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First rule: YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB.
Oops, we have to break that rule today!
Before we talk about what lessons you can get from this action/dark comedy film, let me summarize first what Fight Club is.
Fight Club is a story about a guy who’s tired of his mundane life, so he starts a secret club where men can beat the crap out of each other. It’s like a primal therapy group, except instead of talking about their feelings, they punch each other until they feel better. Of course, things quickly escalate. Since beating people up obviously wasn’t satisfying enough, the fighting club evolved into a full-fledged terrorist organization.
The main character, an unnamed narrator, is all like, “Whoa, hold on a minute, this wasn’t supposed to happen!”
But it’s too late because he’s already knee-deep in the violence and chaos. Fight Club is a really entertaining movie. It’s got a lot of depth and layers; the way it’s shot, the way it’s edited, the way the narrative is structured. Still, it also has this raw, visceral quality that’s quite striking.
But I’m not going to lie; it was pretty violent and graphic at times which may not be suitable for children or people sensitive to graphic content. But it’s also pretty entertaining if you’re into that sort of thing.
So, let’s move forward and ponder the deep philosophical thoughts and lessons that Fight Club brought. Let’s get started!
1. Your Life Is Determined by the Choices You Make
So the narrator in Fight Club is just your average dude, living a pretty dull and unfulfilling life. He’s got a dead-end job, an apartment that looks like a furniture showroom, and he can’t even get a decent night’s sleep. Even to have a good night’s sleep, he has to go to many therapy groups and shove his head on Bob’s boobs.
But things changed when the narrator met this incredibly charismatic soap salesman named Tyler Durden. As a means of adding some excitement and purpose to their life, they decide to form an underground fighting club. At first, everything seems like fun and games, and the narrator begins to think he’s discovered his calling. He felt like every shallow hole in his soul was being filled with something deep and important. He felt like he had found a new family and finally found a place where he belonged.
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But uh-oh, Durden is up to no good. The narrator eventually has to face the results of his decisions and the course he has taken in life, and he is left with the choice of whether or not he wants to keep going down this reckless and deadly path.
In this sense, the premise of Fight Club can be viewed as a warning about the significance of accepting responsibility for one’s actions and the power of choice. It implies that our decisions can profoundly affect our lives and mold our sense of self and purpose.
But hey, at least he got to punch some people along the way, right?
2. Consumer Culture Is Its Own Kind of Prison
Throughout the story, Tyler presents himself as a countercultural figure who is critical of mainstream values and conventions. He encourages Jack to question the status quo and embrace his primal instincts. Tyler depicts how consumer culture and materialism can be limiting and constricting, distracting us from more meaningful or authentic ways of living. So in a way, you could say that Tyler Durden is a minimalist – or at least, he’s definitely not your average consumer culture junkie.
But how do consumer culture and materialism really affect us?
People often assume that being successful and happy means having nice things, such as a big house or an expensive car; however, materialism yields only temporary happiness.
To better understand the part materialism plays in people’s lives and how it links to other psychological and social elements, researchers Richins and Dawson created the first materialism scale in the early 1990s. The materialism scale was used to examine consumer behavior, social comparison, and the connection between materialism and happiness. However, the scale shows that people have gone too far in materialism, prioritizing what they have and judging their success based on how many possessions they own.
Like what Durden said in the movie:
“The things you own end up owning you. It’s only after you lose everything that you’re free to do anything.”
Thus, Durden implies embracing a more minimalistic approach to life because that’s where we are genuinely free to pursue our goals and passions. Furthermore, it suggests that material possessions do not determine a person’s worth and value. In other words, you are not what you own. Instead, focus on more meaningful and intrinsic sources of happiness and fulfillment rather than placing too much value on external markers of success, such as material possessions and status.
3. Acknowledging Both the Good and Bad Aspects of Yourself
A combination of psychological and social factors drives our reluctance to show our bad side to everyone. We want to present ourselves positively to protect our self-respect, avoid judgment, and maintain social acceptance. Showing our bad side would just get in the way of that. Who wants to be known as someone who always loses their temper or procrastinates on everything? Not me!
Of course, there’s always the argument that being authentic and genuine is more important than trying to put on a facade. And that’s a valid point. But let’s be real. Sometimes it’s just easier (and less scary) to hide our flaws and present ourselves in the best possible light.
The concept of the “shadow,” as developed by Carl Jung, can be seen as relevant to the narrator’s character arc in the film. While his (the narrator’s) outside life may seem perfectly normal, he harbors a dark side that he actively denies.
In the movie, Edward Norton’s character is unaware of his shadow (which eventually creates an alter ego called Tyler Durden). Tyler is the epitome of cool, rocking leather jackets and a rebellious attitude while challenging authority at every turn. In contrast, Jack is more of a conformist, donning his khakis and button-down shirt as he dutifully follows the rules as a corporate drone. In other words, Tyler is everything Jack aspires to be.
Jung believed that the shadow represents the unconscious part of the psyche that comprises all the traits and emotions we try to suppress or ignore. This shadow often embodies the darker, more unsavory aspects of our personality and can include both positive and negative qualities. As seen in the narrator’s character in Fight Club, when he allowed his shadow to emerge, it became a formidable force to be reckoned with.
Think about it: if we only focus on the good stuff about ourselves, we’ll be like a one-trick pony known for just one thing and nothing else. We run the risk of becoming self-righteous jerks who can’t admit when we’re wrong, and ignoring our bad stuff is like trying to hide a zit under a Band-Aid; it’s still there, festering and growing, and eventually, it’s going to burst out in all its ugly glory.
But we can realize our full potential when we embrace all aspects of ourselves – the good, the bad, and even what society thinks is ugly or unacceptable. When we’re genuine and authentic, we create an atmosphere of trust and vulnerability that fosters meaningful relationships. Who doesn’t want that?
4. Men Need and Want to Cry
Okay, I have to admit, the scene in Fight Club where Edward Norton’s character has to cry on Bob’s boobs while attending support groups he doesn’t even need is pretty hilarious. But it’s also a pretty spot-on representation of how men experience crying – it’s a moment where we have to lower our defenses and allow ourselves to be vulnerable in front of someone else.
Let’s be honest, that’s not a comfortable feeling for most men. You know, because we’re supposed to be tough, emotionless, and all that jazz.
But the truth is, men need and want to cry. It can be tiring to cry in front of your relatives and friends, who often make a big deal out of it. I mean, come on. You’re just a dude who needs to let it out. And if you can’t do it in front of your family, who can you do it in front of? You need to cry sometimes, man. It’s OK.
But…ah, Fight Club. Instead of crying and chatting about our feelings as normal people do in support groups, they punch each other and soon evolve into a terrorist group that bombs buildings instead. You know, because that’s totally a healthy and productive way to deal with our emotions! No need for all that touchy-feely therapy crap; just a good old-fashioned fistfight will do the trick.
Sarcasm aside, it’s obvious that Fight Club is chock-full of toxic and fragile masculinity. Still, the film doesn’t exactly glorify it or anything. It’s a telling reminder that when guys obsess about their masculinity, they often act like total nutcases. That’s why at the end of the movie, the narrator is all like, “whoops, maybe I shouldn’t have caused all this chaos and formed a terrorist organization.”
Even though Tyler bites the dust, he still manages to go out with a bang by destroying some buildings with credit card records. And the narrator? He’s just happy to have his sanity back. It’s a wild ride, but at least Marla’s there to hold his hand as the world’s going down in flames with some Pixie’s dramatic song playing in the background.
And that’s a wrap on what I learned from Fight Club! Thanks for sticking with me and holding my hand ’til the end like Marla. Now let’s go punch each other and embrace our shadows. Kidding, kidding…mostly.
