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streets-in-paradise · 6 months

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Concealed Fighter - Hector x Wife!Reader/ Achilles x Captive!Reader

Troy (2004) Oneshot

Warnings: Manipulative woman twisting the power dynamics of captivity while her master tries to seduce her.

Summary: Reader is the wife of Hector ( they got married after he returns from Sparta) and she sacrifices herself to protect Briseis. As a captive of the greeks given to Achilles, then stolen by Agamemnon, she takes the only advantage of the situation she has to actively assume a role of destabilizing agent and wreck the enemy from the inside.

However, the life on the greek camp also leaves its effect on her putting the self assumed mission at risk when the persuation tactics turn against her due to the awakening of desire in his original captor. Achilles refuses to fight for the greeks because of her, but if he gets her back he will try anything in his power to convince her of willingly staying with him.

Tags: @thorssweetheart ( I wrote this one for you. It's not completely dark, but I mixed a bit of my tone with yours here.)

Glossary of homeric terms: Atreide - Means son of Atreus, a way to reference either Agamemnon or Menelaus.

Scaean Gate - Name of the main gate of Troy

When your father in law instructed you to follow Briseis for the religious rituals that morning, it was out of the pure intention of helping you adjust to the functions expected of royalty in your cultural context. Freshly made a princess through a blissfull marriage to his eldest son, you were starting to get comfortable in that role and wanted to impress him in order to make your husband proud. His cousin was the high priestess of the family, but that wasn't an excuse excempting you from the obligation of participating in particular occasions that were regarded traditional for any future queen. Desperate times required of commited attention to that sort of thing, but none of you imagined you would reach the bottom of desperation during the very same action.

The prayers were forever silenced with the arrival of the greeks, dreaded moment unleashing the war taking place at the worst possible timing as you were trapped in the middle of a carnage that was also an obscene act of profanity. Despite the quick reaction of the troops, the temple never stood a chance against the enemy. Myrmidon soldiers had slaughtered the priests, only Briseis and you remained alive as shocked observants in a temporal hidding place that you knew won't stand much longer.

You were a princess of Troy, the queen of Hector's future reign, and you had came to that temple under the purpose of acting as such in the first place. To show your subjects you would do anything to protect them, first you had to start saving your family.

Context demmanded you to act quick, so you came up with a risky plan that you explained to Briseis in whispers while cleaning her tears.

" I'll clear the way for you, run and find Hector. Don't waste time turning back, they will get you."

The pragmatical, almost cold sounding way in which you phrased the idea ruined her nerves even more. She didn't want to leave you behind, Briseis would never accept it no matter how logical you were trying to be.

She refused nodding negatively, too afraid to take the risk of speaking.

" Do it, there is no other way. If we stay together, then we are all doomed. There is hope for only one of us, and I rather it will be you." You insisted, attempting to give further reasons to your sacrifice that would make her feel less guilty. " They will pay for this, I promise you. "

You grabbed her arms like a wake up call before continuing.

" Briseis, I'm giving myself willingly because it's the only way to get one of us inside the camp. Do you see what they can do? Traditional means will not be enough to defeat them, someone has to discover how. "

Fear was starting to make your voice tremble as you thought of your city, your family ... your husband.

" Tell Hector, tell him I'm loyal and I'll return to him with the secret to destroy the greeks ... Tell him I love him and I will do whatever it takes to help our cause."

After a brief, emotive farewell she accepted to execute the plan according to your guidance. The distraction turned out successfull, since the soldiers rushed to take you while she sneaked under their noses given all the fuss you were making. The next thing you knew was being tied up alongside piles of stolen gold inside the recently settled tent of who you guessed was one of their captains.

The master didn't make you wait for long, finding you as a surprise of his men for him when he arrived to clean off the traces of the fight in his appearance. Strong first impressions were his thing, he was standing naked in front of you apparently careless for your presence. The spectacle didn't obtain any reaction, even when he asked for your name.

" You will pay for what you did. " Was your bitter reply inconected to the question." Hector will make you regret the day you were born. "

The grim warning made him chuckle.

" I think your prince is afraid of me, he sees there is no hope for Troy if i charge into battle. "

With one simple mock he had made you aware of everything.

" You must be Achilles … Lucky of mine, I'm being handed to the worst of the savages. "

" My well earned prize. " He confirmed while getting dressed, barely tying a long piece of black cloth arround his hips. " It was either me or Ajax, we were the ones winning the battle. I have obtained greater glory, so I got the ríght to keep you. "

" Shouldn't that be a privilege of the higher commander?" You taunted him, questioning in a poisonous tone. " … He is not going to like it."

The provokation hitted in the ríght spot to make him itch.

" Then he should have won the battle by himself. " Was his cocky reply, given while walking towards you. " … You are too precious to be given away. "

You could tell where the talk was leading, it was a complete twist of the provocative intentions into a territory you weren't allowing him to cross.

" The only priestess inside that temple ran away, i'm a married woman. "

The clarification didn't mean much to him.

" An eye for an eye. " He simplified, twirling your hair in his fingertips. " The trojan prince took Helen, so it's fair for me to take you. "

Achilles was dangerously close, sniffing the scent of your locks.

" She left her husband willingly. " You clarified on purpose. " Paris won her favors."

He caressed the side of your cheek while looking for cuts.

" After a while with me you won't want to leave. " He purred seductively, then proceeded to untie you. " … I like your perfume, it seems he pays for the expensive ones. "

" High nobility, my father is a general of Priam. " You bitterly clarified. " … And i'm married to a mighty warlord. "

You would have wanted to brag about that saying loud and clear that you were the wife of Hector. If it wouldn't be so dangerous, you would have seeked to humilliate him showing your love for your man.

" He failed to protect you, maybe he was not the right for you. " He mercilessly teased you, sitting ríght next to you. " What's your name? "

You had to give him an answer, but you were incapable of being honest. The greeks couldn't possibly know already of your marriage. Their access to news was blocked at the time of your wedding, they were planning the war while it happened.

Briseis escaped to tell the story, Hector had to be aware by then so you didn't need the greeks to bring him the news. Keeping your identity as a secret was safer and a good strategy. As a couple, your husband and you would get the upper hand working against them from outside and inside.

You gave him the very first name that occured to you, a female variation of the name of your father.

" Glauce. "

Achilles had his full attention on you, his eyes were roaming your features with interest.

" Well, Glauce. I'll take care of you better than him. Your safety is granted with me. "

It sounded like a promise, you could tell he didn't want you to fear him. Being perceived as a careless monster by you wasn't as satisfying as the fear he awakened in your countrymen.

The first impression played in your favor, he was Interested enough to seek winning your simpathy. There had to be some sort of limit to his brutality and it seemed to play out in his approach to women. Achilles preferred seduction to coercion, trusting in his looks and charm to do the trick. Softer on the surface, he would rather win you over than force himself on a tied up defensless woman.

At least in that, he was a safer bet than many others. Your chances to keep working on the reading of the greek commanders presented that very same day, when your initial guesses turned out to be truth and his promised was challenged.

Agamemnon felt insulted because his rebel soldier ignored him on purpose and didn't even consider him at the time to divide the profits. His heralds came to take you using the advantage of a distraction the king created by himself to keep Achilles away from you at the moment. They were very impressed to find out you were following them willingly.

Not only it was a matter of principles to never show weakness in front of the enemy, but you were also considering the greek King of Kings was a privileged source of information. There was no better tent to infiltrate if what you wanted was to figure out the patterns of the political relationships within the militar fractions of his army. For so, your entrance managed to exceede any expectations. The soldiers taking you there were disconcerted following your arrogant steps.

Behaviorally wise, you looked like a queen that was heading to negotiate instead of a living object being dragged from one place to the other. Agamemnon was slightly dissapointed, probably hoping the guards would have seen themselves forced to mistreat you in front of Achilles to enrage him even more. However, the visual did manage to surprise him. The taunting smirk didn't fade, only changed its target.

" Wonderfull reward … Even in disgrace her majestuosity remains intact. " He commented, praising you in a menacing tone. " … Woman fitting for a king. And since you aren't one, Achilles. I think you are not going to need her. "

It unleashed the killer beast.

In a matter of instants the whole place got surrounded by guards that Agamemnon called as soon as Achilles merely pulled out his sword, what to you was a measure against the feared quickness of his lethal strikes.

You were still smiling to yourself, thinking of how accidentally accurate the words of the mycenaean have been in what concerned you given Hector was the next king of Troy in the line of succession.

The myrmidon claimed so quickly and pridefully that your husband lost you because he wasn't strong enough to protect you, yet he couldn't keep you for one full day. Delightfully humilliating irony, even if the man missing you inside the city remained faceless to him. At that moment Achilles was measuring himself not only with Agamemnon's power, but also with the memory of the man you loved.

He wanted you to watch him murder greeks in cold blood for you, to prove his point of being the superior man that would cross límits no trojan would.

For as much as you would have loved to see enemies being sacrificed at your feet, you were Interested in something better.

Playing with their minds, taking advantage of the situation and subtly lead the discussion while making them feel in control the whole time.

" I've seen you are a gifted killer, they may have the numerical advantage but those men are trembling. " You stopped him, actually walking towards him with the courage the mycenaean soldiers lacked of. " Before you will unleash another carnage, let's revisit the situation. Shall we?"

Agamemnon was amused by your irreverence, mostly because it was being directed towards his polítical rival.

" I come from a militar family, so i'm not ignorant to the codes of war. " You kept talking as if you would be back in Troy discussing with Hector about the resolutions of the city's council. " Spoils of conquest shall be distributed equally among the warlords, but the commander chief has ríght to a bigger share. "

" Precisely what I'm reclaiming. " The mycenaean agreed. " I'm in command here. "

Unimpressed by the statement, you were ready to throw the web.

" … Considering Achilles has beheaded a monumental golden statue of Apollo. How can you both be so convinced i'm the biggest share of the treasure? You can buy at least fifteen women for that statue only. I have to admit it's flattering, your altercate implies i'm either worth for fifteen women or you greeks are terrible traders. "

The rational observation embarrased them. Achilles had putted down his sword and Agamemnon didn't have enough recovered honor to point it out.

" It's simbolical value. " He attempted to come up with a quick answer for what trully was nothing more than a battle of egos. " You are the first enemy woman in our power, captive of a war started by my brother's wife. "

" If she wouldn't have jumped on board, you would have instructed servants to charge spartan reliques in that ship so you could frame us and invade anyways. " Was your fearless comeback. " Maybe your provincial soldiers believe that, but trojans know you well. "

If they wouldn't know better, they would have feared the goddess of wisedown transfigurated in a slave was lecturing their behavior.

" Theorically, once you finish arguing over who is meant to own me the winner can do whatever he wants with me. The problem is what you should do in order to serve best your personal interest. Achilles is willing to slaugther your men to save me from you. Can you afford that, King of Kings? "

Agamemnon was frankly shocked, not even his royal advisors would have been so direct.

" Who are you? "

" That's not important, what matters here is that i'm aware of what you both want from me and why you won't get it." You cleverly deviated. "For instance, you want to force yourself on me to give your rebel soldier a lesson. I see it in your eyes, sense it in your voice. He made you feel powerless watching the beach battle from afar, so now you are taking me as payback. Fortunately, that's going to take you nowhere. "

Going back to the warrior like a caged beast pacing from one point to the other, you challenged him with the same ferocity.

" As it could be said of your attempts to present yourself as my savior. " You concluded for him. " Legends fail to acknowledge Achilles as a protector of helpless women and it's not hard to wonder why. You aren't acting out of the kindness of your heart, what you want is to keep me reliant on you in order to win my trust so I will eventually give in. "

At that point, despite it would have been wiser to keep silence, no one could have stopped you.

" Keep the sword down, i'm not spreading my legs for this. I despise you and that won't change simply because you are the less of two evils standing in front your pig of a king. "

The comparison had affected him as much as the self perceived unfair claims.

" He is not my king … and i'm not who you think I am. "

" Prove it. " You insisted. " Untill then, you are just the same to me. "

The provocation worked better than you could have expected, discovering there that what Achilles hated the most was being compared to Agamemnon. It carved over the fresh wound of the anger he was already feeling about the desestimation of his efforts in the war.

A fierce lion had turned into a meowing kitten when the master he reluctantly followed took away his slave, humilliation you wished you could have shared with your people as perfect payment for the destruction of the temple. From then, his efforts were focused on showing the greeks that he wouldn't accept being controlled while proving to you that he was the better man. The special weapon of the enemy had opted for inaction as a form of protest, refusing to fight untill Agamemnon would come back crawling expecting he would beg to him ... expecting to get you back.

Coldess of mind was your best weapon against them, their fates were already on your hands. Agamemnon was too haunted by the warning you made him to actively seek to fullfill the full punishment, since Achilles was being completely serious about his thirst for revenge and for having you. The little glimpses of yourself he managed to figure out from your brief talk and the interventions you have made in their fight weren't enough, his interest only had escalated since then.

Without him, greeks lost, and they lost badly. Hector deprived them of two leaders during the course of the same battle, one of them being the husband of Helen whose cause gathered everyone. They were running out of excuses, starting to point fingers at each other attributing blames where those didn't necesarily belong. On his part, Agamemnon saw the warning you have made him the day before becoming real and sensed something almost supernatural in it. Of course, he was completely unaware that the crushing lost was a result of his own stubborness and the team work of the heir couple of the trojan throne.

Even trojans themselves weren't completely aware that Hector and you could sometimes become your own separated fraction operating underneath the obstacles presented by the local politics. No matter what the council presided by his father would dictaminate, you would allways have his back to do what you knew was right. Even while being so far away from each other, the combination of your strikes was making the greeks bleed despite you haven't had any ocassion of discussing the course of action. You knew each other too well, in a fair world you would have been designing strategies with him in front of the army and not against their backs.

Hidding your adoration while overhearing the feats of your husband as you poured wine for the kings was your main challenge during that post battle night among the greeks. They were already discussing rendition, all thanks to the fear that he inspired. It was clear that you would have to handle yourself finding a scape way if that would happen, but you were amazed seeing your goal at the verge of fullfillment. Agamemnon recklessly kept you there as a symbol of the only victory they had achieved, showing you off to the commanders in an attempt to tempt them to stay exciting their greed. He presented you as a promise of future wealthness, if they would pass the hardships every chief would have one like you.

Odysseus was completely careless for that and trying to make the myceanean come to his senses was hard even for his audacious mind. At that hour of the night, only him and Nestor remained in the Atreide's tent and only one particular moment during his long callout catched your attention.

" Hector is ONE man ... Look at what he did to us today! "

You were forced to hide your flusterred smile full of pride for your man and you did through a humble gesture bowing the head.

They kept arguing for a while, two against the stubborness of one.

" Even if I could make peace with Achilles, the man won't listen to me! " Agamemnon reminded them with frustration, the wine you were serving him non stop starting to hit him. " He is as likely to SPEAR ME as to SPEAK TO ME! "

You chuckled briefly and Nestor noticed it while awaiting or Odysseus' resolution.

" ... I will talk to him. "

Once that part got resolved, the old king reminded them of you.

" He will want her back."

The mention gave you a proper space for according intromission.

" I will pack my things ... I mean, just the blue dress I was wearing when you kidnapped me. " You mordaciously commented. " Can I change back into it or your plan is to send me looking like this hoping I would have the kindness of whoring myself to save you? "

The taunting ask pointed at the uncomfortable suggestive dressing the king forced you to wear for his visits.

" I haven't touched her! " Agamemnon excused himself to his friends. " Take her back to him or I will give her to the men, the whore is cursed and I will not take the risk. "

He refused to explain further, but you did for him.

" His brother made a curious joke last night when we meet. He said that it would be his right to go first because he was the one that trojans had ofended, now he is dead ... And how about Ajax? He was the second in line who could have got me as reward, if the glory of Achilles wouldn't have outshined him. I think Apollo is using me to pick the victims of Hector, maybe desecrating the temple of a god we both worship wasn't a brilliant idea after all. "

The macabre warnings upsetted the myceanean king.

" Take her now, Odysseus. If he wants her still, she is all his. "

The king of Ithaca didn't wait any longer, instructing you to only pick up your dress and put on a cloak he handled you in order to comfortably follow him to the tents of the myrmidons.

As soon as you were out of sight the tries on guessing you began.

"These are not virgin robes. " He cassually commented about the clothes you were carrying. " It means you are not a priestess, so what were you doing that morning in the temple? "

" Pouring thracian wine to the priests. " You sarcastically mocked him. " Isn't a bit obvious I was witnessing a religious ceremony? "

" Obligation of female royals in times of war, women are commaned to pray while the men prepare to fight. " He quickly replicated. " Wives of royalty preach with the example. "

You stopped walking right away.

" What has given me away? "

" Your smile, the way your eyes shine with pride when we talk of Hector. It's true that any trojan gets excited hearing of him, but you don't look like one more of the people who worships him as the city's hero. " He began to explain you. " The eyes of Penelope shine the same way when I tell her my stories after coming back home from a long journey. "

The melancholic husband couldn't be forgiving you out of the kindness of his heart and a mere parallel with his wife.

" Why aren't you warning them? "

" Because I know Agamemnon wouldn't have agreed to return you and right now, all we need is to have Achilles back." Was his simple reason. " If you want my honest advice, girl? Your husband should have came with a ransom by now. He hasn't, and to me it feels he is letting you go because he can't stand the shame. Even if he does love you and would rather have you by his side, the city may have resolved it that way. The heir prince, the bastion of Troy ... he can't come back home with a marked woman. "

He was good, doing an excellent job at sowing doubts.

" Your stance here has stained you, people would look at you wondering how many greek generals had laid their hands on you. Even when we know that no one has touched you, they will never believe it back in Troy and Priam's dinasty is in crisis. It would be easier and politically safer for him to arrange a new marriage for Hector."

" The same king that's sending him to fight so Paris can keep his wife won't do that to me. " You snarked back, clinging to what were your certainties. " They may be religious hypocrites, but I know my people better than you. "

" Adjust to your new life, princess. " He grimly warned you. " The prince may never come to save you and the myrmidons could use a clever girl keeping their hot headed mess of a leader grounded. "

You spat on the ground, right at the side of his feet.

" He will rot in his tent and Hector will set your ships on fire to rescue me. "

A young lad gave you the welcome, warning your master of the arrival.

Achilles smiled at you, but responded to Odysseus with the same carelessness he had dedicated to Agamemnon days before.

" Whatever you have to say can wait untill the morning." He told him in a cold tone. " I want to speak with her ... alone. "

Not wanting to make a fuss that could ruin the mission, the ithacan king acceded to his demmand.

" Understandable, I will be ouside with Patroclus so the walk won't be in vain. " He mocked him. "I could use a drink now, and hear some positivity. The last time I was in Phtia I have seen your cousin is great at that. "

The young man chuckled and accompanied him outside, presumably for a chat arround the campfire of the night watchers. Before they left, Achilles ordered him dinner would be served to you and he called two other myrmidons to arrange it.

You didn't seem mistreated and that was encouraging for him, so he gesturally invited you to sit in front of him and served you by himself.

" Eat."

" Mind to tell me the reason for this? " You cutted off his attempt of soft approach. " Agamemnon didn't touch me, I think it's fair to say he is slightly afraid of me. You don't have wounds to tend, no need to fake kindness."

" I'm just trying to be a decent host." Was his vague reply. " You are my guest tonight."

" Odysseus was your guest, and you had kicked him out. I'm your prisoner. " You reminded him. " I had enough of your games, Achilles."

" Such a shame, I'm very into yours. " He teased you. " What do you think of all of this? One day has passed and they already brought you back to me. I'm feeling destiny playing a move here. "

You began to eat so you wouldn't have to reply him right away.

" Why do you care ? I'm a nobody. "

" You are not under the orders of Agamemnon, you are the onlyone besides from me with the courage to stand up against him. "

The facts were conveniently twisted and you knew of that.

" I also stood up to you. "

" And i don't forget that. " He corrected you. " ... Trust me, I had plenty of time alone to think about you."

The provocation was not going to disarm you.

" I believe it shows how desperate they are, and that you would be a fool if you stop now. The mycenaean king is not at your feet yet, he stil sends heralds to make his apologies. Make them wait some more, it will give us time to get to know each other."

He smirked and you couldn't tell which part of the answer made it.

" You are good, diligent little snake. It almost makes me want to take the advice just to see how far you can go to keep me away from your husband. "

He offered you a goblet to drink, making it reach your mouth with the movement of his hand so he could have an excuse to stare at your lips during the first sip.

" Why trying so hard? Have you considered he could be dead by now? "

" He is the kind of man you find once in a lifetime, I would remain loyal to him even after death simply because he worths it. " You explained him. " I don't expect you to understand it, your world is seducing war captives. Maybe you have never thought of that, having a wife to love for the rest of your life. Form a family, somewhere to belong in."

Your blow hitted, even when he won't admit it and opted for strike another one.

" Is he alone with the children now? "

" We didn't get time for that, he was part of the crew that travelled to Sparta and we got married once he came back." You vaguely admitted, being carefull of not giving any revealing clue. " It was the happiest moment of my life, even despite we knew what was coming. The city was cheerfull for a while right before all of this got to happen, our wedding party was the last time. "

For an instant he took the effort of imagining you on your wedding dress heading inside the temple of Hera. He had no idea of how trojan weddings were like, neither knew their fashion trends for brides, so he pictured it the greek way.

Lucky of the man that got to experience that. To remove your veil and find a smiling face at the other side, to kiss your lips ... To find you laying naked on the thalamus knowing you were waiting for him after the maidens holding torches guided you inside to be beautified for him. Asian scents flooding the air, your body of trembling virgin craving to be explored.

" I have been in Sparta, if he was a guest of Menelaus let me tell you that he cheated on you. " He interrupted you out of spite. " The hipocrite that reclaimed his cheater wife actually encourages it on the men visiting him and the dancers of his palace perform amatory wonders. "

A challenging smirk showed how little you cared for his disruptive opinion.

" My man is not like that. He would NEVER cheat on me. "

He chuckled with skepticism and you wished you could have smacked him.

" How sweet! You really are convinced he is different. "

It enerved you to the core.

" You don't know him like i do."

He was enjoying your rage, even when directed against him.

" You don't know Sparta like I do. "

You wanted to him to spite him for real.

" My husband is a hundred times the man you will never be. "

The peak of the altercate was something you wouldn't expected he would dare to say.

" Your husband will never touch you like i would."

Angry as you were, you lost control and slapped him. Fear of his reaction made you back off inmediately: it was the first moment of weakness he had ever witnessed from you.

" You are fierce, I like that. " He commented, careless for the hit. " Was he really that good? Or is it just that you can't compare? "

" You will never compare to him. " Was your quick comeback. " From no point of observation, he is simply the best. "

Even when he didn't know who the mysterious man was, he already hated him. Achilles was genuinely jealous of your love for him, he would have killed for someone like that.

To calm the hostile enviroment he decided to torture himself making you talk more.

" Really? Tell me about him … How did you meet? "

" Our parents are best friends, so we have known each other for a lifetime." You began to narrate. " I think I realized I had a crush on him when I was ten and it followed me all my life. As a young lass I used to believe I could never be the one, wasted so many years thinking he could only want me as a friend. He would never make a move, thinking that was not what I desired for the same reason and we kept each other single untill an unreasonable age. Then, a suitor with great chances of success came to the city soliciting to marry me and the situation forced us to be honest with our feelings. He came to my home with a huge treasure as dowry, told me he couldn't live without me, and kissed me in front of everyone. If you would know him, you would understand that was a huge gesture coming from him. He is a private man in terms of affection displays … "

" The term you are looking for is repressed. " Achilles mocked you. " Why making you wait for so long? "

" These are dangerous political times we are living in and you greeks aren't our only enemies. " You corrected him. " He was always fighting, life was too bussy to think of romance. "

" … And it seems like that hasn't changed. " He added before taking a long sip of his wine, then keep questioning. " How do you deal with it? How would you receive him when he just came back from battle? "

It was a strange ask,but for once you didn't mind indulging him.

" With a warm bath and all my love … Although I must clarify we haven't live wartimes as a married couple yet, since you kidnapped me at the start of one. If I was back in Troy with him, as I desire, that's what I would do. "

There was no intention of playing with him, you were telling the truth because you were starting to feel comfortable and he realized of that.

It only made him more envíous.

" Lovely, so lovely. " He whispered, talking to you but sounding as if he was talking to himself. " My tent isn't as big as Agamemnon's, so you must be aware your only option tonight is sleeping by my side. Why don't you start by taking off that ugly cloak, now that we are more relaxed ? "

If that was what he wanted, you were going to give him a taste of his own poison.

" I must warn you: the old pig dressed me to his taste. " You answered as you stood up to remove the long cloth. " What do you think? Do I look like one of those girls you claim my husband has cheated with prior to the wedding? "

Achilles watched you in silence for an instant.

" Way better. " He concluded, then gifted you a smirk.

You were ready to hear whatever lustfull comment that would occure to him, but that wasn't what he ended up delivering.

" I don't want a concubine, I want that trojan's wife. She sounds wonderfull, and looks wonderfull in her cute blue dress. "

Surprisingly sweet, it trully caught you out of guard.

" You are out of your mind, or have drank too much and it got to your head. In either case, you need to rest so the morning will bring you clarity of thought. "

His teasing became a bit childish.

" Come with me … "

You couldn't take him seriously.

" Let me interrupt your little fantasy: i still love my husband and you are keeping me prisoner. "

" Not if i make you want to stay. " He replicated ríght away. " Paris got Helen to leave hers and their kingdom for him. "

You couldn't believe your ears. Was he really that much starved for affection? The greatest warrior of the greeks was a lonely man, a living weapon.

" That's never going to happen between us. "

After you concluded the meal he gave you proper space to change your clothes in privacy, courtesy that satisfied you given what was about to come. Once he settled the furrs on the ground to make the closest thing to a bed available in the camp, he picked a blanket and invited you to get confortable first. In the meantime, he took off his footwear and upper garments in front of you. The spectacle made you turn over to the opposite side, deviating your eyes from him completely, but that simple act of resistance didn't mean much compared with what he was about to do.

Achilles grabbed you from behind, trapping you in an embrace too íntimate for your taste. His strong arm was rou nding your waist, initially ríght under your chest. You were perfectly able to feel his firm muscles in contact with your back and the hand keeping you secure in the position he wanted started tracing your curves.

You wanted to yelp, but it was pointless. What else could you do? You were his slave, and sleeping anywhere else in the camp was even riskier.

Maybe other man finding you wouldn't be as sweet as him. Peraphs you would encounter a beast forcing you to fight for your honor.

" So beautifull. " He whispered close to your ear. " Feels really good to me … How are you feeling? "

" Strange. " You confessed. " It just doesn't feel ríght. "

" It doesn't have to. " He teased you. " It just has to feel good. "

He began to kiss the side of your neck, but kept stumbling with your cold reactions. To him it was all performance, you were holding back to feel a faithful wife for a man that from then would be just a memory because you would most likely never see him again.

" You are mine now … " He reminded you in a husky tone. " Stop pretending, I know you feel good. No need to hide it. "

You weren't giving in, but he was willing to take the challenge. Distracted as he was with you, he kept the refusal to fight still on given that his pride wasn't completely avenged and that was at least hopefull result of your sacrifice. Every single night he would try to tempt you, but you remained strong deviating the seduction tactics into night talks with no sort of filter on both sides. He would ask you all kinds of innapropiate questions, but in response he would have to tell you more about him than what he could afford to tell any enemy.

The mission became harder and harder to mantain over the course of the days. You were happy to be serving your country but wondering if the cost was actually worthy. Achilles seemed determinated to keep you, he wanted to destroy your marriage and there were moments when you wondered if he haven't already done it.

Would the love of your life want you back, knowing you were forced to share the bed of the enemy? Even if your strong resistance kept things away of sexual territory, you had to stand his caressing, his kissing … and sometimes you weren't completely disgusted by it.

It was confusing, you were the one playing with a man who fooloshly believed to have power over you, but you also felt played by the situation. Staying focused was hard when everything seemed to point out Odysseus was in the ríght. There were no signs of your people, of your husband, wanting to reach you. Could have he forgot you? Have the city gave up on you?

One particularly long night you were sitting on the shore watching the sea and the fear became so strong that you began to sob uncontrollably. Achilles wasn't coming for you yet, since in his tent more embassors of Agamemnon were trying to convince him of returning to the battlefield.

Suddenly, a myrmidon in full armor sat beside you. The helmet was on, so you couldn't see his face, but you guessed he was one of the guards of the night shift.

" Beautifull night, isn't it? " He said in a familiar voice. " Perfect for a sneakout … "

You couldn't believe your ears.

" Paris? " You questioned in whispers soft enough to not be heard by anyone else, but showing clear excitement. " How did you got here? Brother, you can't fight even to save your life. Is a miracle you are still alive. "

" I may be a terrible fighter, but i'm a master in the art of sneaking into the most unbelievable places. " He explained you. " Glaucus is so desperate that he didn't present objections to the plan, your father trully adores you. "

You wanted to hug him, but that would have been too suspicious.

" You are insane! What if they discover you? "

" I have that covered. I'm trying to redeem myself at the eyes of our people, but if the worst happens i'm going to do what i know best: cry to my brother for salvation. "

A hopefull smile made your sadness fade.

" Hector, … Is he with you? "

" Of course he is! Who else would have faith in my stupid plans?" Paris mocked himself. " He loves you soo much. He has been loosing his mind since the first day without you, but presenting a ransom to the greeks was a risk. From the moment they would be aware you are his wife, it would be over. They would have refused to return you and submitted you to all kinds of humilliations. No, with them you always have to do things by force. "

He made you chuckle.

" Any idea of how are we going to escape? "

" Working on it, just act natural and follow me. "

Your heart beated fast the whole way, since you were the one guiding Paris using your greater knowledge of the camp's structure. The myrmidons were ubicated at one extreme, what made things somewhat easier, as the naturalization of your presence there did.

A man in a mycenaean armor awaited for you, his eyes were giving him away.

" Don't, not yet. " Hector warned you, since he could read your uncontrollable excitement to the sight of him. " Danger hasn't passed. Proper welcomes should be postponed untill we are safe. "

You still dared to express a bit of your lovefull gratitude.

" I knew it! I knew you would come, I never wanted to stop believing! "

" Have they tried to convince you of that? " He wondered out loud. " I knew it had to be you causing division among them since the very first time the myrmidons didn't show up and I couldn't be prouder. "

Passing through the Scaean Gate was living again, you were at home. As soon as the walls were sheltering you Hector held you in his arms and kissed you untill both of you were feeling breathless. The wonderfull moment felt to you like a renewal of your vows, he had the same surprising lack of decorum he showed the day he asked for your hand. Instead of your happyly shocked family, his brother and some trojan soldiers were the ones left to witness it.

He would never stop amazing you, the insightfull understanding of what you have gone through that your husband was showing since your first instants of rencounter made you love him even more. Hector new that you didn't want to present yourself to your parents looking and feeling like a captive, they wanted their daughter back and you wanted to be her again.

Before presenting yourself in public, you needed to feel like yourself. To get back the identity your captors tried to strip you from. It was most likely that the citizens would overwhelm you with questions, the militar council wanting to extract every single drop of information about the greek camp that you had adquired and all of that was very important, but he cared about you the most.

Putting the princess and the spy aside, he wanted to trully reunite with his wife and help her heal before the weight of the city would fall upon her. Some of the servants of your household were awakened for the ocassion and they welcomed you quietly under the prince's recommedation of not disturbing you. They helped Hector out of what was left of his disguise and he returned to his cassual wearing for home.

Once he looked like your husband again, he turned back to face you with an adorable smile.

" Welcome home, my love. For the sacrifice you have endured it is my wish to make of what's left from this night a moment to comfort you in any and every way you desire. If you don't want to talk about the horrors, I'm willing to wait. "

" I want a bath, I stink of sand and greeks. " You joked to attenuate the tone of he conversation. " Is this how you feel after fighting? "

He chuckled a bit, taking your light talk as a good sign.

" You were a concealed fighter, peraphs the most important fighter in this war. " He lovefully praised you. " It takes courage and a great speed for decision making to come up with such insane attack strategy. You cleverly realized there was no chance for two women to get away from the temple and offered yourself to save my cousin. When we found her, she repeated me the last words you told her. Your wisedown surpasses our war council, you knew from the beggining what I'm trying to make them understand. "

" Well, I knew that as a slave girl I was going to get underestimated, but it worked even better than what I guessed. Greeks are surprisingly trustfull of their war prizes or think themselves too high for vengeances to reach them " You humbly admitted. " In me they saw an object to move from one point to the other, but never suspected they could be touring a spy arround. I poured wine for the kings while they were discussing their plans, Agamemnon found no danger in that because he considered me to be merely decorative. "

" Sounds like the riskier war feat I have ever heard of. " He added, then caressed your cheeks as he inspected your face for any signs of damage. " It seems like they trully thought they were going to enjoy of my wife's beauty for long. I can tell they were carefull. "

" They were too bussy fighting each other over who was going to keep me to ask me important questions of any kind. " You revelaed him with amusement. " Only Odysseus discovered it, but he got there too late. Achilles was already eating out of my palm."

The confession surprised him.

" Meaning you have targeted him all this time? "

" He is rabidly jealous of you." You confessed, teasing him. " I discovered that the main obstacle of Agamemnon is his fail to make him act according to his goals. His attempts to manipulate him are rational, but Achilles can only be persuaded irrationaly. "

The start of your tale wasn't worrying him the way you feared.

" Nothing really happened between us. " You rushed to clarify, since he wasn't asking. " He wanted it to happen, but i made him very aware that my husband was in my mind and heart the whole time. "

Your desperation for proving yourself to him was heartwrecking, he could tell you were so full of guilt over a situation that wasn't trully in your control. Even if you played to be, the course of action was limited to the grey zones where the control of men was weaker.

" You were loyal to my vision to the last consequencies, despite you had no guarantee of safety. " He cutted you off. " Many of the men I command claim that they would die for me, but what you did goes beyond their will of sacrifice. This is the greatest proof of love to me and to Troy. "

Tears were falling down your cheeks and he instinctively held you in his arms, as if he feared you would wreck if he didn't.

" What you did to survive is not of my concern, you are here with me now. " He reassured you, making you smile. " But if someone got to hurt you, the bastard responsible for that damage won't see the sun again."

" I think i never saw you making threats like that. " You sweetly mocked him. " It's flattering, but turns out you have been protecting me against it from afar. The two greek leaders you slaughtered a few days back ? Ajax was the second in the line of possible adquisitors for me, Menelaus threatened with taking me to satisfy his hurted honor and died the next day. "

The strange coincidence amazed him.

" I'm always with you, even if this crazy world we live in takes us apart. "

#troy 2004 #troy #troy fanfiction #hector of troy #achilles #hector x reader #achilles x reader #eric bana #brad pitt #eric bana x reader #brad pitt x reader

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chadwickreese · 4 years

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Chadwick Reese | What about the Middle Man? The Impact of Middle Level Managers on Organizational Learning

Chadwick Reese1 & Dr. Debra Hunter2

Abstract

Researchers have explored the relationship between upper echelon leadership and organizational learning in certain settings, namely growth and consistency (Reese, 2006). Researchers continue to explore the various relationships between upper echelon leaders or top management teams (TMT) and organizational learning because the TMT are the people responsible for the allocation of resources and creating a culture that promotes employee training, employee development, teambuilding, and employee advancement. This research proposes a qualitative study in the health care and transportation fields of mid-level managers. The authors seek to understand what was communicated to mid-level managers during a time of change, how that impacted their attitudes, and in turn, what if any individual learning they gained during the time of change. We also seek to identify specific learning that the individual was able to share with their teams within the non- top management teams, and whether they observed those learning being put into policy by upper management. We conclude the perception of middle managers on improving organizational learning is vital to the overall concept

Introduction and Literature Review

Scholars and practitioners continue to argue that organizational learning is the only sustainable competitive advantage that a firm possesses. Researchers have explored the relationship between upper echelon leadership and organizational learning in certain settings, namely growth and consistency (Reese, 2006). Researchers continue to explore the various relationships between upper echelon leaders or top management teams (TMT) and organizational learning because the TMT are the people responsible for the allocation of resources and creating a culture that promotes employee training, employee development, teambuilding, and employee advancement. Further, researchers have examined the process by which strategic decisions are made (Papadakis & Barwise, 1998). These researchers assume that strategic leadership is comprised of top management or upper echelon leaders. Scholars suggest that organizational learning is a key component for firms hoping to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

However, many fail to understand the role they play in setting the standard for the organization (Hambrick, Humphrey, & Gupta, 2013). Prior to Crossan and Hulland. (Bontis, Crossan, & Hullund, 2002) TMT and organizational learning were disconnected fields of inquiry. Following their research, an opportunity still exists to understand how strategy actively manages learning to make adjustments moving forward (Crossan & Berdrow, 2003), further demonstrating how strategic management theory and organizational learning remain disconnected. Given that strategic management involves deploying strategies that enable a firm to remain competitive (Porter, 1998; Teece, 2000), it would be interesting to know how strategic management theory could use the outcomes of organizational learning concepts to actively make adjustments when defining and redefining a firm’s position, specifically how these interactions take place below the TMT (Tsoukas, 1996).

1 Troy University, Troy, Alabama 36082, USA. 2 Troy University, Troy, Alabama 36082, USA.

18 Journal of Management Policies and Practices, Vol. 4(1), June 2016

Some studies have focused on the impact of TMT composition and related resource deployment on firm performance (Carpenter, Geletkancz, & Sanders, 2004), while others have explored individual learning impact on organizational learning (García-Morales, Lloréns-Montes, & Verdú-Jover, 2007) and made loose connections to how negative learning that can stifle strategic implementation (Bednall, Sanders, & Runhaar, 2014; Elenkov, Judge, & Wright, 2005; Narayanan, Zane, & Kemmerer, 2011). What appears to be a gap, and has been called out by other researchers, is exploring the link between the individual aspects related to organizational learning, and how those interplay as both antecedent and result of strategic management (Hutzschenreuter, 2006). All this research builds on the well-established concept that organizational learning occurs at three distinct organizational levels, the individual level, the workgroup level, and the overall organization level, that there are seven dimensions to organizational learning, and that organizational learning can be measured (V J Marsick& Watkins, 1996; V. J. Marsick, 2013; Watkins &Marsick, 1993a, 1993b). In all that contextualization, how middle management interacts with strategic change is absent.

Other research establishes the link between how leadership creates a climate that can foster individual and organizational learning (Berson, Nemanich, Waldman, Galvin, & Keller, 2006), and how that learning can evolve over a period of time in both positive and negative ways (Berends & Lammers, 2010). The link to how firms can use external knowledge to renew strategies, and that internal organizational learning is important to long-range planning has also been established (Jones & Macpherson, 2006), but related research shows that during times where innovation demands requires flexibility between exploration and exploitation, the application of organizational learning to strategic management is inconsistent (Rosing, Frese, & Bausch, 2011).

Studies to understand the nature of changing demands on organizational learning and strategic management are largely focused on external pressures like changes in business climate or merger and acquisition (Narayanan et al., 2011; OReilly, 2013; Shi, Sun, & Prescott, 2012). Research that has worked to understand how individual and team level learning translates into organizational learning have identified what conditions make that translation possible (Hülsheger, Anderson, & Salgado, 2009), but where efforts have been made to understand how that is in turn translated into actionable strategy it has been focused on team-level perceptions that prevent implementation (Huy, 2011). Much of this research points to the same opportunity. Changes in leadership behavior can cause changes in learning climate, but do internal changes in strategy trigger changes in leadership behavior, and how does individual level and organizational learning flow among non TMT team members to impact future strategy (Jansen, Vera, & Crossan, 2009).

Conceptualization

To sum up prior research, the notion that TMT strategic implementation creates an environment, which can be either positive or negative for individual and organizational learning, is undisputed. What hasn’t been explored is how a changing management strategy impacts organizational learning during that time of transition. In the perception of middle management, what constitutes transition, and how does that impact their learning and whether that flows into organizational learning. Strategic management is certainly an antecedent to organizational learning, but how does it affect middle management during times of change? How do those perceptions positively or negatively impact using learning during times of change to adjust TMT strategy?

The authors seek to understand that while the TMT may allocate resources and sponsor an organizational environment that promotes organizational learning, does that commitment flow to lower levels of the organization in time of uncertainty or great change? Are employees more concerned about their own personal well being rather than the well being of the firm? If so, how, and why? If the research were extended, could we predict use of individual learning on long range planning (King, 1983), predicting innovation climate (George, Mcgahan, & Prabhu, 2012) or a host of strategic concepts (Porter, 1980, 1996, 2008). Further, the authors seek to understand whether organizational learning occurs, or why it does not occur, as perceived by non-top management team members in these organizations in time of uncertainty.

Reese & Hunter 19

The researchers explore the questions, if organizational learning does occur, at what level and to what degree? It is important the firms understand the impact on employees during times of uncertainty or change in order to develop a better understanding of potential strategies to employee to continue organizational learning.

We are proposing a qualitative study in the health care and transportation fields of mid-level managers. The research seeks to understand what was communicated to mid-level managers during a time of change, how that impacted their attitudes, and in turn what if any individual learning they gained during the time of change. It also seeks to identify specific learning that the individual was able to share with their teams within the non-top management teams, and whether they observed those learning being put into policy by upper management. Further, it seeks to understand whether the mid-level managers saw learning during a time of change implemented in any quantifiable way. Could they see specific feedback used by the TMT to implement specific policies or processes that improved the organization?

Research Methods

The population for this study will consist of small and medium firms, which carry a high percentage of turnovers. Focusing on the healthcare industry and transportation specifically due to high levels of turnover caused by frequently changing environment. Much of this change takes place at the hands of technological advancements, government regulation, and fiduciary budget constraints. Choosing a sample of firms located across the southeastern region of the United States with a similar cultural, legal and political structure allows us to analyze and identify trends while controlling for variables that may be present within other geographic areas.

Drawing upon our current knowledge of the theory of learning, we can build upon the current model of Top Management Teams creates the strategic plan which creates learning climate, which foster individual learning. We will be focusing on middle managers as our informants, since they carry the responsibility of receiving directive from the TMT as organizational transitions occur. Mid level, managers are also charged with the task disseminating new knowledge to groups and provide supervision that facilitates individual learning. With this hands on interaction mid level can accurately assess organizational learning during periods of uncertainty better than any other level of management.

Chadwick Reese

To probe into middle management view of learning we designed a semi-structured questionnaire to investigate how change initiated by the TMT is received and validated by mid-level manager who must then implement the process to subordinates. If middle management perceives the change as “valid change” versus “invalid forced change” are they able utilize previous individual learning? If middle management perceives the change as “invalid forced change” does the state of uncertainty and pushed effect of TMT create a state of flux, which suppresses organizational learning?

Face-to-Face interviews were conducted with mid level managers. Managers were asked to participate in the study voluntarily. All responses were kept completely confidential and our analysis was a representative of the entire sample not individualistic. We conducted six (6) mid level managers as our sample to explore organizational learning. The interview consisted of structured and open-ended questions. The interviews took approximately thirty to forty- five minutes. At the completion of the interview/ data gathering stage, we analyzed the information for trends and use statistical data if needed. The sample interview guide is outlined below in Table 1. The introductory questions focused on the six major areas identified above are part of our study in Organizational Learning which includes’ the following areas; 1) Communication; 2) Learning; 3) Organizational Support; 4) Access; 5) Change Process and 6) Current business environment. The current business environment is the catalyst of the study given that the study is centered on an uncertain business environment.

20 Journal of Management Policies and Practices, Vol. 4(1), June 2016

Interview Question Guide

Introductory Questions:

1. How long have you been with the company? 2. How long have you been a mid level manager? 3. Where you promoted from within or hired outside the company to become a manager? 4. How is your relationship with the TMT? 5. How do you feel about the stability of the company?

Organizational learning:

1. Has the company made changes to leverage technology and implement systems that are more efficient? 2. Do you feel the company has enhanced the skill set of its employees? 3. Does this new knowledge make employees better equipped to thrive during periods of change and uncertainty 4. Would you classify the company as a learning company; constantly continuing education for development?

5. When faced with situations where you struggle to make a decision, who do consult or seek advice from. 6. Do you rely more heavily upon peer support or TMT members when implementing changes?

During the last 3 years:

a. During a period of uncertainty or drastic change, do you feel you acquired new knowledge to increase individual learning? How so?

b. Do you think you are better equipped to implement what you’ve learned during future periods of uncertainty? If yes, even during periods of forced changed by the TMT that one may feel is pointless?

c. Did learning as you went through uncertainty reduce future uncertainty for you?

Table 1: Sample Interview Guide

The researchers promoted the participants to go into greater detail beyond the sample questions. This allowed the participants to elaborate on their responses, allowing the researchers to gain a better understanding of their perceptions as part of this study. Further, this process of facilitating this discussion allowed the researchers to better triangulate the data and gain a deeper understanding of what drives the phenomena discovered as part of the study.

Data Analysis

As part of the analysis of qualitative research, the issues of validity and must be addressed. In order to improve the validity, the researchers used multiple data sources as part of the project. The idea this that by using the multiple data sources, we would be able to address research weakness involved in using a single method, thus having different researchers and different participants would ensure a more robust and comprehensive study.

A number of the themes raised as part of this study were consistent with what the researchers expected. The most common themes and responses centered on the different avenues and opportunities to learn during time of uncertainty. The results suggest that there is guided learning for middle manager, both actively, and informal communications that occur on a day-to-day basis during the course of the change and uncertainly. The basic concept is that more learning occurred in the paradigm of coaching and soft learning opportunities.

Reese & Hunter 21

The concept of coaching or soft learning was the primary method of learning and dialogue during a state of uncertainty. The researchers were able to identify that middle managers that this form of learning was more important and more effective that formal structured learning given by the company. Additionally, the perception was that the TMT was able to get a better understanding of the middle managers’ concerns and priorities in moving the organization forward. Further, the middle managers were motivated to learn more and take on additional ownership during times of uncertainty. "I'm going to personally learn to do this thing because that change recently hurt. And I'm going to try to make it better the next time."

The researchers also identified the phenomena of proactive learning that occurred among the middle managers, although it was a little less common of a response. One individual stated ".... I sense something strange on the horizon; therefore I'm personally going to go equip myself to handle it..." And typically those respondents were the ones who were able vocalize personal learning more specifically. The participants who were able to recognize uncertainty change on the horizon were better equipped for the change. The researchers identified this as important and separated in the answers for more probing and insight to distinguish between the phenomena of proactive personal learning and reactive personal learning. What remains outstanding is the understanding of relationship that middle managers have of TMT based upon whether they can be classified as proactive or reactive learners.

Formal or structured training tended to favor middle manager in certain positions or who were recent promotions and recent hires compared tenured manager that preferred coaching or soft learning. The researchers failed to correlate formal training based on need, but to the availability of training being offered. Thus, the managers tended to take the training because it was being offend in lieu of understanding the current business environment. Therefore, the four learning modes tended to cluster together in terms of guided learning, learning company, personal learning, and pro-active learning as identified in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Mid-level Manager Effect

Communication as identified in Figure 2 tended to group into one or two categories. The two categories were either access the top management team and limited or access to the top management team. The negative aspect of communication very rarely had anything to do with communication was wrong, it simply had to do with communication is absent - either it was existed or was non-existent. In some cases top management teams did not grant access or were not visible to mid level managers. In these cases, it was not an instance was learning did not occur rather the mid-level manager’s created learning opportunities. However, how closely correlated the relationship of this training was to overall organizational strategy was not explored. In the case the mid-level managers provide direction and learning opportunities to front line employees without good transparency to the top management teams.

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Figure 2: Communications

The next area we explored was that of stability and change management. The responses suggest that there was a great deal of TMT support during times of change and uncertainty. The participants suggest that the TMT became actively involved in how their job became more complicated, and advanced the idea that did middle managers begin to take proactive steps only to create support for the change.

Figure 3: Stability and Change Management

There researchers were able toto connect and get a perception of support in addition to reality of support as well as access to TMT. While this may seem redundant to the communication aspect but it implies a couple of other issues such as an “open door policy” and “trust” within the company. Mid- level managers had created such a communication channel that lower level would have permission to bypass their lead supervisor if necessary in order to gain clarity.

Figure 4: Access

As indicated in above the concert of the “open door” policy was introduced. It relates directly to the next theme we discovered as indicated in Figure 4 above, access to TMT. Access is was also defined as a degree of transparency, top management team positive is the idea that employees felt like the things that were being told by mid management were from somewhere, not simply being created in the middle. Conversely, as indicated previously, TMT’s that denied access or were absent were categorized as negative. Therefore, if there was access and presence, it was deemed as a positive, by contract, limited access and absence was perceived as a negative. It is important that it was not characterized as good or bad, just a positive or negative perception of TMT.

Reese & Hunter 23

Summary and Next Steps

The theory of organizational learning is that there are various dimensions involved the area of organizational learning. Organizational learning takes place at an individual level, it takes place at a group level and it takes place at a system organizational level. There is a great deal of theoretical research that suggests that the organizations are built to learn, and is directly correlated to their creating a sustainable advantage in the business environment. Organizational learning primarily has two outcomes - increase in knowledge performance and increase in financial performance. Increase in financial performance is tied to your short-term plan. Knowledge performance assumes a more long-term approach in terms of creating, a sustainable advantage. Thus, organizational learning helps fill those two voids.

The researchers looked why his concept is important and in relations to top management teams and how top management teams have influence over organizational learning. Given that TMT has control over resources, set the modes and strategies for an organization to perception of how they are perceived is important. We looked at it from the context of the middle management team and their perception of the top management team in terms of allocation of resources, creating environment, creating the structure, creating the culture that will promote organizational learning. We looked at it in terms of the transfer ability. So we looked at multiple organizations and we also looked at it across industries.

There are a number of themes that occurred during the context of this study including while the research showed some promising results. Greater research is required in this area. The researchers work individually to advance the field and theory of organizational learning at the macro and micro level of organizational studies. One of the emerging trends was in the area of trustworthiness. As a result, future researchers should continue the dialogue and discussion of trustworthiness among middle managers and TMT during periods of uncertainty. Specifically, they should seek to address the central question of, what role does mid levels and the individual play in task master during periods of uncertainty. The ability to address this question would be a vital component to both scholars and practitioners, first to add to the theoretical foundation, secondly, it would provide insight to practitioners to consider when seeking addressing the issue of competitiveness in times of uncertainty.

Additionally, future researchers should look to build upon this study to address the issue the issue of middle management trustworthiness and how it may dictate the employee’s willingness to learn during uncertainty. This question will seek to provide insight on the employee’s concern during periods of uncertainly, specifically, whether they are more concerned about their own well being compared to the well being of the organization. Further, the role of organizational learning during this process. If organizations seek to use organizational learning, as a competitive advantage, even during times of uncertainty, is the relationship between organizational learning and competitive advantage somehow mediated or moderated by uncertainty? The researcher would argue that under certain conditions, the relationship between the two variables would be adversely affected.

Finally, future researchers should explore a greater understanding from a macro level of research in organizational studies. The perception of middle managers on what they believe the TMT should do to improve organizational learning is vital to the overall concept of organizational learning. Assuming that as employees acquire new knowledge, what measures could increase transferability for the purpose of improving or gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Thus, the perception of middle manager on improving organizational learning is vital for an organization’s future success in terms of financial performance and knowledge performance.

While the current study has concluded, the timeline for furthering the study would be a three-to-four month process. Given that, a base has been established in the transportation and healthcare industry. The researchers would bifurcate the study and focus more in-depth in to one industry. Following the initial study, the researcher would work to improve the validity of the study by focusing primarily on issues of transferability between various industries to devising a conceptual model that would undergo greater test. Thus, a mixed methods system of research, first qualitative to develop the theory or understanding of the theory.

24 Journal of Management Policies and Practices, Vol. 4(1), June 2016

The next step would allow for a larger scale quantitative study. This would allow the researchers to increase the number of participants to understand the relationships generated during the qualitative analysis.

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#Chadwick Reese

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kpopotd2 · 5 years

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March 14, 2011 SG Wannabe released their ninth album: SG Wanna Be 7, Pt. 2

SG Wannabe (SG워너비) is a ballad trio who debuted in 2004. Since their debut, they’ve been known for making beautiful, emotionally-charged ballads. Typically, they don’t appear in their own music videos and rarely do variety show appearances, but that hasn’t had a negative impact on their fanbase; if anything it’s created more interest in the trio.

Honorable Mentions: 2012 - B1A4 (비원에이포) - Ignition They released their first album, with the single: “Baby I’m Sorry” 2013 - Heo Young Saeng (허영생) - Life He released his third EP, with the single: “How to Get Girls” 2014 - Troy (트로이) - Green Light They released their first single: “Green Light”

#k-pop of the day #sg wannabe #SG워너비 #kpop #k-pop #2011 #2010s #March #bg #B1A4 #비원에이포 #Heo Young Saeng #허영생 #Troy #트로이

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farsouthproject · 7 years

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A Personal Look at Mathías Énard’s novels, Zone and Compass

The opening of Mathías Énard’s Compass had me hooked:

“We are two opium smokers each in his own cloud, seeing nothing outside, alone, never understanding each other we smoke, faces agonizing in a mirror, we are a frozen image to which time gives the illusion of movement…”

The premise of an insomniac academic musicologist – with an encyclopaedic knowledge of European and Middle Eastern literature and music – absorbed by Pessoa’s understanding of the imaginal ‘East beyond the East’ – and pining for lost love of his academic colleague Sarah – strummed an orchestra’s worth of chords for me. The novel is a love story and a journey through the music and literature of Europe and the Orient whose gateway is Vienna.

First alerted to the novel by book bloggers via Twitter, enthusiastic in their praise, and knowing nothing more about the author or the novel, I was wary of hype. The last book that I approached from a similar introduction turned out to be very disappointing. I searched for a library copy of Compass but found none available among my usually reliable suppliers. A previous novel of Énard’s – Zone – was available. So I began reading Énard with Zone. The stylistic conceit of a book written in one long sentence didn’t really capture my imagination per se, although it is true that the structure leads a reader to flow on with the story. There are a number of interludes in the gargantuan sentence which are chapters from a fictional book by a Palestinian author that is set in the Lebanese Civil War.

The narrator of the main story is a neo-fascist who has fought for a Croatian militia unit in the Balkan civil wars. He has a cache of documents of war atrocities that he has stashed in a suitcase. He has handcuffed the suitcase to the luggage rack of the overnight train from Paris to Rome, where he hopes to ransom his information via a contact in the Vatican. The suitcase is a classic Hitchcock-style MacGuffin – even to the extent of it being on the luggage rack of a train. The novel – through the stream of consciousness of the narrator – is a sprawling journey through the Zone, the countries around the Mediterranean, where the narrator has been a soldier, and a spy for French intelligence services. The narrative is based on the chapters of The Iliad and Homer’s gods and heroes infuse the unfolding of the novel. The structure never obtrudes on the stream-of-consciousness reflections of the drunk, or half-drunk warrior, who is individually and archetypally every warrior, rapist and torturer from the time of Troy – or the birth of humankind – to the present day and into the future – albeit an extremely well-read one, who can quote Cervantes, Apollinaire or William Burroughs.

In the midst of the horror of the litany of atrocities there are also moments of genuinely hilarious black humour – especially so in the Burroughs-in-Tangier section. In general, the pace of the novel draws the reader along, and only occasionally does the narrator’s stream of consciousness become sluggish: an extraordinary achievement for a novel of five-hundred plus pages. As a reflection of the complexities of contemporary politics and the wars that still rage around the Mediterranean, responsible for the displacement of so millions of civilian non-combatants, Zone is a brightly polished mirror that reflects humankind’s innate darkness and violence.

And so, yes, I had to read Compass immediately afterward.

Franz Ritter, this narrator so dithery and neurotic, couldn’t be more different than the drunken macho neo-fascist soldier-spy of Zone, other than in his literary erudition. Perhaps Énard had to write through the atrocities of Zone to get to the point of writing Compass.

‘ “Before you can think about beauty, you have to plunge into the deepest horror and go completely through it according to Sarah’s theory,” says Franz.’

Compass has its moments of high comedy. Franz on speaking of lullabies: “Brahms, who rings out like a cheap music box… Brahms the Volkswagen of the lullaby…” Compass travels the same geographical areas as Zone but is concentrated on music and literature more than a direct approach to politics and war, although it doesn’t ignore them either. In a section set before the Syrian civil war, Sarah and Franz and Bilger, a mad academic colleague, sleep out under the stars at Palmyra, and the sense of sadness evoked by these beautiful images, knowing what has happened there so recently to the guardian of the site and the destruction of its buildings evinces a desperate sadness for what has been lost to barbarism; a barbarism that we have seen is shared equally among the forces of the West and the East, and continues to grow.

In a novel that is close to five hundred pages, there are moments when the digressions of the insomniac narrator drift into areas that can cause a loss of reader-focus, but with a novel so ambitious, that drift in no way detracts from the overall genius of the work. The book, with and without irony, takes on the mantle of orientalism without negating the analyses of Edward Saïd of orientalism as imperialism, but it is a transformed contemporary orientalism that shifts the conceptual focus onto shared human values of mutual fascination with each other’s cultures, rather than an insistence on maintaining a view of a West-East relationships as that of oppressor and oppressed. Our origins, fascinations and projections onto the other arise from our upbringing in the West or the East, both of which are imaginal constructions.

“She spoke at length on the postcolonial holy trinity – Saïd, Bhabha, Spivak: on the question of imperialism, of difference, of the twenty-first century when, facing violence, we needed more than ever to rid ourselves of this absurd idea of the absolute otherness of Islam and to admit not only to the terrifying violence of colonialism, but also all that Europe owed to the Orient – the impossibility of separating them from each other, the necessity of changing our perspective. We had to find she said, beyond the stupid repentance of some or the colonial nostalgia of others, a new vision that includes the other in the self. On both sides.”

“The Orient is an imaginal construction…”

The protagonist, Franz Ritter, can be infuriating, but we can also share in his cowardice, his mawkishness, his erudition, his love and his desperate hope.

In the same way that a book set in a familiar geographical location can evoke a particular recognition, identification or nostalgia in a reader, this book’s journey through music and literature does likewise: Rimbaud, Verlaine, Lou Andreas-Salomé, Nietzsche, Thomas Mann and on and on and on…

As someone whose life was immersed in Tibetan Buddhism for thirty years, the fictional extrapolation on projection and spiritual yearning on a mystic East arouses a familiar sense of recognition, both positive and negative. Compass continues to work on correspondences with long-held obsessions – without in any way comparing my own work to Énard’s – that have also driven me to write. The protagonist of my novel Cressida’s Bed (2004) is an Englishwoman who is a Theosophist, midwife and independence-supporting woman who travels from India to Bhutan in the 1930s and becomes involved with the Dharmaraja or Shabdrung. In writing for 3AM Magazine, William Burroughs and the Dreamscapes of the Dalai Lama has a section on the naïve orientalism of the Beats. Ghosts in the Dry Bush deals with a personal immersion in the Japanese performance art of Butoh. On the meeting of East and West, the farsouthproject.tumblr.com site has an essay on Yukio Mishima being influenced by De Sade and Genet and a critical look at the biographical feature film on Mishima made by Paul Schrader.

With these obsessions as personal background, Compass, had a profound resonance for me. I’m sure that each reader of Compass will find their own unique points of connection and recognition because we have all been influenced by our own orientalism whether through reading, painting, music or other exchange between West and East. And that is part of Énard’s point. As the quote above shows, whatever culture we belong to, we share our experiences with others – we appropriate from and we offer what we have to others. And we can all discover the other in the self. Compass sets off a yearning to explore the subject more, whether through music or literature or film. His work connects with extensive reading and listening in its appreciation of world music and literature. Zone woke up memories of Christopher Logue’s War Music: another version of The Iliad. Tangentially, Compass and Zone had me searching out Pasolini’s Medea to discover, somewhat synchronously, the film’s soundtrack of Iranian, Tibetan, Indian and Japanese music; not to speak of the locations the film shares with Compass, shot as it was in Anatolia, Turkey; and in Syria before this awful contemporary war.

Compass in particular has kept on resonating in my mind for days, but each novel, Zone and Compass, complements the other.

We are fortunate to have both novels translated by Charlotte Mandell.

Both Compass and Zone by Mathías Énard are major works of twenty-first century world literature.

(Photograph from the Irish Times.)

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howwelldoyouknowyourmoon · 7 years

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Harry Potter vs The Divine Principle.

The DP is a Trojan Horse. The purpose is control – not liberation.

On initially hearing Moon’s Divine Principle we may have felt a tremendous feeling of joy and hope for personal growth, and a willingness to contribute to a noble cause. A new dawn for mankind was being ushered in – world peace was on the horizon – and we could be pioneers. Accepting the DP also meant being presented with responsibility for the ‘providence’. Gradually more and more demands were made and more sacrifices required from us.

However, the goals of personal perfection and global peace were, and are, unattainable in the framework of the Divine Principle. Why?

The Divine Principle is not what it appears to be; it is a false bill of goods. The DP is offered as a gift, as was the Trojan horse. (Soldiers crept out of the horse at night and opened the gates; the city of Troy was overcome.) To accept the gift of the DP may result in the surrender of your soul to the authority of Sun Myung Moon, who then sits on the throne of your heart.

Reading the DP, a Unification Church / Family Federation for World Peace member may think they are entering into a covenant with the new messiah, who is offering salvation. Sun Myung Moon promoted himself as the expected messiah in the Divine Principle. As a representative of God, he may be seen as having a portion of responsibility, or a duty of care, towards his followers. However, it is evident that Moon did not take responsibility for his legitimate children, or his illegitimate children, let alone his trusting followers.

Moon diminished everyone. By the time a member discovers this, years of their life may have passed.

The DP is a clever construction, but it is a work of fiction. Wolli Wonbon, written by Moon himself in two notebooks in Pusan in 1952, is largely a synthesis of the work of several authors who pre-dated him. In Wolli Wonbon Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene! A senior DP follower recently commented about this major change to the DP: “I would think the probable reason was that, in consultation with Eu Hyo-won [who was a main contributor to the 1957 DP], Father decided that this was not something that would help Christians to accept him.”

Moon later changed that DP plot line, saying Jesus failed to marry! Some early followers, who had been to university unlike Moon, added scholarly material to the DP. The first DP book was published in Korea in 1957. (Moon did not ever go to Waseda University in Tokyo. That was always a lie.)

The Mary Magdalene as the wife of Jesus narrative has massive implications for the entire fiction that is Unification Theology.

Ultimately, what does the DP teach us? The purpose of the DP is not to educate us, but to manipulate us. This is done through our emotions. Gates are opened which allow other forces (such as the group dynamics of the Unification Church) to enter and subvert us, ultimately putting a Korean man on the throne.

Maybe we can learn more useful life tips from the fiction of Harry Potter (see below) rather than the fiction of the DP.

How does the DP work on our emotions to subvert us?

The ‘Sin and Fallen Nature’ model in the Divine Principle is based on the story of Adam, Eve and the Archangel Lucifer and the ‘fall of man’. According to Moon, everyone is full of sin (DP, 2004, page 72).

Four types of sin are described.

First is original sin … It is ingrained in our lineage and is the root of all sins.

Second is hereditary sin. This sin is inherited from our ancestors on account of their connection through lineage.

Third is collective sin. This is the sin for which we are responsible as members of a group, even though we neither committed the sin ourselves nor inherited it from our ancestors.

Fourth is individual sin, which is what we as individuals have committed.

The ‘Four Fallen Natures’

According to the DP, these were Lucifer’s wrong behaviors:

1. Failure to see from God’s point of view 2. Leaving proper position 3. Reversal of Dominion 4. Multiplication of Sin

This is how these concepts are used to control members:

1. Failure to see from God’s point of view – Man, because he is ‘fallen’ does not see things from God’s viewpoint. A follower of Moon must accept ‘God’s viewpoint’, even when it makes no sense. (‘I am a thinker,’ Moon explained, ‘I am your brain.’) If we think something is not quite right, it is because we do not understand. (Moon is different to other men. Moon lives by different rules because he is one with God.) We must crush (subjugate) any doubts we may have to reverse Lucifer’s failure.

2. Leaving proper position – We must keep the position assigned to us by God, who works through Moon, God’s central figure on earth in this age. If we leave our position, we will make a condition for Satan to invade us. We must fulfill the responsibilities we have been given, no matter what the cost. Besides the individual level, Moon has also assigned positions to nations, e.g. Korea, Japan and the USA as Adam, Eve and the Archangel (who should have served Adam and Eve), etc. Members from each nation must fulfill their responsibilities for the ‘providence of restoration’ without question or complaint. Neither individuals nor nations should leave their positions, or fail, or they will delay the providence and cause further pain to God.

3. Reversal of Dominion – Man’s sin involved a reversal of dominion – failing to respect or follow God or a superior. We must not repeat the negative feelings of the archangel and repeat that failure. According to Moon, the emotions of jealousy which Lucifer felt were again played out in the heart of Cain. God deliberately accepted Abel's offering and not Cain's – so that Cain could feel the jealousy that Lucifer had felt, and overcome it. However, Cain failed and killed Abel. We are always Cain to our leaders who have been given their Abel position by God (Moon). Even if we have greater abilities, and can see our leader is making mistakes, we must dutifully obey and accept that God put us in these positions for a purpose, to overcome our sinful natures. To overcome any Cain type feelings or natures, we must obey.

4. Multiplication of Sin – The fall involved multiplication of sin; Eve was seduced, then in turn she seduced Adam. So two people can never be allowed to establish close relationships. We must fear multiplying sin. If two members spend too much time together – being horizontal instead of focussing on their vertical relationship with God – then others must break in and split them up. This is a good reason to keep moving members around. (Deep inside, belonging to Moon’s organization can be a lonely experience.) All attachments and loyalty should only be to Moon. Bad-mouthing leaders or other members is also multiplying sin. We should remain uncritical of others at all times – and only criticize ourselves.

The above ‘sin narrative’ is a means of control. The underlying message is to get followers to doubt their own judgement, through fear of possible ‘archangelic or Cain-type behavior’.

Moon asserted that he had authority over his followers, and he assigned them positions in his ‘providential’ drama – with himself as the central figure. Of course, in reality Moon did not have any authority. However, if a recruit or new member sees other members similar to themselves being dutiful followers, there is a strong pull for them to also accept Moon’s authority over their lives. Most of us want to feel accepted by those around us. Many thousands of years ago to be outcast by our social group probably meant death. We would find it very difficult to survive alone. To this day rejection can trigger powerful emotions.

The DP and other UC teachings present a high demand theology. It is also very hierarchical, reflecting its cultural roots in Korean Neo-Confucianism.

The concept of indemnity is deeply embedded in the DP. This is not standard Christian doctrine. It is effective in making followers feel they have a debt that must be repaid.

The DP uses the language and narratives of Christianity, but at its heart it does not reflect the teachings and ethos of Jesus.

Moon claimed authority as the bringer of the new ‘truth’ of the Divine Principle. However, the ideas contained in the DP were not Moon’s. He was a thief of the ideas, therefore he has no right to claim any authority from being the author of the DP. Neither was the DP revealed to him by God. Moon designated Hyo-won Eu and others to write the first Divine Principle which was published in 1957. It has been reported that they referenced the 1954 book of Kim Baek-moon and the teachings of Chong Deuk-eun as they put together the 1957 DP.

In reality the Divine Principle exists to grab us through our emotions – our deepest hopes and aspirations, and fears about our futures in any possible afterlife (The Principle of Creation); our fears and possible feelings of guilt about sex (The Fall); our natural feelings of empathy and sympathy for Jesus (The Mission of Jesus); our responsibility (to history / mankind); our shame about historical figures who, according to Moon, ‘failed their missions’; our dedication / love and loyalty (to the coming kingdom).

Moon claimed to be the only person in history who understood God’s heart, and who could ease God’s pain. When we hear the Divine Principle we are also reminded of all those who failed to support Jesus in his lifetime, especially John the Baptist. We are told John’s lack of support was one reason Jesus had to go the way of the cross. God was let down so many times throughout history.

Moon had a narrative about his own incomprehensibly suffering life, and the difficult path he trod for ‘seven years’, ‘nine years’ (or more – the story is not consistent) to discover the truth of the DP. We are made to feel indebted to Moon and are drawn through natural empathy to support him in his noble cause. ‘We must not fail God again.’

Recruits or members who waver or have doubts about what is happening to them, or who want a little time to reflect, are reminded of the urgency of the present moment in history. Some are told of the terrible things that have happened to those who turned their back on ‘God’s new truth’ – disease and accidents to the person, or to a relative, etc. God’s protection may be lost. Fears and phobias are implanted in minds already thrown off balance by so many stirred up emotions. Pre-existing views of the self and the world are rocked to the core.

If we try to resist God’s ‘providence’ we might be made to feel selfish and uncaring. The trap is closing in on us.

Group dynamics are important. There are usually many group bonding exercises such as sports, games and the writing and performing of sketches.

Singing is always a big thing. Singing and music opens us up on an emotional level. This allows other newly experienced emotions to become more solidified within us. Music experienced with others bonds each to the group.

We remember how we felt. Those emotional memories transcend time and can endure for the rest of our lives, overriding logic.

Responsibility for God’s ‘providence’ looms before us. A narrative has been woven with a place for us in Moon’s drama. We are ‘special’ and have been ‘prepared and chosen by God’. We have been convinced that Moon’s providence is not a fiction like Harry Potter, but is real – however, both are fictions.

Almost all of us need to belong to a group or ‘tribe’. The fear of rejection is deep inside all of us. We want to avoid being rejected by our new companions in this ‘great cause’. Fear of losing the new ‘safe haven’ we have found in the ‘Unification family’ can be very powerful.

The Divine Principle is psychologically very manipulative. The DP narrative is crafted to lock members into Moon’s system.

The DP might appear coherent within itself, and even appear to have some logic. However, it is based on an unsubstantiated unorthodox interpretation of Genesis in the Bible. That is an allegorical cautionary tale. Historically the Biblical Adam and Eve never existed as literal people. The DP parallels of history are a stretch too far.

There is no such thing as original sin. (Did Jesus talk about it?); original sin is not passed down through thousands of generations to each of us; Moon is not a ‘sinless’ messiah (as Hak Ja Han stated in 2016); there is no true lineage that we need to graft on to; and Moon does not have any authority from God over anyone, except the authority that we do – or do not – surrender to him.

Moon is not managing a ‘providence’ on behalf of God. Moon knows exactly what he is doing: charm, narrative sales pitches (speeches), cutting our previous social bonds, and pressure when he has got us. We then become his willing slaves. Moon is the beneficiary to our cost.

While we are in the UC, our value is not determined by ourselves, but by Moon.

He makes heavy demands on us; these are usually unattainable. He then keeps defining us as failures. Self-esteem is continually eroded. We are often sleep-deprived and exhausted. The stress this causes diminishes the brain’s ability to think clearly. A certain level of panic can set in.

No human being ever has been, or ever will be, perfect. That is another illusion to make us feel bad about ourselves.

Moon ultimately had no answers to the complex challenges of life and society.

After being in Moon’s church we are usually more alienated from society, probably more alienated from ourselves, and often alienated from God.

Can we embrace ourselves just as we are? Embrace our natural sexuality, free from Moon-induced phobias or shame. Our sexuality is an important part of our identity, and it should perhaps be celebrated – in a respectful way.

We might discover that we are better human beings than ‘messiah’ Moon ever was. And we might learn more about what it means to be human from the fiction of Harry Potter than from the fiction of the Divine Principle.

20 Life Lessons I Learned from Harry Potter

15 Important Lessons the Harry Potter Series Has Taught Me

Shock: “Ashamed to be Korean” gives a report on the Moon scam

The Believing Brain: From Spiritual Faiths to Political Convictions – How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

Conformity

Bending Truth – Cognitive Dissonance

My Time with the Family by Peter from New Zealand

The Boonville Technique

The Unification Church and shamanism. At its heart the UC is not Christian; but it presents a Christian facade.

Were Moon’s tears for himself?

Charismatic Authority (authority is not the same as power)

The Pink Elephant In Sun Myung Moon’s Unificationism

#Divine Principle #Harry Potter #fiction #Sun Myung Moon #The Fall of Man #Original Sin #manipulation

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junker-town · 4 years

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The worst NFL teams to ever make the playoffs

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There have been a number teams that finished .500 or worse that ended up making the postseason.

The 2019 field of NFL playoff teams is a bit of a mixed bag. With two weeks left in the regular season, there are a whopping nine teams with double-digit wins. But there are also some not-so-great teams that remain in playoff contention, like the 7-7 Eagles and Cowboys. There are even outside shots for the 6-7 Browns and Raiders to sneak into the postseason.

That means there’s still a chance we see a .500 team make the playoffs.

How would that stack up to the worst playoff teams in NFL history? Aside from the 1982 strike-shortened season, which had two 4-5 teams in the postseason, there have been 10 teams with 8-8 records or worse go to the playoffs in the league’s history. Some of them actually ended up winning in the postseason!

Let’s take a look back at the teams with the worst records to get into the playoffs, listed in chronological order.

1985 Cleveland Browns, 8-8

The Browns’ .500 record was good enough to finish first in the now-defunct AFC Central, and in turn, that was good enough for a playoff bid. Quarterbacks Bernie Kosar and Gary Danielson split time at quarterback for Cleveland, which was led by head coach Marty Schottenheimer.

What they did in the playoffs: Unfortunately for the Browns, their playoff dreams didn’t last long. In their first (and only) postseason game that year, they lost 24-21 to the Dolphins.

1990 New Orleans Saints, 8-8

The 8-8 Saints clinched a wild card bid during Jim E. Mora’s fifth year as New Orleans’ head coach. Saints quarterback Steve Walsh went 6-5 as the starter, and he threw for 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Running back Rueben Mayes had seven touchdowns while fullback Craig Heyward chipped in with four. The Saints’ turnaround that season was impressive, too. New Orleans started the year 2-5, but then went 6-3 during the back end of the season to slip into the playoffs.

What they did in the playoffs: It was just the second time in franchise history New Orleans made the playoffs, but it couldn’t lock up its first ever postseason win. The Saints lost 16-6 to Mike Ditka’s Bears.

1991 New York Jets, 8-8

The Jets didn’t have much business being in the playoffs this season. At Week 8, they were just 4-4 with losses to the Seahawks, Bills, Bears, and Oilers. The second half of their season didn’t go much better — they lost three out of their last four games.

This team had some close games and even went 2-1 in overtime games. The Jets beat the Packers and Dolphins, and lost to the Bears in OT. Their overtime win against Miami in the final week of the season helped them secure the tiebreaker over the Dolphins, and the Jets made it in as a wild card team.

What they did in the playoffs: Head coach Bruce Coslet’s Jets lost 17-10 to the Oilers to end the season at 8-9. For a decade between 1987 and 1997, this was the only time the Jets appeared in the postseason.

1999 Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, 8-8

Both of these teams earned playoff bids despite finishing 8-8. The Cowboys were the second-best team in the NFC East behind Washington, and the Lions got a wild card bid out of the NFC Central.

Dallas’ quarterbacks that year were Troy Aikman and — wait for it — Jason Garrett, though backup Garrett only started in two games. The Cowboys going 8-8 that season was rather disappointing, considering they had the likes of Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Deion Sanders on the team. However, they dealt with a lot of injuries (especially to Michael Irvin) that started to add up.

Detroit, meanwhile, had an abysmal last four games of the season, going 0-4 to end up at .500. This year was the Lions’ first without Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, so there were understandably some growing pains that went along with that.

What they did in the playoffs: In the Wild Card Round, both teams were beaten by double digits. The Cowboys lost 27-10 to the Vikings, while the Lions fell 27-13 to Washington.

In a postseason that had the Music City Miracle and the thrilling Rams-Titans Super Bowl, these two playoff games certainly didn’t live up to that standard.

2004 Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams, 8-8

Both Minnesota and St. Louis went 8-8 in 2004 — the Vikings out of the NFC North, and the Rams out of the NFC West. The Rams faced the Seahawks in the playoffs, and the Vikings drew the Packers. This was pretty interesting, given that the teams had already met twice in the regular season as divisional opponents.

The Rams beat the Seahawks twice in the regular season, the first time needing overtime to pull out a 33-27 victory. The Vikings lost twice to the Packers, however.

What they did in the playoffs: Despite both the Rams and Vikings being road underdogs, they each won their third meeting against their rival. The Vikings beat the Packers 31-17, and the Rams defeated the Seahawks 27-20. The two lost in the next round, though — the Vikings to the Eagles, and Rams to the Falcons.

2006 New York Giants, 8-8

The Giants were the No. 6 seed in the NFC in 2006, but it was looking like they’d be a much higher seed at the start of the season, sitting at 6-2 after Week 9. Then the Giants dropped six out of their last eight games to finish 8-8 in quarterback Eli Manning’s third season.

What they did in the playoffs: Unsurprisingly, the Giants lost their wild card game against the Eagles. Surprisingly, it took a last-second field goal for Philadelphia to earn the 23-20 win. Manning led the Giants to a Super Bowl win the following season, so the playoff disappointment didn’t last long for New York fans.

2008 San Diego Chargers, 8-8

This San Diego team became quite the story during the 2008 season. The Chargers closed out the season winning their last four games, including a 52-21 win over the Broncos in Week 17 to give them the AFC West title.

What they did in the playoffs: The Philip Rivers-led Chargers kept that momentum going in the playoffs, where they were able to knock off Peyton Manning’s Colts 23-17 in overtime. Then in the Divisional Round, the Chargers lost to the Steelers, who went on to win the Super Bowl over the Cardinals that year.

2010 Seattle Seahawks, 7-9

Seattle made the postseason with a 7-9(!) record during the regular season, finishing first in a down NFC West. Aside from the 1982 season that was shortened due to the players’ strike, this was the first time a team with a losing record made the playoffs. Five Thirty Eight was bold enough to call the 2010 Seahawks the worst playoff team ever:

The Seahawks are not any garden-variety 7-9 team: they are an incredibly bad 7-9 team.

First, consider the Seahawks’ point differential. They allowed 407 points during the regular season while scoring just 310, meaning that they were outscored by roughly a touchdown per game on average. Although it is quite common for N.F.L. teams to reach the playoffs with a negative point differential, none has had one as poor as the Seahawks’ minus-97.

What they did in the playoffs: It was head coach Pete Carroll’s first season in Seattle, and even with the low expectations, he led his team to a 41-36 win over the Saints in the Wild Card Round. Seattle lost 35-24 to the Bears in the next round, but kudos to this bad Seahawks team for at least nabbing one postseason win.

2011 Denver Broncos, 8-8

Under new head coach John Fox, Denver finished in a three-way 8-8 tie for first place in the AFC West. The Broncos won the tiebreaker over Oakland and San Diego, and clinched a playoff spot when the Chargers beat the Raiders in Week 17.

What they did in the playoffs: Denver’s quarterback for the postseason was none other than Tim Tebow, who helped the Broncos upset the Steelers in overtime. Tebow found Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown pass to get the victory:

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That touchdown marked the longest-scoring play in NFL OT playoff history, and Thomas set a new Broncos franchise record for receiving yards in a playoff game (204 yards). The Broncos’ magic ended in the next round against the New England Patriots, with a 45-10 blowout loss.

2014 Carolina Panthers, 7-8-1

Like the 2010 Seattle team, the Panthers made it to the playoffs as the No. 4 seed even with a losing record. No team in the NFC South finished with a winning record that year.

In early December, Cam Newton injured his lower back in a car accident. Somehow, he only missed one game, and the Panthers reeled off four straight wins to win the division.

What they did in the playoffs: The Panthers weren’t the only ones with quarterback drama. Arizona starter Carson Palmer tore his ACL in Week 10. Then in Week 15, backup Drew Stanton also went down with a knee injury, leaving third-string Ryan Lindley (WHO?!) as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback for their playoff game against Carolina.

The Panthers beat the Cardinals 27-16 in the Wild Card Round in what was a terrible game overall:

Carolina lost the next week 31-17 to the Seahawks, who went on to lose to the Patriots in a much more entertaining Super Bowl.

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whatisonthemoonarchive · 7 years

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Harry Potter vs The Divine Principle.

The DP is a Trojan Horse. The purpose is control – not liberation.

On initially hearing Moon’s Divine Principle we may have felt a tremendous feeling of joy and hope for personal growth, and that a new dawn for mankind was being ushered in which would bring world peace. Accepting the DP means also accepting responsibility for the ‘providence’, and gradually more and more sacrifice is required of us.

However, the goals of personal perfection and global peace were, and are, unattainable in the framework of the Divine Principle. Why?

The Divine Principle is not what it appears to be; it is a false bill of goods. The DP is offered as a gift, as was the Trojan horse. (Soldiers crept out of the horse at night and opened the gates; the city of Troy was overcome.) To accept the gift may result in the surrender of your soul to a foreign power.

Reading the DP, a Unification Church / Family Federation for World Peace member may think they are entering into a covenant with the messiah, who is offering salvation. Sun Myung Moon promoted himself as the messiah in the Divine Principle. As a representative of God, he may be seen as having a portion of responsibility, or a duty of care, towards his followers. However, it is evident that Moon did not take responsibility for his legitimate children, or his illegitimate children, let alone his trusting followers.

Moon diminished everyone. By the time a member discovers this, years of their life may have passed.

The DP is a clever construction, but it is a work of fiction. Wolli Wonbon, written by Moon himself in two notebooks in Pusan in 1952, is largely a synthesis of the work of several authors who pre-dated him. In Wolli Wonbon Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene! A senior DPfollower recently commented about this major change to the DP: “I would think the probable reason was that, in consultation with Eu Hyo-won [who was a main contributor to the 1957 DP], Father decided that this was not something that would help Christians to accept him.”

Moon later changed that DP plot line, saying Jesus failed to marry! Some early followers, who had actually been to university, added scholarly material to the DP, and the first book was published in 1957.

The Mary Magdalene as the wife of Jesus narrative has massive implications for the entire fiction that is Unification Theology.

Maybe we can learn more useful life tips from the fiction of Harry Potter (see below) rather than the fiction of the DP.

How does the DP work on our emotions to subvert us?

Four types of sin are described.

First is original sin … It is ingrained in our lineage and is the root of all sins.

Second is hereditary sin. This sin is inherited from our ancestors on account of their connection through lineage.

Third is collective sin. This is the sin for which we are responsible as members of a group, even though we neither committed the sin ourselves nor inherited it from our ancestors.

Fourth is individual sin, which is what we as individuals have committed.

The ‘Four Fallen Natures’

According to the DP, these were Lucifer’s wrong behaviors:

1. Failure to see from God’s point of view 2. Leaving proper position 3. Reversal of Dominion 4. Multiplication of Sin

This is how these concepts are used to control members:

3. Reversal of Dominion – Man’s sin involved a reversal of dominion – failing to obey a superior. This is a heinous offense in the Unification Church, and even thinking critically of an immediate superior will incur God’s displeasure. We must not repeat the negative feelings of the archangel. Even if we have greater abilities, and can see our leader is making mistakes, we must dutifully obey and accept that God put us in these positions for a purpose, no doubt to overcome our sinful natures.

4. Multiplication of Sin – The fall involved multiplication of sin; Eve was seduced, then in turn she seduced Adam. So no two people can be allowed to establish close relationships. We must fear multiplying sin. If two members spend too much time together – being horizontal – then others must break in and split up the relationship. This is a good reason to keep moving members around. (Belonging to Moon’s church can be a lonely business.) All attachments and loyalty should be to Moon.

This ‘sin narrative’ is a means of control.

The underlying message is to get followers to doubt their own judgement, through fear of possible ‘archangelic behavior’.

Moon asserted that he had authority over his followers and he assigned them positions in his fictional ‘providential’ drama. Of course, in reality Moon did not have that authority. However, if a recruit sees other members similar to themselves being dutiful followers, there is a strong pull for them also to accept Moon’s authority over their lives.

Moon claimed authority as the bringer of the new ‘truth’ of the DP. The DP and other UC teachings present a very high demand theology. It is also very hierarchical, reflecting its Korean roots.

However, the ideas contained in the DP were not Moon’s. He was a thief of the ideas, therefore he has no right to claim any authority from the DP.