Alpha's Ideology - A Bit Stumped to Nail It Down

Hello everyone!

So having re-watched Alpha's scenes, and being very intrigued by psychology, I began to wonder about Alpha's ideology and it's closest relative in real world Ideology.

I am well aware that Alpha's ideology in the comics differs from TV - so I am talking solely the TV incarnation of her to keep things simple.

To be more specific, I am not talking about the 'wolf pack' idea of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc. but rather Alpha's own ideology/psychology. In is clear she functions in a similar way a cult leader would; presenting herself as a 'pure' or 'true' form of a human that all the other Whisperers aim to replicate.

What I found most interesting was how she has a focal point on the suppression of emotion and holding the idea that humans are animals, just like everything else, and that Walkers represent the purest, truest form of humanity in her eyes. That her strength and the strength of her people comes from a form of true emotional detachment, that the purging of emotion from who they are is their strength and that to exist in a constant state of pain acts as a catalyst for development.

So in a sense, pain develops their physical endurance and willpower, while the active suppression of emotion develops their mental endurance and willpower.

I guess what sparked this is during Alpha's and Daryl's fight in S10E10, when Alpha corners Daryl in the garage, she says a few interesting things such as "pain made me" and "pain made you" - and in this sense the two characters are two sides of the same coin.

If we look at Daryl in the earlier seasons he very much acts like a wounded animal; lashing out at anyone trying to get close and understand/appreciate him (Carol in S2 for example). However, Daryl, by breaking down those barriers his pain built, developed emotionally and mentally to who he is today. I can only imagine Alpha went in the opposite direction by re-affirming those barriers and building them stronger to a state where she is in (almost) a state of zen in her pain and suppression of emotions. She simply accepts this dire existence as her only true peace in her current form; whereas turning into a Walker becomes the purest form of peace in her mind.

I say almost (in terms of her state of Zen), as Lydia puts a wrench in her perfect, emotionless, pain centric persona. However it is this persona, a freedom from emotional pain and the hardness of physical prowess that forms the Whisperers as a cult under her leadership.

I guess my question is that her ideology has fragments of things I recognise, such as a detachment philosophy and even a reincarnation philosophy that relates to very similar Buddhist ideals and the philosophy of Stoicism. But, I only recognise fragments of different ideals - a 'melting pot' if you will. Is there any ideology that encompasses her whole thought process/ideas?

Or if not, what would be the closest you know?

Or, better yet, what ideologies out there is Alpha's ideology a combination of?

Submitted August 17, 2020 at 09:24PM by stewarts-media https://ift.tt/3h7sQLk