Irvine's Psyche, Points to Ponder

Cowboy Identification-

All the males of the Final Fantasy 8 set seem to have some sort of identification crisis.  (Excepting perhaps Zell.)  Seifer latches onto the ideal of the Knight.  Squall is the Sleeping Lion.  And, much more immediately obvious, Irvine is the quintessential cowboy.  Irvine boasts all the trappings of the lone ranger, the gunslinger.  The cowboy hat, the duster, the chaps and, of course, the gun.  But, more then that, he really _tries_ to act up to the part, but fails miserably in the end.  Irvine's about as likely to enjoy being a loner as Squall is to enjoy being a social butterfly.  It's been theorized that he uses the 'loner' image to get the chicks, but I think that's not exactly true.  Irvine needs ego boosts and constant reinforcement, but I think deep inside he does identify with the image of the cowboy, and wishes he  possessed that rugged self reliance.

Skirt Chaser-

Irvine's not just reputed for his talent as a sharpshooter.  Apparently he also embodies the obligatory male flirt/ladies' man.  He's fearless and relentless when it comes to women, even if they do turn him down.  This goes back to the reckless cowboy/loner/gun slinger image he's always trying to portray.  It's an act, if you will, a quick thrill, a means of convincing himself that he really is everything he claims to be.


Prettyboy-

He is good looking, in a prettyboy kind of way, which explains the initial attraction many women have toward him.  More then likely the suave smug manner developed over time, after hearing over and over again how handsome he is. Irvine discovered that women flocked to him and guys distained him for it, more then likely, out of jealousy.  Hey, not everyone can have that kind of beauty bestowed upon them, or so Irvine's arrogance convinced him.   So, naturally he takes advantage of it.


Needs Rationalization Time-

Irvine takes death seriously.  Really seriously.  He knows what a bullet from his gun can do.  He knows how it changes lives and ruins relationships.  Death is only one repercussion, then there are the myriad other chain reactions.  Asking him to be frivolous about his skills or his gun is asking for trouble.  He's never flippant about death.  He might brag about being the best sharpshooter you'll ever see, but he will certainly not boast about his kills.  It will take him some time for meditation before and after an assassination.  The more important the 'official' he's taking a shot at, the more he's going to need to think first.  Thinking helps, or at least helps him rationalize, what he's about to do.  Not giving him the appropriate time can prove to be disasterous. 

Empathetic-

Irvine seems to be quite the frivolous, free spirited type, yet at the oddest moments can become rather serious, even empathetic to people when they need it most.  It's this odd empathy that allows him to bond with others, female or otherwise.  He doesn't use it as a tactic to get to women either, he knows people trust him to keep their secrets and fears to himself and he does so. He has many little dark skeletons from other peoples' closets that he will probably take to the grave with him.

Arrogance- 

Irvine can just as easily flip to the other side of the coin and become a completely egotistical, arrogant, insensitive prick.  His mood seems to be perfectly random too.  Usually, however, he's more empathetic with women and more arrogant with men.  This probably stems from the typical teenage social mentality.  Men must use their bravado to bond and women deserve a more tender touch.  Most of his arrogance displayed to women is sexist in nature... and that's deserving a spot all its own.

Sexist-

Yes, Irvine's got it in his head that women are weaker then men.  They're more emotionally unstable, and need protecting.  A few women have managed to win his respect otherwise, however, usually after beating him down physically or showing off their talents in front of him.  Usually, his first reaction is to 'protect' the women, however, and it's bound to get him into trouble.  Indeed, it probably already has.


Long Memory-

Irvine treasures his memories.  He can even recall back to times usually unheard of, such as part of his time as an infant.  The images are hazy, usually mere recollections or 'sensations' rather then real memories, but he knows where they came from.  He clings to the memory of his real parents, wishing he'd gotten a chance to know them, wondering who they really were.  This comes to be a boon in other ways.  He remembers the oddest details, things most folks consider trivial and unworthy of retaining.  Yet, he somehow manages to remember it, especially if the right stimuli is present to jog the memory.  He has an excessive fear of losing these memories, and so bonding to a Guardian Force was especially hard on him.

Fear of Responsibility- 

Irvine would not make a good leader, period.  He counts on someone else directing him, giving him orders.  He's not an automaton, for certain, but he doesn't like being in charge at all.  Just the mere thought of everything resting on his shoulders is enough to send him into a minor panic attack.  He has a difficult time dealing with pressure unless it's equally dispersed on the group.  When it's all up to him and everyone is counting on him, he gets extremely nervous and it could easily trigger a complete meltdown.  This isn't to say he cannot perform at all on his own, it merely means it's a lot more difficult for him to step up to the responsibility.

False Confidence- 

Irvine suffers from something all too common to teenagers, low self esteem.  To make up for this, he plays up all his good points.  The gunslinger image, the sharpshooter abilities, his flirtatiousness, all of it serves one purpose:  Reassuring Irvine that he is someone valued and important.  This right here leads directly to many of his other flawed traits (sexist, arrogance, skirt chaser, etc.).  He needs constant reassurances from others, however, which often leads to his irritating behavior, making himself out to be a legend to anyone who'll listen long enough.  Irvine is good, possibly as good as he claims to be, but he really doesn't believe it deep down inside, and has to actually hear it.