Parachutes are devices used to ensure safety whenever in danger. The album Parachutes by Coldplay is a collection of pain and love in remembrance of a loved one, acting as a source to help others stuck in a hopeless situation. One of my favorite songs from the album is Shiver, which talks about singer Chris Martin’s unhealthy one-sided relationship. He writes, “And I’ll always be waiting for you/So you know how much I need you/But you never even see me do you?” A character like Roderigo in the novel Othello can relate to these lyrics. Roderigo is a symbol of unrequited love. He is a man who devoted his blood, sweat, and tears to his love, only to be left shattered into a million pieces. His love was like no other; not even the stars could compare. Roderigo’s character and actions show why we seek love though unrequited, how the brain acts when deceived under the influence of unrequited love, and the overestimation of one’s ability to get with someone.

Skydiving itself takes lots of courage as you jump off heights, praying to land safe and sound. Like unrequited love, it takes much courage for someone to even express their love to someone else who may not feel the same way. Both take on the concept of new experiences. Naturally, humans desire to contact the uncontactable to explore the unexplored. According to John R. Miles, CEO of Passion Struck, he notes, “Curiosity is a fundamental aspect of human nature that has helped us survive and thrive throughout evolution.” The eagerness to learn more about something drives us insane. Humans want to discover something others do not know about, similar to scientists making a breakthrough discovery. In comparison, in the Mojave Phone Booth podcast, Doc Daniels was an enthusiast for a phone booth, which he called every day in an attempt to get a callback in the middle of the desert, lying at an uncontactable location. “The thought, ‘what if?’” dreaded Doc, because he wondered what was the purpose of adding a phone booth there. Was there life present in the desert? “It just really grabbed me…I just kind of became obsessed,” Doc explains. The urge of wanting to know what is behind closed doors intrigues people, resulting in people searching for answers.

Beyond the “what ifs” that linger in our heads, our brain automatically creates an image that we expect to solve our questions. However, humans still strive to contact what is uncontactable to see whether their prediction is right or not for satisfaction. In Othello, Roderigo is eager to get with Desdemona even though it is impossible. Desdemona is a married, gorgeous, head-over-heels-looking woman, but Roderigo is a regular old suitor like any other man. Also, Desdemona was no longer on the market. Married or not, Roderigo is still “attached to [an] ideal version without really viewing [Desdemona] as a full, complex individual with flaws and even undesirable characteristics.” Roderigo’s continuous lustful behavior striving to get to know Desdemona better throughout the play shows how eager he is to obtain whatever he wants. However, Roderigo has the mentality that if he were the main character the world would revolve around him, making him think he will win Desdemona’s heart. Similar to the Dunning-Kruger effect, “when people are incompetent in the strategies they adopt to achieve success and satisfaction, they suffer a dual burden. Not only do they reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it.” A simpler explanation can be like connecting it to sky-diving. People just think Oh, all you do is jump out of a plane, fall, and land safely and sound. But in actuality, it requires lots of decision-making and science before doing something life-changing.  Roderigo believes that through his hardworking efforts, he will obviously win Desdemona, right? (You work for what you earn). Turns out, he doesn’t know anything about real love. Real love comes deep down from the heart, a connection that sparks between two people, not pure lust. Like humans, we overestimate what is yet to come, when really we should stay humble because we are naive about what is out there. 

The concept of altitude gauges gives insight into a skydiver’s height in the air, similar to how one’s emotions can be measured. When love is reciprocated, the gauge can show a person ascending, just like the feeling of being on cloud 9. Whereas, if love is unrequited, the gauge can descend as one feels vulnerable. “Loving someone…requires making yourself vulnerable,” to maintain an authentic relationship, which requires the reveal of one’s emotions and weaknesses. However, people can take advantage of your vulnerability and make you do things beyond your mind of consciousness. Iago, a manipulator in the novel Othello, resents Othello after not getting promoted a lieutenant. Iago knows that Roderigo is head-over-heels for Desdemona to the point where Roderigo will do anything to gain reciprocated love. Roderigo also resents Othello, considering Othello married Desdemona, the girl Roderigo once loved. In Act 1 Scene 3, Iago encourages Roderigo to participate in his plot of overthrowing Othello by bribing him with a possible chance to have an affair with Desdemona if Roderigo provides gold and riches. Iago mentions Desdemona because Roderigo is in a vulnerable state of a broken heart. Desdemona as the solution can patch up the missing hole in his heart. Obviously, Roderigo is going to be more willing to say yes– who even wants to stay sad? Iago says, “Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him. If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport” In reality, the purpose of Roderigo’s role in the plan was to only provide Iago gold, basically scamming poor Roderigo. The scene shows how easy it is to get someone to do something for you when the victim is stuck in a state of desperation and jealousy. They will do anything to get whatever they want. For instance, gold is a rare material. Who would go over and beyond to get gold for love? Only a desperate person would. 

Without a parachute, unrequited love may feel like one is free falling into an abyss without control of one’s emotions and surroundings. The heart yearns forever and ever, looking for its missing half as if there is no way to end the fall, similar to the endless feeling of desperation for reciprocated love when it is unrequited. The story of Roderigo can be similar to us in today’s society. For example, when you and your crush talk, they only consider you as a friend. The times when your crush asked you for relationship advice on how to approach someone. Or the times when your friends take advantage of who you like and tease you continuously! It hurts, but it is a natural part of life that is nearly impossible to interpret. It is a feeling only YOU can experience. That’s what makes the experience so wild yet special.