MovieChat Forums > Family Ties (1982) Discussion > Alex may be the most unselfish character...

Alex may be the most unselfish character in the history of television

posted 8 years ago by jptf2
4 replies | jump to latest

It's funny, because for all his posturing and sarcastic quips, he is unbelievably selfless.

This is a guy who privately withdrew from a $2500 scholarship competition to let Mallory win.

A guy who quit a $45,000 per year job because he couldn't live with the guilt of knowing him being hired was the reason his friend got fired.

He walked out of an interview at Princeton, sacrificing his chance for admission, to console Mallory after she caught her boyfriend cheating on her.

He genuinely cares more about other people's happiness than his own. And that fact about himself clearly bothers him because it's such an obvious impediment to his goal of making money.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] 8 years ago

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[–] averagejoeman2013 8 years ago

I think he portrayed the best of what his philosophy ultimately revealed. Yes...work hard for success...but in that success...it is your honor and compassion that voluntarily compels you to give to the less fortunate. Touching episodes with Alex showing that those who want to be successful usually have at least as big of a heart as those who often chastise them for that mentality.

"Obamacare: It only works if you don't!"

[–] Fiery_Boycs 8 years ago

That episode with Mallory finding her boyfriend cheating always annoyed the *beep* out of me. Your point about Alex being unselfish are counterbalanced by Mallory being unbelievably selfish. And I use that word in the literal sense; her walking in on the interview was utterly ridiculous!

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