Laws of Human Nature: Release of the Shadows in Money Heist Characters

Shadows are those untamed emotions and behaviors. These are common qualities that people are trying to deny about themselves and repress. The Shadow is on the negative side, beneath our consciousness, where our deep wounds and insecurities dwell. Our shadows are the injured versions of who we are. They are the emotions and behaviors we used to protect ourselves. We keep them hidden because they make us feel so vulnerable, but in unavoidable instances that triggers them, the shadow will disturb and surface. They may breakout and manifest in judgmental perfectionism, outbursts of anger, jealousy, resentments, lust, greed, or murderous tendencies.

Suppressing this negative side entails effort; it’s draining to conceal and appears to be a nice and confident front. We must be adept to recognize such moments of release in others and interpret them. Robert Greene says that the remarkable signs of release of the Shadow are contradictory behavior, emotional outbursts, vehement denial, accidental behavior, over idealization and projection.

Let’s look at them in one of my favorite crime drama series in Netflix Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) and find out how members of the gang released the Shadows described in his book Laws of Human Nature.

Contradictory Behavior

Colonel Tamayo knew that the head of the security Gandia is alive and willing to declare a war against the gang and save the hostages. His official command to Gandia was to remain inactive, yet he allowed him to act on his accord and refer this action as self defense. This is where the contradictory behavior appeared. If the action goes well, he will get a medal, otherwise he can address this incident to his official command.

This is the most eloquent signs of all. It consists of actions that belie the carefully constructed front that people present. For instance, a person who preaches morals is suddenly caught out in every compromising situation. Or someone with a tough exterior reveals insecurities and hysteria at the wrong moment. Or a person who preaches free love and open behavior suddenly becomes quite domineering and authoritarian. The strange, contradictory behavior is a direct expression of the Shadow.

Emotional Outbursts

When Lisbon is not in favor of the Professor’s plan to ask Tokyo to give Rio an intimate time together while removing the implanted mic. The Professor believes that this will lure the authority and create an opportunity to take advantage of the mic. He got exasperated and said something that upsets Lisbon. This conflict made an emotional outburst of both characters that open up other personal issues.

A person suddenly loses his or her habitual self control and sharply expresses deep resentments or says something biting and hurtful. In the aftermath of such a release, they may blame it on stress; they may say they did not mean any of it, when in fact the opposite is the case — the Shadow has spoken. On a less intense level, people may suddenly become unusually sensitive. Some of their deepest fears and insecurities from childhood have somehow become activated, and this makes them hyper alert to any slight and ripe for smaller outbursts.

Vehement Denial

Before the heist, Denver and Stockholms went into a senseless war and became the start of their emotional distance. When both of them failed to address the issue quickly, Denver tried to assimilate the series of events — seeing them together barefooted in a room, hugging each other, which frustrates him because he’s entertaining the idea that there is something between the two of them. But deeply, he loves Stockholms and trusts his brother, Rio.

According to Feud, the only way that something unpleasant or uncomfortable in our conscious can reach the conscious mind is through active denial. We express the very opposite of what is buried within.

Accidental Behavior

Rio went to abuse and tortures after the police caught him. Bringing the immense trauma he experienced when he gets back to the team, he ends their relationship with Tokyo. To cope with this incident, Tokyo gets drunk.

People might talk of quitting some addiction, or not working so damned hard, or staying away from self-destructive relationship. They then fall into the behavior they spoke of trying to avoid, blaming it on an uncontrollable illness or dependency. This salves their conscience for indulging their negative side; they can’t help it. Ignore the justifications and see the Shadow operating and releasing. When people are drunk and behave differently, often it is not the alcohol that is speaking but the Shadow.

Overidealization

When the Professor went public via video and proved how Lisbon was abducted — she was held in the police command post without legally informing any judge. No right to a defense. In this public video, the Professor requested an open investigation to confirm the veracity of the facts presented to public. This scene created more clamor to people in favor of the Professor. This is when people over idealize the Professor.

This can serve as one of the most potent covers of the Shadow. Let us say we believe in some cause, such as the importance of transparency in our actions, particularly in politics. Or we admire and follow the leader of just such a cause. Or we decide that some new type of financial investment — mortgage-backed securities for instance — represents the latest and most sophisticated path to wealth. In these situations we go much further than simple enthusiasm. We are charged with powerful conviction. We gloss over any faults, inconsistencies or possible downsides. We see everything in black-and-white terms — our cause is moral, modern and progressive; the other side, including doubters, is evil and reactionary.

There are different ways to face our shadows. Repressing and correcting it will not work, nor to release or share it in a group. The answer is to observe it in action and become more self-aware of the mechanism operating within us. Through this self-knowledge we can surface and integrate the Shadow into our consciousness and channel it productively and creatively. In doing so, we become more authentic and complete, exploiting to the maximum the energies we naturally posses. This will improve our relationship to friends, family and work.