"I Got This" : Hubris and the Hero

About a month ago, I watched a Swedish show on Netflix called The Breakthrough. The concept was interesting and ethically complicated: the police were using DNA from genealogy sites like Ancestry.com to solve cold cases. Pros: old criminal cases and being solved and families are receiving justice. Cons: the people sending their DNA to family history websites do not consent to it being used by the police. 

Aside from the moral dilemma presented by the show, here's what struck me, even all these weeks later. The main police investigator is a man whose wife is about to give birth when a young boy is murdered in broad daylight. A witness to the murder is also killed. The case hits the news with the expected splash. It's going to be a huge case, time-intensive and high-profile. The lead detective takes the case, despite the fact that his wife is literally packing her hospital bag when he tells her he has to work late. 

You can guess the rest, right? Highly capable members of this guy's team step up are like, "Hey, are you sure one of us can't take lead on this since, you know, your wife is practically in labor as we speak?" And he's all like, "No way. Only I can prevent forest fires, err, I mean, solve this case." It was right about then that I sprained my eyes from all the rolling. 

Of course, the wife has the baby and the investigator is never around. Surprise, surprise, she leaves him because she never signed up for the single parenting gig. Oh, and he still doesn't solve the case, so totally worth it, right? 16 years later, he has an angsty teenager who dreads spending time with him because dear ol' Dad is still more worried about his work than his son. 

The word for this guy's behavior is hubris: excessive pride or self-confidence. In Greek tragedies, it was often the hero's downfall -- being too proud to ask for help, thinking that he alone has the answer/power/key. 

I don't want to spoil the plot for you, but Mr. Hubris does wind up connecting with a scientist who uses DNA from the aforementioned heritage websites. And I think the director of the show wants us to feel bad for this guy who devoted nearly 2 decades of his life to solving this case, while sacrificing his own family and relationship with his son. After all, the miniseries is based on a true story, and I'm guessing the storyline of the investigator parallels the real detective. But, I gotta be honest, I don't feel bad for this guy. I feel irritated with this guy.

He didn't have to carry this entire case alone. He has skilled members of his team that he could have given the lead to when the case first broke and his wife was due any minute. Why didn't he? Because of his ego. He wanted to be the one to solve the case, even if the reality is that no one single-handedly solves cases. He couldn't release control enough to allow someone else step up and take the lead. 

We see this all too often in leadership. The hierarchy of titles becomes more important than empowering others and having a distributive model where everyone can lead and bring their gifts to the table. Who knows what could have happened, for example, if someone else led this case? Maybe their perspective would have led to some clues that could have solved the case sooner. Maybe not. But we will never know, because Mr. Hubris just couldn't fathom the possibility of someone else taking the reins.

Also, I have to wonder why we collectively worship the "I sacrificed everything" hero. Like, why are we so impressed by someone not valuing their family, their health, their relationships? Yes, hard work is important, and there has to be some sacrifice along the way, but we seem to idolize the never-ending treadmill of work, equating it with success somehow. I know it's all very woke 2025 to suggest having a balance, but it's true. Jesus said it like this:

They say we can tell a lot about our values by examining what irritates us. Our anger can teach us about our boundaries and about what matters to us. I'm regularly annoyed by the "go it alone" leader, the one that doesn't wait for back-up, the one who doesn't trust anyone else to do the work. I get why these people are good for plotlines, but in real life, my irritation at these personalities reveals that I value distributive leadership and collaboration. 

So, I'd say still check out The Breakthrough, but be on the lookout for Mr. Hubris and take a look at how you respond to his choices. It might just give you something to think about.