The near pain in Norrington's voice tugs at something in Jack. Something he'd rather leave undefined, unnamed. Something perhaps like sympathy and understanding, but that goes completely against Jack's code of conduct. Sensibility is a thing what he never should have had dealings with. He shouldn't know how hard it can be to make such a choice. For him, it should always appear to have been any easy choice. A simple one. Not one that riles up anger and sadness, and is that even some regret in Norrington's tone? Jack Sparrow shouldn't know any of that.
Yet he does, deep down somewhere. From some long ago time that doesn't normally matter anymore. So he figures he ought to set Norrington straight on a few things, at least as he sees them. It makes some of that hardship disappear.
"All depends on what you consider profit."
Jack leans forward to prop his elbows on the table. Moves in close again to Norrington, but he doesn't mean this to be flirting, to be provocative. He just wants to catch Norrington's eye and make him listen to him.
"That's the greatest misconception of our days, by my reckoning," he says, an oddly gentle quality to his voice. "That being selfish is a bad thing. To me, it seems, it's the being selfless that causes the trouble. Makes people expect things from you. Makes you expect things from other people. And folks just don't work like that, not really, not when it comes down to it. Most everyone does, at the end, what they feel fit to do. And those who get slighted in the process, well..."
Jack offers up a hand in leiu of words, unable to finish the phrase accordingly. He smiles sadly at Norrington. "That just happens to be the way of things. So I think -- " He scrapes his chair closer to Norrington and begins illustrating his point with his hands. " -- I think why let them do it that way, if you know that's how it's going to go? Be selfish. Nothing wrong with it. Do what you want to do, what tickles your fancy, and they'll do what they do. Works out better for everyone in the end. There's no disappointments that way."
He finishes his little speech with a twirl of his fingers, and leans back once more in his chair, to give Norrington some space.
no subject
Yet he does, deep down somewhere. From some long ago time that doesn't normally matter anymore. So he figures he ought to set Norrington straight on a few things, at least as he sees them. It makes some of that hardship disappear.
"All depends on what you consider profit."
Jack leans forward to prop his elbows on the table. Moves in close again to Norrington, but he doesn't mean this to be flirting, to be provocative. He just wants to catch Norrington's eye and make him listen to him.
"That's the greatest misconception of our days, by my reckoning," he says, an oddly gentle quality to his voice. "That being selfish is a bad thing. To me, it seems, it's the being selfless that causes the trouble. Makes people expect things from you. Makes you expect things from other people. And folks just don't work like that, not really, not when it comes down to it. Most everyone does, at the end, what they feel fit to do. And those who get slighted in the process, well..."
Jack offers up a hand in leiu of words, unable to finish the phrase accordingly. He smiles sadly at Norrington. "That just happens to be the way of things. So I think -- " He scrapes his chair closer to Norrington and begins illustrating his point with his hands. " -- I think why let them do it that way, if you know that's how it's going to go? Be selfish. Nothing wrong with it. Do what you want to do, what tickles your fancy, and they'll do what they do. Works out better for everyone in the end. There's no disappointments that way."
He finishes his little speech with a twirl of his fingers, and leans back once more in his chair, to give Norrington some space.