Appraisal Theory with Tom Kirkman
Last week, we had a chance to know about who Tom Kirkman is. This time, we will go through him using Appraisal Theory. According to Chapter 11, emotions do not stem from an event itself, but from an individual’s appraisal of what that event means for me and my goals. So, based on this theory, we can understand how his emotional reactions were not random bursts, but a result of extreme circumstances, his presidential journey.
First, I want to talk about ‘Fear’. Fear arises when we perceive that our coping abilities cannot match current and future demands. When the Capitol is destroyed and Tom suddenly has a president position, his initial appraisal was extreme vulnerability: “The nation is under attack, everything was blown off, and I need to lead this country.” Actually, this emotion synchronized with other emotional responses. Tom did experience severe physical strain and nausea, and literally, he looked pale and had a hesitant tone of voice.
However, this fear that functions as a protective warning signal motivates Tom to learn new adaptive responses. Rather than continuously paralyzing him, Tom’s fear forced him to acquire the necessary leadership capabilities to protect the nation.
Secondly, we cannot talk about Tom’s emotions without mentioning 'Anger'. Anger is triggered when military generals attempt unauthorized military strikes or political rivals undermine Tom’s presidential authority. Of course, from their point of view, Tom seems to be just a zero-level political experience figure and doesn’t know how to manage the unstable nation. But this anger becomes the most passionate emotion and functions to destroy environmental obstacles and enforce social norms. By expressing anger, Kirkman alerts his rivals to take his authority seriously, effectively asserting control over military and political insubordination.
Lastly, he also experienced 'Sadness'. This strong emotion occurred in the middle of season 2, as I remembered, because his beloved wife died for an unclear reason (still, I don’t know the reason, but I can tell there is a lot of complex plot). Following the tragic loss of his wife, he had no action to take. As the viewer, I can see the corners of his mouth lowered. While sadness feels deeply uncomfortable, it serves a vital social function. Kirkman’s transparent grief humanizes his presidency, fostering empathy and social solidarity among the American public. And Tom chose to accept his grief itself and process this emotion because he had denied his real emotion and pretended to be fine so as not to interrupt official affairs. However, true change for Tom brings personal resilience and psychological adaptation.
Tom Kirkman’s emotional trajectory shows that human emotions are not signs of weakness or irrationality, but can contribute to growth in good leadership.
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