. Trauma has a funny way of trapping the mind in certain developmental stages. People experiencing this phenomenon often see the person as the "light" and the hope for better days because they don't have the confidence in themselves to create a better future independently. Everything eventually circles back to that one person much like Gatsby with Daisy and the green light. Believing "they will make me whole. they will make me happy. Being with them will give me peace at last." It's a coping skill in it's own way because the skills to handle obstacles other ways aren't had. He's wayward in his own mental prison. A person might feel more empathetic if he didn't use his trauma as an excuse to hurt others. The SA significance cannot be ignored either. We as a society so greatly devalue the trauma that can be caused from female on male SA. It's even made a joke of often times, and that is in the present day! let alone 100s of years into "fantasy War of the Roses" past. I truly appreciated this element of the story being to my knowledge it is one of the few mainstream media examples that forces the viewer to face the possible realities and harm that can be caused by F on M assault in a tangible way, and appreciate that it isn't a joke. How it can harm someone mentally, psychologically, socially, sexually and romantically in the thereafter.

[@willem-janageling3907]

68 minutes of fascinating analysis! Thank you.

[@mavenous22]

There was a theory going around that the pie actually killed Joffrey, and Tyrion was the actual target of the purple wedding. A lot of people say the wine, and that matches with what we saw in ACOK prologue. But the Tyrell's were adamant that the pie killed the king, and they were in on it. Joffrey grabs Tyrion's pie and takes a bite right before coughing. If Tryion dies Sansa is free, this benefits Littlefinger and the Tyrells, both want the same thing.

[@sweetpotatofries99]

Not to mention that Margaery was drinking from the same cup. It was definitely Tyrion's pie. Maybe the lemon cream on top.

[@supereero9]

​@sweetpotatofries99 But why the hair net then?

[@supereero9]

So that the Tyrells could marry Sansa to Willas?

[@sweetpotatofries99]

@@supereero9 it stayed the same

[@supereero9]

@@sweetpotatofries99 And the Ghost of High Heart was wrong?

[@gaesimp__]

I'm loving the hour long videos to be honest, I feel like you're able to go into the character's more thoroughly compared to the 20 to 30 minute ones :))

[@isabellasmith8894]

Been waiting for this one!

[@TealWolf26]

Asymmetric love/desire sucks. It sheared my heart in half when my gf left me. She just wasn't that invested in it, though I was head over heels. And that was a year or so of my life. I can't imagine marinating in that incel acid for decades and the damage that would do to my brain. His lust for Catlin isn't the only thing that shapes Petyr but it is an essential component.

[@char4980]

please do the psychology of Theon Greyjoy/Reek!!!! he's such an underrated character i find him so interesting 🥹

[@Grandtemplar305]

I am reek 😂

[@AURELIAN-restitutororbis]

You're the best ASOIAF character analysis channel in existence. Wish you'd do one on Stannis!❤️❤️

[@jamespfp]

52:00 -- RE: Petyr and Sex; One thing the books and the show did establish well is that Petyr speaks with more than an adolescent libido because he's not only Master of Coin but a de-facto Master of Brothels too. It is as if the actual source of Golden Dragon power is Prostitution and that's how I'd define his involvement with Sansa. He compels her to be a Player not a Piece but I have little doubt that he's the Pimp in that relationship.

[@jamespfp]

^^ I'd also add as frankly as possible that in the last 10-15 years I've found it useful to define 2 broad categories for "political animals": there are Prostiticians, and there are Politutes. The Prostiticians *always* have a Pimp, but the Politutes have the Invisible Hand of the Market to proverbially slap them down. And yes, I'm not talking about Sex there at all, but Politics. This has 2 derivative ideas as well. First, Prostiticians will sometimes pretend that they do not have a Pimp so that they can deceive their constituents. Second, isn't it interesting that "Congress" is how we describe political discussions at a Parliamentary level, as well as Sex?

[@sunsorcerer]

Really enjoyed your insights and your contextualizing, and your narration of the book passages are so good. The lingering question about Jeyne Poole is interesting, I wonder if Petyr saw/projected too much of a parallel (Jeyne as the daughter of a steward, born of a minor house, friend-or lackey-to a greater noble) and reacted punitively. Maybe that creates distance? Maybe I'm drowning in the waters of speculation?

[@oana-mariauliu5828]

I don't think they made him sinister in the TV show. I think they made him more seductive, which is dangerous. The character in the books may have been ridiculed in certain instances, but I can't imagine anyone doing that to the character in the show. I find him too charismatic. Even knowing he's dangerous, I'd easily fall for him. I am quite interested in the character in the books, too, but I may be biased because I watched GoT before reading ASoIaF.

[@joannanoel4757]

Oh, I agree!

[@grahamstrickland3040]

Sorry for the long comment. I struggle to feel empathy for Petyr. I can pity him for the way society treated him as a child, and that he didn't have little if any healthy emotional connection. But I don't think I had so much malice as I do for Petyr. His actions make me feel like he is irredeemable, not because he couldn't in theory grow as a person, but because he looks down on the things that would heal him. He can't see his issues, and he won't let anyone close enough to him for them to be able to help him. Also his actions are atrocious. I don't think enough attention is given to him embezzling funds. That is a horrible thing to do. It's even worse because of his position. People in positions like Petyr if they lose integrity can create a culture of cleptocracy. His trying to create chaos to gain power is also pretty meaningless. What luxury, or respect has he given. I don't think it's even clear if his quality of life is better. Also his treatment of Jeyne Poole and others, are unnecessary and cruel. He is giving worse trauma to people even more vulnerable than he was.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

I don't think I'd blame you for feeling that way, however I will point out that empathy and forgiveness can be two separate things. I don't believe Petyr will be redeemed or that he will find enough to enable him to grow as a person. I don't think his actions can be excused, but it's always good to try to understand. Mainly I just feel a weird sorrow that he had all this pain in himself and, rather than finding a way forward, he poured it onto so many other innocent people

[@grahamstrickland3040]

@@mylittlethoughttree I think I get that. I do feel pity for him, because I recognize that he had bad stuff happen to him, and that the way he is a product of his environment. I just don't really feel sorry for him. I don't know why. Because I usually can empathize with characters like Tywin, Theon, or Cersei. I don't know why. I haven't forgiven any of these characters, but I can empathize with some but not others. I don't know why.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

@@grahamstrickland3040 there's nothing wrong with that. Some characters just hit at something in us in a different way. It might mean something, and sometimes it can be good to reflect on, but also we all have our limits, and going about empathising with every fictional character, on top of juggling people in our real lives, it can be a lot 😆 Part of it might also just be that we see so much less emotion from Petyr. Cersei and even Tywin have moments that reveal vulnerability. Petyr keeps his feelings and even personality so hidden, so it is just naturally harder to connect

[@DavidCarradinesBelt]

@@grahamstrickland3040 Empathizing with Tywin is definitely a choice considering hes an actual monster. Do you empathsize with Gregor Clegane too or is actually doing evil deeds the line and not organizing them so you can claim innocence later?

[@grahamstrickland3040]

@@DavidCarradinesBelt I didn't mean to imply that Tywin, or any of the other characters I mentioned are good people, or that I think that they weren't responsible for their actions. Tywin is responsible for multiple events that would qualify as war crimes. I didn't say I forgave him at all, or thought that it wasn't a good thing that he died. If put on trial any modern court would find him guilty. If allowed he would be sentenced to death. What I meant by I could empathize, is that I felt somewhat sorry for him. After watching the video on his psychology. I felt I could understand that he wasn't a pure evil, cold calculating monster. I felt that his current way of being wasn't inevitable, that if he was in a different environment growing up, he wouldn't be as monstrous as he appears in the series.

[@rebeccabird574]

100% down for another 2 hour Sansa video

[@Best_Stressed]

Sansa = Catelyn So, does Jeyne Poole = Lysa? She’s Sansa’s best friend and Petyr then casts her as Arya.

[@inelouw]

For what it's worth, I love your longer videos! I would have loved to hear some of your thoughts on the speculations of how it was probably Lysa who convinced Jon Arryn to bring Petyr to King's Landing, how she might have continued the SA by threatening to expose him, and how he may have turned the tables on her by helping her kill her husband. They really seemed to be in a very unhealthy, codependent relationship, and in the books there is a very noticeable gap between Petyr getting sent back to the Fingers, and Petyr ending up in King's Landing.

[@reaganrambles1951]

Threatening to expose him for what?

[@inelouw]

@@reaganrambles1951 There are pretty clear hints in the story that Petyr slept with Lysa (thinking she was Catelyn) and got her pregnant, resulting in her being roped into a hasty marriage to Jon Arryn and him being sent back to the Vale.

[@reaganrambles1951]

@@inelouw yes, but he himself boasts of being the first to sleep with Lysa. In their culture, it is only important for women to remain “pure” outside of wedlock, so it seems more like something he could have held over her.

[@AJ-bf1gz]

Dropped in the middle of my re-watch after many years. What a coinsidence.

[@tiffanyhill-rice5126]

eep! i've been waiting for this one! baelish is one of my favorite book/show characters.

[@subtlegong2817]

I identify with Littlefinger. He’s a person who manipulates and schemes as a survival mechanism. I remember a time when I had no money and was terrified of dying on the streets I was very much like him. He crossed lines I couldn’t, but I knew where a lot of those lines were from personal experience. It’s a shame he never had some one understand how insecure and vulnerable he was. Give him a hug and tell him it’s okay

[@vivvy_0]

he sells off women and children..

[@dragonmas444]

I never watched HBO’s Game of Thrones because of how they treated Littlefinger. Littlefinger is one of my favorite characters in the books because of his subtlety and cleverness, and the way the shows turned him into a Snidely Whiplash-esque character convinced me right away that, whatever the other merits of the show in drama or spectacle, I would not be interested. The way the show went on to butcher my other favorite characters, especially Stannis, ensured that I have never regretted my decision.

[@cameronjadewallace]

Oh cool, I needed an excuse to make popcorn...

[@taylorbeckett9686]

Littlefinger and Varys are THE game players. They may not be as powerful as some players overtly, but they made the game that others are now playing. Littlefinger and Varys were the two who's schemes battled it out over whether there would even be a war of the five kings and if so which form it'd take.

[@igrazm2437]

i loved each of your asoiaf character analyses but it's especially impressive in this one. i think this type of approach is what i wished in the content on the series all along, an empathetic psychological portrait-making where you gleam how this person would really develop in this particular environment. while littlefinger's character is just often dismissed in people's videos, your caitlyn video was really appreciated too as the least analysed main POV character. i think while theres some holes even in GRRM writing, the people he writes are very tight and more life-like than in any series i know, and that's shown through your methods. personally i think its pretty great interpretaton, that some of morally bankrupt characters in the story really may not have this underlying plan for everything, and that littlefinger in particular in the cracks reveals that he often sabotages himself on his way. the theories others have may not align with this, but it's kinda more raw and more probable for the story honestly. my interest in series has been on colder side for months but im looking forward to whenever your return to analyzing this universe.

[@MelUgaddan]

Wow, this is a good analysis from the character. It comes from a place in understanding more.

[@Scooby_Nubie]

He has a lot going on in the background I have no doubt, imagine GOT from his point of view. That be insane

[@Ccamero123]

It was ridiculous in the show that little finger would give Sansa to the Boltons. At the least she was a plaything for him. Like a cat with a mouse. At the outmost Little Finger is trying to make Sansa into Cat.

[@elizabethedwards4686]

Saw the video and thought how did i miss the video on petyr then i saw it was only updated yesterday! Love your videos man! I was just telling my boyfriend about one of them and said i was shocked you didnt have way more subscribers cause your videos are so well done and youre so thoughtful and you have a nice lil intro lol glad im so early keep it up love this stuff

[@jaysheth1541]

So well done. Rare content that focuses and brings light on the aspect of How Petyr also wanted to Care for someone as vulnerable as he had been once. Beautiful ❤️

[@lutilda]

I love this series! It reminds me of the final project I had in my "Abnormal Psychology" class in Uni (to analyze a fictional character of our choice with possible diagnoses). ❤ I appreciate your warning that this isnt something you cna do with people.

[@RikkaP]

I have looked a lot into the" "A Song of Ice and Fire" is a sociological narrative, not a psychological one, like what we are used to" articles. In a psychological narrative people always grow in some way. They make more or less moral decisions and are rewarded or punished for them (if they are rewarded or punished does depend on how idealistical or cynical the narration is). Sociological narratives work quite differently: there people are not just acting for or against other people, but also within a system, in Westeros this is, of course, a feudal society. Those are rather stable, there is not much social mobility, neither up nor down. Also there is a strict way of valueing a person: Value the noble over the common, the man over the woman, the knight over all non-combatants. This comes up again and again: Lady Olenna tries to work within the system (as does Cat), figures like Petyr, Arya, Brienne or even Cersei fight the system. But they can't have an outsiders perspective like we can. They still hold to the ideals of the system in a way, while they are fighting the system itself. I think Petyr esp. has to be seen in that light: had he lived in Braavos, where is greatgrandfather was from, he might have been a lot more successful then in Westeros. I could totally see Petyr in a high position of the Iron Bank. Maybe he can, too. I sometimes had the feeling that Petyr pretty much resents his family because they (esp his father) adapted the Westerosi idea of value while he himself found himself to have different abilities then from that valued there. Also as somebody who is succeptable to limerence, Petyr give off vibes that he feels limerence for Cat. It is normal to be infatuated and to get over it. But some of us just can't (my first limerence took hold of me for more then 10 years). You are very much crazed, and it takes a lot of experience and introspection to get over this kind of emotion. Petyr never had any. And you get very delusional about the other partys feelings, too. I think Petyr thinks Cat came to him and he never realized it was Lysa. She might have stayed the night, but I don't think she did stay until he was fully awake (and her feelings for him were along the same line). There was this letter Petyr sent to Cat and that she burned unread. I am pretty sure getting Cat was his whole game from the outset. Everything else is just a way to prove himself worthy. (not enough space to fully explain why I think so). Also I looked up the ages to compare. Ned is supposed to have been born 263 AC, Cat 264/265, Lysa between 266 and very early 268, Petyr (being about a year younger then Lysa) in 268 and Edmure between 264-274 (dates are not very precise on him, but if I remember correctly, he was 9 years younger then Cat, placing his birth at the lower end of that range, 273/274. So there was not that much of an age gap between Ned and Petyr (but the age was a weak point for Ned, so Petyr would use that) and likely Edmure would have tried to one-up Petyr would be be a lot closer in age to his cool older sister then he himself, that (as well as the fact that I find it very likely that Edmure is not that much of a socially skilled person) might have led to a lot of teasing that hurt deeper then intended.

[@christinacatalano]

Been re-binging on GOT and HOTD before the s2 premier, so I love that you’re still uploading character breakdowns!

[@augustusasper97]

You are awsome. I usually avoid videos so long but I love this analysis of yours. Despite not agreeing with you at some points, you did great work for deeper thinking about psychology and characters.

[@nunyabidnes8625]

To support your idea that Petyr held a grudge, their is a decently popular fan theory that littlefinger was trying to kill Tyrion, and that the poison was in Tyrion's pie that Joffrey ate from.

[@johannvonbabylon]

Regarding Lysa and trauma, I think you're maybe over applying a modern understanding of SA in a world where SA of men is perceived very differently. Considering the culture Petyr grew up in, I don't think him waking up and realizing Lysa took advantage of him left him feeling violated or disempowered. I do think it traumatized him though but I think his mindset was more like: Lysa is the cheap substitute to Cat, the lesser girl in the same way Petyr's home in the fingers is a lesser hold to Riverrun, the same way Petyr is a lesser lord. I think the first thing he must have felt after realizing what happened with Lysa was anger. Anger that he thought he had the real and awesome thing, Cat, but he only had the cheap substitute. And he must have been thinking then that all his life, he would only get the cheap substitute. And that's what motivates his quest for power. As such, when he kills Lysa, I don't think of it as revenge or taking back power from her, I think of it more as a symbol of commitment to his goals. Petyr decides "I will never settle for the cheap substitute again, I will have everything or I will have nothing."

[@irena4545]

He also used Lysa for his own advancement, maintaining the sexual relationship with her to keep her under his control. She was not even a substitute, she was a mere tool for him.

[@wisdommanari6701]

Sa is da it doesn't Matter if the culture recognizes it. We are supposed be critical of the world of ASOIAF

[@irena4545]

@@wisdommanari6701 True, but we should be careful with our modern-day standards.

[@johannvonbabylon]

@@wisdommanari6701 The culture one exists in has an effect on how one perceives and responds to the things that happen to them. In a society in which a man being violated by a woman is inconceivable, Petyr would not think of himself as a victim. He might be disdainful of what Lysa did to him, but he isn't thinking of it like a modern day real world boy or man would think of it.

[@mrsnatural2368]

​@@johannvonbabylonI doubt that, I think he'd definitely still feel victimised, he'd just be unable to express that feeling in any meaningful way

[@freyjathecat549]

Every time I watch one of these videos of you analyzing a GoT character I am once again amazed by GGRM ability to write this complex world full of incredibly complex characters.

[@nealandkriz]

Amazing how you imitate the cadence and style speech of Aiden Gillen

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Did I? Well damn, I must be getting better at narration then, thanks!

[@ericF-17]

Great video! Peter is a very interesting character, and while he has done evil things, I have always found it strange that many people who can empathize with, say, Jaime or Cersei, seem to be unable to have any empathy at all for Petyr.

[@katywathen]

loved this video and can’t wait to watch more! you have a new subscriber

[@karlab95]

I see character analysis from Little Thought tree, and I click. These have been so good and very interesting! I'm making my way through the books slowly, and the insight in these is really interesting as someone who just watched the show 👀✨

[@aditya9155]

"Don’t fight in the North, nor in the south. Fight every battle everywhere always in your mind. Everyone is your enemy, and everyone is your friend. Every possible series of events is happening all at once. Live that way and nothing will surprise you." ~PB I just loved this!

[@mike34856]

Very interesting content, thanks for uploading this!

[@wikipediaintellectual7088]

Wow, he's such a better character in the books. And your impressions of him and the other characters were spot on.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Ah thanks!

[@Rhaenarys]

I personally like these long videos. Might take me a min to get to, but do love them.

[@gracehaven5459]

Appreciate including the point that even if it HAD been Catelyn, it would have still constituted SA because he was unable to consent!

[@Mopark25]

I stumbled across your comment on a Good Will Hunting video and it lead me here. Very glad I did!

[@mylittlethoughttree]

It's crazy how one random youtube comment changed my life!

[@liaml.e.5964]

I really really hope you make one for Varys. He's my all time favourite character from the books. A Spider through and through, whose schemes outpace anyone's ability to understand them.

[@MarcelPirosca]

wonderful video, thank you! could've watched 2 hours of this really.

[@miracle7251]

Jayne is my favorite character thank you so much for mentioning her

[@yggdrasil2]

This video summed up: "I'm rather confused."

[@sophiemichel8045]

I find it very telling, that Martin calls Petyr a little boy. A lot of people would say, that at 13-15 you’re already a young adult and becoming a man. That’s not true though. Yes, you want to be taken more serious as a teenager and should you look older, people will treat you accordingly, most of the time. But at 15 you’re still developing and still in need of guidance regarding all sort of things. So Martin acknowledging that shows how dependent he was on that, but also how little agency he was given. And yes, I do know that he could just’ve meant the time of Petyr’s arrival, but I think then he would’ve said little boy to teenager/young man, though that’s just my interpretation.

[@ResearcherGhost]

Remember a quote from Hannibal, "incredibly cruel acts require a great level of Empathy"

[@efoxkitsune9493]

Thanks for giving enough context that I could follow without problem! I loved this one, great analysis.

[@NotEvenSure41]

Quit simping and go get laid

[@NotEvenSure41]

Quit simping and go get laid. You deserve better than to moon over an internet crush. Shameless

[@jimmyselsmark7346]

Well... it was long yet VERY interesting, I might have to look into more of your videos :)

[@loonie5468]

56:48 I'm a bit late to this excellent video of yours, but if you care to be uncomfortable enough to hear it - the answer to that question of your blind spot: "I cannot see why Petyr does this" can be found by going back to him being abused by Lysa and him being stuck in that juvenile outlook on sex in general as his defense mechanism. He doesn't do it primarily for a rational reason, though he might rationalize it to himself as such. Fundamentally, he abuses the women of the brothels because it gives him power over women, the kind that he perceived Lysa and Cat had over him as they 'toyed' with him so much in his pubescent years. It is a genuinely terrible thing - but unfortunately I'd say this part of Petyr's psychology is on point. Those who suffer the kind of abuse that you described are often more than happy to return that abuse tenfold if given half a chance upon those they feel are responsible for it (but because Petyr couldn't do so directly to Cat or Lysa after Riverrun, he returned it to all the women in the brothels...and ones adjacent to them with a connection to the Starks/Tullys, like Jeyne Poole). It's not surprising that he maintains such a vulgar teenage misogynistic attitude towards women, given his experiences of them in the past combined with his original romantic ideals of 'challenging the groom for the hand of the lady' being so utterly destroyed and him suffering an even worse humiliation. It's also why, terrifyingly enough, he would likely feel nothing wrong or any kind of remorse if he fully switched over to lusting after Sansa from Cat. After all...in his mind, if the mother couldn't give him what he was seeking, then her daughter would. And as you noted - these kinds of moves look like destined to backfire, and of course they are - because Petyr's weakness, funnily enough, is also Sansa. He will take the most ill-advised risks with her in mind...and if anything could expose him and be his doom, it would definitely be Sansa managing to get the better of him as she is one of the few to see him for what he is.

[@SporkyMcFly]

The problem with Jeyne Poole is that she was the only girl they had access to that knew enough about the Starks to play Arya. Training another child would still need her insight, so it seems simpler to just use her.

[@pensive7676]

the littlefinger impression was spot-on lolol

[@bornagainreader]

3:14 - I am so glad you mentioned this scene. Yes, it was an awesome, memorable scene. I loved Cersei's comeback and delivery, but Petyr was an idiot to do this. He should've known better.

[@boogitywoogity248]

This cycle of trauma actually makes the shows unexplainable action of her being given to the Bolton’s make sense. He finally comes out with it and wants her, his second cat, the chance to do things right this time, and at that moment of triumph for him, Sansa will reject him, unfortunately repeating the cycle for him, and he’ll handle that by making her make the same mistake he views Cat as making, Cat died because she chose the wrong man. He’ll make the second cat have the worst possible husband in Westeros just to make sure she gets what she deserves. From that reading, giving her to Ramsay makes sense, he pretends to forgive her for the no, makes it seem as if like her father he’ll find her a northern lord to help her rule etc, to make it up for her, and then marries her off to a union sure to see her suffer and die.

[@cemiller]

Thanks for the ad. I was trying to remember what the website was while i was working on some writing stuff and for the life of me couldn't

[@AkiraSpikes]

Now I understand him bettah. Thank you for that.

[@conors4430]

He plays the perfect boring bureaucrat well. Somebody that seemingly has very little interest in anything but pleasing the big fish at the table, while he’s nibbling away at everybody.

[@DavidCarradinesBelt]

Petyr is like Cersei for me, yes they had trauma but due to their actions overtime they get zero sympathy or empathy from me.

[@314oclock7]

wooo this is gonna be so fun to watch, I'm excited!

[@abiwhipkey324]

To me, his treatment of Jeyne isn't surprising based on his treatment of the girls in his service at brothels. He's a planner for sure, so when the people he perceives as beneath him don't play their part I could see that severely agitating him and giving him a lightning rod of sorts for the treatment he received being "beneath" other high born lords.

[@gracehaven5459]

"I dont want to give the impression that therapy is someone magically psychoanalyses everything about you" don't lie to the people! That's precisely what it is! Just last week my therapist told me my motive was food driven, and my character alignment was Chaotic Neutral

[@bonanzatv3424]

Love your videos! ❤ Excited for what's to come 😊

[@marcelac13]

Loving your channel! Subscribed. Game of Thrones has such rich characters, great to see people still talking about despite the show. Would love your view on the keepers of the faith such as Melissandre and High Sparrow. Thanks!

[@wallybarry4511]

I have spent years trying to phrase how I feel about the games we men play (strive to not, I swear there’s an instinct to do so that requires constant effort to resist) however you have a single sentence that sums it up beautifully. I am going to be using it in the future to explain my stance to my male friends.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Oh I did? What sentence was it?

[@AURELIAN-restitutororbis]

TIL I really relate to Petyr Baelish actually. Wow

[@deathbywords]

Brilliant analysis & video. Thank you.

[@eszterbalogh5252]

This video was anoher great one. I hope we get a video on Euron soon.

[@anthonyjohnson6199]

Wow, you made me feel for LittleFinger. You're pretty good.

[@carnagecookie]

I am begging for a Stannis video, would LOVE to hear your thoughts on him.