The Man In The Hat

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Raymond Reddington is a character from NBC’s Blacklist. It is a series that ran from 2013 to 2023 with over 10 seasons under its name.

If you want to know further you can Google it, and if you want to watch it I am sure you will find it somewhere online.

My topic for this post is not the series but the main character of the series.

Raymond Reddington also known as Red is a wanted fugitive, criminal mastermind and every other thing that can be associated with crime and criminals.

I first noticed Blacklist in 2021, and since then I am hooked on this character.

If he was alive, I would have given anything to meet him. I am not ashamed to admit that I, in a way, consider him my mentor.

If we take the criminal part out, which is his profession, and as the saying goes

We should not judge someone by their profession.

There are many more things that can be learned and admired about him, as he is a fascinating individual.

Below I am going to list all his characteristics that I have learned, still learning and admire about him.

Knowledge

Let’s start with the basics.

Reddington travels and reads a lot. That means he has a vast knowledge about people, places and things. His knowledge not only comes from reading books but he also has seen and applied the knowledge in practical life.

From his choice of words, anyone can tell he is also highly educated.

So I think he is unbeatable when it comes to having knowledge that’s been going on around him and anywhere he ever step foot on.

Wisdom

Raymond Reddington is not a young guy. He is well in his mid 50’s when the series starts and mid 60’s when the series ends. And he has mentioned himself it took him 30 years to build his criminal empire many times in the series.

That means his wisdom is no less unmatchable than his knowledge if not more.

I have seen many times in the series how he gives out advice. From the tone, the words and the pace, anyone can understand that the advice is coming from experience.

Experience that only comes with age. No matter how much you and I try it will never come to us when we are young.

Storytelling

Red tells amazing stories. Amazing in the sense is how he tells them.

He usually tells stories when he is threatening or warning someone. The stories are mostly about his childhood or young days or the experiences he had during his travels.

The most intriguing part is how he connects that old story with a present scenario. It starts bright and ends in a dark tone.

And the stories are so effective that by the time he is finished, everyone is hooked. This not only helps him with threats but also while engaging a room full of people or when he is planning his next move.

Mindset

Reddington’s mindset is hard to put into words. The best way to summarize it is

He sees the world in grey. Rather than just black and white.

Throughout his interactions in the series I have observed, he treats everyone the same way. Both the so-called good and so-called bad people. And many times it happened that these people changed their roles.

Which Reddington already anticipated from the beginning, that gives him an edge against them.

Personality Shades

Raymond Reddington is neither a liar nor an honest man. He is not a killer or an innocent man. Sometimes arrogant and other times so humble you won’t believe he even has a shred of arrogance in him.

He is somewhere in between. He is the perfect example of balance.

According to people and situations, he flips from one to another. His adaptiveness is a sight to behold.

This cannot be possible if you have a rigid personality. His personality is so flexible that it feels like he is changing shades while his core persona remains the same throughout the whole ordeal.

Unpredictability

When all the above things are combined, it makes Reddington a dangerous individual. Who can do anything, whenever he wants. Because he has the knowledge, mindset and personality for it.

In the series, it has been seen that even his close confidants don’t know what his next move is. He has often eliminated the people in his organization without them knowing.

What is hiding behind is a stoic face no one knows. You cannot breathe properly until he leaves the room.

This type of quality is truly an astonishing feat where no one knows what you will do next.

Bonding

Despite being an unpredictable man Red is very vulnerable when it comes to his loved ones. Sometimes it is hard to watch how much it hurts him when his loved ones betray or lie to him.

In a literal sense, Red will burn down the world if he has to for his loved ones’ safety.

His love signs are very sweet like tight hugs, kisses on the forehead or simply just holding hands.

This showcases his human side which helps me connect with him more. Make me realize he is also a human with human emotions. And like all of us, he can also get hurt emotionally.

Tenacity

Raymond Reddington is a very tenacious individual when it comes to the things he wants.

He will make a deal with the devil if he has to, to get the things he wants. And I have seen him aligning with his enemies in times of need.

When he had to kill or find someone, it took him time and a lot of other things but he finally did it.

No matter what anyone said, I have never seen him back out from something once he set his mind.

Connections

Reddington must be the only T.V. character who has connections in every part of the world. That means every state, city, and block.

Thanks to his traits like equality, respect and loyalty, he makes followers wherever he goes.

The most interesting part is that all these people work under him and both they and Reddington know it.

But they share a friendship, Reddington asking them about their personal lives proves how deep their friendship goes.

Team

Aside from connection Reddington has his personal army. Which I find most interesting about him.

This army includes not only soldiers but also doctors, nurses, and hackers.

In short, he never has to ask anyone for anything. He has everything at his disposal.

The power to bring together a team of mercenaries in any part of the world with just a single phone call is not a small feat.

Resources

How much Raymond Reddington is worth and what things he owned, I don’t know. As it has never been specified in the series.

But no matter whatever he wants has been presented to him in hours if not minutes.

He has private jets for travel, villas and islands for vacation. Apartments to rest and storage facilities to store his valuable items.

He might not be the richest man in the world but his resources are infinite.

Style

Red is a man of statement and impression, and all of these start from the first meeting. So he dresses according to the occasion.

Throughout the series, I have seen him only in suits. From suits to shoes and watches to hats, he has all of them nailed down.

The color combination and fitting everything say he is a man of serious business.

And even his casual wear sparks a sense of sophistication in the spectator’s eyes.

Flawed

The most important thing about Raymond Reddington is he is flawed.

Despite possessing so many qualities he never forgets to show he is human and with human flaws.

He has misjudged people and situations. He has failed many a time in his quests. He has hurt a lot of his loved ones.

But the most important flaw he has always shown and what I love about him is he is always miserable. Maybe we can’t see that in all the style, swagger and gunfire, but Red lives in despair.

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These are the things I admire about him, and I think we can learn some of these characteristics to excel in our lives.

Do share your views on this!

Thank you for staying until the end!