And how Ten spent his whole tenure being eaten up by guilt over what he'd done to his own people. He HAD to be right because if he was wrong, maybe he'd been wrong back then too, and then everything would unravel. Then comes EoT and he gets to confront the situation once again, and has to make the same choice, and it's affirmed that it *was* the right choice. (Because Rassilon is bat-shit crazy and would have destroyed the universe.) So - Eleven is born with a much calmer state of mind. Still guilty, but not in the same way as Ten. And thus he behaves differently Yes, you had brought this up. Obviously, their differences in this matter and many others can be a result of character development, not just random personality change because of regeneration (For instance, though other factors were at play too, 11 reacts much better to instances of Cloning Blues than 10 did). If he is indeed the same man, his previous mindsets and experiences *have* to shape the way he changes and acts.
Interestingly, I agree with you, but I think that even though 11 *is* calmer, his guilt is *deeper*, he is the most guilt-ridden of all the Doctors (Just my personal view). Because: a) he is OCD –trust me, he is- so he is “okay” and *has* to be in control, thus all the bad stuff is usually hidden under the surface and left to increase and go haywire, b) naturally, he gets older and the guilt accumulates, c) he is constantly confronted -like you said, in part paying for 10’s hubris- with people who are terrified of him and his reputation (See “Why would a Time Lord be a weapon?”) , d) in contrast to 10, he earnestly tries to move on and is constantly thwarted and reminded of the Time War, e) his calmer state of mind (and memory of the EoT confrontation) allows him to not think in absolutes: 10 was either “it was the best place ever, woe is me”, total nostalgia goggles *or* “they were all monsters, I *had* to stop them”. So now I think he sees the picture as it really is, aka, “Well, I really did *have* to do it because the higher-ups would have destroyed the universe. Still. Genocide. Of my own planet. Lots of children. Please kill me.” To quote Ursula Le Guin, “For you’ve done what you had to do, and it was not right”. f) Ironically, I think that this very change in perspective that allows him to at least not think about it all the time, adds more guilt by widening his point of view. I mean yes, of course that is the big thing, but he is no more tunnel-vision about it. So now he goes “Oh. Wait. There was that other planet I ruined. And those species I destroyed because I had no choice. And all those times I was a dick because I was thinking about the War, and maybe I was biased, and did I choose correctly because of that? Oh, and that thing *before* the War, how the hell did I forget that, why didn’t I realise how horrible it was. And all those people who died because I made a mistake. Come to think of it, all those people who died just because I happened to be near. And all those people I personally ruined. Oh my God, Rose, and Martha, and Donna. And now I’m ruining the Ponds. And River. And you know, I really am a terrible person. And here’s another Sadistic Choice I have to make. Yay, more guilt. And I can’t save everyone. And I killed that alien guy. And- You know, maybe the Silence had a point after all.”
So yeah, thank God and Moffat for taking pity on him, and giving him an understanding family and friends, at least *some* happy endings, TDoTD, and a perfect regeneration episode.
Re: Thy humble phantom lurker
Yes, you had brought this up. Obviously, their differences in this matter and many others can be a result of character development, not just random personality change because of regeneration (For instance, though other factors were at play too, 11 reacts much better to instances of Cloning Blues than 10 did). If he is indeed the same man, his previous mindsets and experiences *have* to shape the way he changes and acts.
Interestingly, I agree with you, but I think that even though 11 *is* calmer, his guilt is *deeper*, he is the most guilt-ridden of all the Doctors (Just my personal view). Because:
a) he is OCD –trust me, he is- so he is “okay” and *has* to be in control, thus all the bad stuff is usually hidden under the surface and left to increase and go haywire,
b) naturally, he gets older and the guilt accumulates,
c) he is constantly confronted -like you said, in part paying for 10’s hubris- with people who are terrified of him and his reputation (See “Why would a Time Lord be a weapon?”) ,
d) in contrast to 10, he earnestly tries to move on and is constantly thwarted and reminded of the Time War,
e) his calmer state of mind (and memory of the EoT confrontation) allows him to not think in absolutes: 10 was either “it was the best place ever, woe is me”, total nostalgia goggles *or* “they were all monsters, I *had* to stop them”. So now I think he sees the picture as it really is, aka, “Well, I really did *have* to do it because the higher-ups would have destroyed the universe. Still. Genocide. Of my own planet. Lots of children. Please kill me.” To quote Ursula Le Guin, “For you’ve done what you had to do, and it was not right”.
f) Ironically, I think that this very change in perspective that allows him to at least not think about it all the time, adds more guilt by widening his point of view. I mean yes, of course that is the big thing, but he is no more tunnel-vision about it. So now he goes “Oh. Wait. There was that other planet I ruined. And those species I destroyed because I had no choice. And all those times I was a dick because I was thinking about the War, and maybe I was biased, and did I choose correctly because of that? Oh, and that thing *before* the War, how the hell did I forget that, why didn’t I realise how horrible it was. And all those people who died because I made a mistake. Come to think of it, all those people who died just because I happened to be near. And all those people I personally ruined. Oh my God, Rose, and Martha, and Donna. And now I’m ruining the Ponds. And River. And you know, I really am a terrible person. And here’s another Sadistic Choice I have to make. Yay, more guilt. And I can’t save everyone. And I killed that alien guy. And- You know, maybe the Silence had a point after all.”
So yeah, thank God and Moffat for taking pity on him, and giving him an understanding family and friends, at least *some* happy endings, TDoTD, and a perfect regeneration episode.