Merlin complex 

A Merlin complex is an obsession with how the curse of intuition relates to the futility of one's own life and is characterized by bouts of severe disillusionment and reclusion. A person with a Merlin complex is good-natured but eccentric and generally regarded as an outcast. The person habitually offers advice that may seem baseless or cavalier in the moment but that eventually proves to be valid and courteous in retrospect. Such events may lead those involved to believe they have witnessed feats of extrasensory perception.

Such events, however, will compound a sense of powerlessness in someone with a Merlin complex and ultimately provoke a retreat into the woods, so to speak. The person will then journey through encounters with demons as formidable as they are metaphorical. If surpassed, the self-imposed isolation of indeterminate duration can yield renewed empathy for the foolishness of society, profound reconciliation with the demands of the conscience, fathomless appreciation for the intricacies of fate, and other forms of spiritual evolution. Another possible outcome is simply death.

A person with a Merlin complex tends to fear water that is deep enough to drown in.

Spike: I can't believe it. They ended up backstabbing every single one of us in one way or another!
Jet: I hate to say I told you so, but none of this would have happened if you took me seriously.
Spike: I know you called it, but they seemed nice enough. I don't know how anyone could have foreseen what went down unless you're Merlin or something.
Jet: Maybe I just pay attention? It sucks because I just never want to see people get hurt when it's avoidable, you know?
Spike: Yeah, but making mistakes is the only way anyone ever really learns anything. Sometimes you gotta live and let live.
Jet: Tell that to the ship! With the cost of these repairs, we might as well buy a brand new one. I try not to even think about what happened to poor Ed because I have trouble sleeping at night--
Spike: Alright, alright... I'll try to hear you out better next time, okay?
Jet: Next time? Sure, but we both know this wasn't the first time. Maybe my mistake was giving a damn to begin with.
Spike: Sounds like a solid Merlin complex... I'm sorry, man, don't let it get you down too much. At least everyone knows you're a wizard now! That's pretty cool, right?
Jet: Hehe, yeah, I guess so...

Merlin complex by Aethertigris May 9, 2023