Why Benjamin Martin was a Yellow

I watched the Patriot a few weeks ago, and I was starting to think about what color the main character Benjamin Martin was. When it comes to any sort of revolutionary figure from the late 1700s, you might imagine Reds and maybe even Blues; brave, dedicated, opinionated, and fearless leaders fighting for freedom.

So would it surprise you that one of these remarkably influential revolutionaries was a Yellow?

At least as portrayed in the movie The Patriot, I would have to do actual research to see if this was a historically accurate portrayal, Benjamin Martin is a Yellow personality.

Here’s why I think this.

Yellows crave freedom. They do not like being told what to do. You would think that because they just want to have fun that they would be more passive in nature. But this need to do the things they enjoy runs much deeper than you might expect.

At the beginning of the patriot, Benjamin is hesitant and even resistant to join the war. He figured that as long as he was a good citizen and went with the flow, that he and his family would be alright. Others can fight for him now; he’d done his end of the deal and wanted out. He didn’t want to go to have to go back into a war, didn’t want to raise contention, and certainly didn’t want to make enemies (Yellows hate being disliked). And even though prioritizing his family is a good reason, he kind of used it as an excuse to not have to fight, even though he truly believed in and valued freedom and knew he needed to do something about it. He was afraid to face the facts that the war was real, and instead ran away hoping that if he distanced himself from the conflict he could be happy. Ignorance would be bliss!

But when the fight came to his own front door, and resulted in the death of his second son, he realize that no matter how good and likable person that he tried to be, he was not a free man. He realized that if he didn’t act, he would be forced into servitude by the British army, a slave.

If you want light fire under a yellow, restrict their freedom and their right to be agents unto themselves.

And light a fire under him they did.

But that’s not all, look at his recruiting style. He didn’t go for the well-versed, already trained, and most decorated soldiers. “Only the very best,” as a Red or Blue would say. He thought outside of the box, and through his skilled persuasion gathered a ragtag militia.

He was excellent in verbal situations, and knew how to get people to do what he wanted or needed them to do. Whether it was to join a war or hand over American prisoners, Benjamin in true Yellow fashion could make any bad circumstance come out in his favor. Not every plan was perfect, well thought out, or even successful, but Benjamin had a way with people that no other military captain could hope to copy. Yellows might despise the responsibility of being a leader, but when they put their mind to it, they thrive!

Other factors include that there was a somewhat humorous spin on these seemingly non-dangerous farmers popping up out of nowhere, taking out entire British force, and then disappearing again. Stealing their clothes, dressing up as British soldiers, building fake British prisoners, even convincing the dogs to favor him. He there’s no doubt that Benjamin was creative like none other.

But why so serious? Being a Yellow doesn’t mean that you always have to have a smile on your face. It’s not a copy and paste personality, which is why it’s important to understand the Yellow and the context of their lives. Benjamin definitely had filters that influenced his personality. War, loss of children, loss of a wife, inability to successfully build a rocking chair, and other such things can wear and tear on a person. But Benjamin always made the most of what he had, which is why I believe he remains true to the Yellow personality.

(Side note, General Lord Charles Cornwallis likely would be a Blue for his wanting to keep the war civil and honest. He had a strict moral compass and wanted everyone to know that he and the British army were not cruel. Colonel William Tavington was a Red. He did what was (in his eyes) absolutely necessary to maintain power. He’d knock you down if you got in the way without hesitation. Being a very unhealthy unhealthy Red, he harmed others for power and only respected the immediate power above him.)