I aspire to be like Jamie Fraser from Outlander
Jamie Fraser from the perspective of a young man
For those who don’t know, Jamie Fraser is one of the main characters from the TV-series Outlander, based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series of the same name. Jamie is the female audience’s sweetheart, which is quite easy to comprehend. He’s tall, brave, Scottish, extremely handsome, romantic, a warrior, yet also a capable wordsmith, speaks French and has an accent to die for. But the main reason for every woman’s infatuation with him is his undying loyalty and love for Claire, the female protagonist of the series.
Jamie and Claire’s love is often defined as “relationship goals”, which to me is pure teenage terminology. Their relationship is complicated, it has its ups and downs, sometimes they are separated for years at a time, yet they always find their way back to each other. It has realism, while being a work of fiction. It is love as we imagine it and want it to be, but not all of us find it.
I have been following Outlander for many years now and have often meditated on Jamie’s personality, his many laudable qualities. When many women are first introduced to him, they are captivated by his sexy exterior, only to slowly fall in love with him as the story progresses. I, as a man, acknowledge his good-looks and chiseled jaw-line etc. That I cannot change in my own appearance, though I can try to be like him in other way.
1. Jamie is extremely masculine, yet vulnerable at the same time.
I admire the fact, that he is a warrior with a strong body, strong enough to protect those he loves and himself. When a woman looks upon his solid build, she might be turned on, whereas I see motivation to build strength in my own body. At the same time, he is not some violent brute, who fights for the sake of fighting or some wannabe-alpha who tries his hardest to suppress any emotion that awakes in him. He cries, without being ashamed of it, he loves Claire, but also his clansmen, he jokes, but knows when to be serious etc. He is not of stone, nor does he have a static stoic expression. To me, not showing any emotions, is not a sign of strength, rather a sign of insecurity and fear of the reactions one might get.
2. Jamie is a jack of all trades.
From leading an army of Jacobite soldiers into battle to building a wooden house, Jamie has a broad range of knowledge and abilities. Some of them include: swordsmanship, speaking more than one languages, being good at chess, plotting conspiracies and naturally, seducing women. All of this inspires me to work on myself and learn as much as I can. I doubt swordsmanship will come in handy nowadays, but self-defense is and will always be important.
3. Jamie is a lover and a fighter.
I admire Jamie, because of his devotion to one woman, Claire. I am by no means a traditionalist and have also had my fair share of promiscuity, but deep down I have always felt the desire to devote myself to just one woman and let the love for her consume me. Protect, cherish, respect and appreciate her. I do not idealize love, but merely aspire to be a better lover and boyfriend. Love can be destructive, but it is definitely worth it. High risk, high reward.
There are many more reasons, but those will suffice for now. I think more men could benefit from having role-models such as Jamie. It matters not, if they’re fictional or real, as long as we’re aware of how we could use them as a source of inspiration for our personal self-improvement.
