Talk:Peter Port/@comment-115.64.34.221-20191230025647

"So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be, not the best leader, but the best person you can be."

I've always cringed at this dialogue between Port and Weiss. Port's response seems like the go-to response dished out when people are not happy with the decisions of "managment" and ask them to be re-considered.

Port's "counter-argument" didn't address any of Weiss' points:

- Ruby did indeed nothing to earn that spot. During the fight with the Death Stalker, she got herself almost killed thanks to her cape. And everyone else had an equal share in the fight against both the Death Stalker and the Nevermore (granted, Ruby killed the Nevermore, but it was only with the help of the others). Also, Ruby is two years younger, and she is just obnoxious (she even makes fun of Port in Port's own lectures, and her behaviour in the woods (monitored by Ozpin I presume) was not leadershippy too), while their combat skills are en par. Furthermore, Weiss considers herself a professional while Ruby thinks fighting the Grimm is just "oooohh yaaah" (see the scene between Ozpin and Ruby in V1E1). Resentment on Weiss' side is just natural, and Port's "argument" is invalidating Weiss' feelings.

- At this point, Weiss doesn't know yet, but Ruby's silver eyes may have had a play in the decision who becomes team lead. Although silver eyes are a capability worth gold in combat, Ruby hasn't mastered it yet (and she stil doesn't, years later). We don't know about Weiss' reaction to Ruby's silver eyes and a possible connection to her status as team lead (in fact, we don't know if she ever even thought this far), but in real life, people do make this connection, and if they even have the impression that someone got a leadership position due to some characteristics that are not based on merit or earned skills, anger is a natural reaction. There are good reasons, why such characteristics should not be used for such decisions (and in some cases, it is outright illegal).

- Weiss did not always get what she wanted in life, despite what Port thinks and says. This seems to be just Port's judgement based on the Weiss' status as heiress to SDC. In fact, we do learn later that Weiss' life is not something most people want to have (abusive father, obnoxious brother, mostly absent and drunk mother, basically her version of loneliness), despite four cake butlers... The reality is: Weiss became a huntress student against the whishes of her father (who canceled her credit card as a means to control Weiss') and possibly her mother. She certainly didn't get any support from anyone. Even Winter was treating her very harsh.

- It is also not good leadership to demoralise someone who wants to move up. Although it is not within Port's powers and authorities to have any say on Weiss' status as team lead, as someone of Port's age I would have expected understanding that young people who are (or believe they are) capable of doing more is just a natural reaction. It's called ambition. Port should have instead given her advise what her next move should be. In a corporate world, Port's way of arguing is a good way of demoralising employees and telling them (albeit in an indirect way) that they'll never move up.

- Port's "argument" is circular reasoning. He uses Weiss' reaction after the fact to justify an earlier decision. If also leaves Weiss no path to victory: Either she complies (which she does) and never becomes a team lead, or she insists, in which case her insistance would be used as an argument as to why they would not make her team lead.

In summary, Port's reasoning reeks of "we made our decision, shut up or leave".