The Black Hat

The train car is full, yet no one dares enter your space. All eyes are on you, but your gaze is down. This happens often as you emit an aura of mystery and danger.

A mother huddles her children together and all the men jockey to see who's gonna be the cowboy. You hold your stance, and in the corner of your eye you see a young woman unable to look away from you, you lean into her fantasy and shoot her a glance and a wink — she can’t contain the smile that sweeps over her lips, her cheeks become flush, and she buries her head into her hands.

You look forward and meet a gaze with a man who wants to show the world he's tough. He does his best to intimidate, puffs his chest out, clenches his fist, and stands tall. You see his feet dance back and forth — your head still down you slowly meet his eyes; wide with a slight twitch practically watering... a scared dog.

Gotta give him props, he's really out of his element, but man is he trying... What he doesn’t know and what most people don't understand —

You’re not the villain, just The Black Hat

The one that goes into the darkness but isn’t corrupted by it. Think Batman, James Bond, or Man with No Name. You can go to dangerous places, be ruthless, but have the control to not give in to your id. Unlike the Cowboy, you don’t do things to be rewarded but rather because they were the right thing to do. You have an unflappable code of morals that is incorruptible and are beholden only you.

The train slows, and the doors open. You lift your head, and the Cowboy prepares for a fight. You give a glare that pierces the soul of the Cowboy — the crowd of people shudder — mother covers her children’s eyes!

But you walk right past the Cowboy, and with a smirk you disappear on the platform into a sea of commuters.

This is for: The morally incorruptible, The tame lion, The good bad.

Not For: The Cowboy, the poser, or the “Good” guy.