In Emmerdale last night (Thursday, April 11), it looked like John is suffering from hero syndrome – but, what is it?
John’s formed a pattern of putting people in dangerous situations just so he can save them (or try to) afterwards.
And, believe it or not, this isn’t something that’s just exclusive to soap world. It’s a real condition.
John’s quest to play the ‘hero’ in Emmerdale
Yesterday in the Dales, John was working at the surgery with Jacob when he decided to switch the sticker on their coffees so that Jacob would take a sip out of the one with almond milk in.
He then nipped out of the room when Jacob went into anaphylactic shock, rushing back in to play the ‘hero’ in front of Victoria.
With John saving Jacob’s life, he enjoyed the praise (and the bonus of his warning at the surgery being forgotten about).
A series of flashbacks then showed how John had done things like this before. He’d drugged Chas, rushed to save Aaron’s life at the boxing match, framed Ella, saved Ruby in the barn fire… and had killed Nate after injecting him with something and being unable to save him.
It seems that John is always around whenever there’s danger… and that’s because half of the time, he’s created the dangerous situation in the first place.
What is hero syndrome and does John have it?
With John desperate to play the ‘hero,’ it looks like he might be suffering from ‘hero syndrome.’ But, what is it?
While ‘hero syndrome’ aka ‘saviour complex’ isn’t an official diagnosis, it is an actual thing – with the term being used by psychologists to describe someone who often creates dangerous situations just so they can solve them and receive praise as a result.
A person’s self-worth relies upon others perceiving them as a ‘hero,’ even if that means creating a ‘victim’ to save.
Real-life examples of this ‘hero complex’ include firefighters who have deliberately created their own fires just so they could put them out afterwards.
With John putting lives at risk by making other people ill, it seems that him having a ‘hero complex’ might be the best way to describe him.
But, will he put any more lives in danger?
Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale? All the cast exits, arrivals and returns
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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