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Chuck has changed. Chuck has not changed. Chuck needs to change. *eyes cross* How many times had change and Chuck Bass been used in the same sentence?

My opinion: Chuck does not need to change. I hope Chuck never changes. I love Chuck for who he is. What Chuck needed was not to change but to mature.

I am probably being a stickler for wording, but to change and to mature have different denotations as well as connotations. Change is to make or to become different. Mature is to fully develop in body and mind. Change implies something needs to become something other than what it is (sound familiar, *winks*). Maturing, on the other hand, involves going through a process of growth and development that refines something into an improved version of itself.

At the core of what defines a person lies a set of beliefs that influences the decisions and choices he/she makes. During early stages of development, each person formulates a set of self-truths based on the feedback received from interactions with persons in his/her surroundings. While these core beliefs are often ingrained, they are not fixed constants in one’s life that are to go unchallenged. The process of maturing involves constantly reevaluating the core beliefs motivating and influencing one’s actions and behaviors. It is through this process of self-reflection and evaluation that a person evolves into a more refined version of him/herself.

From what I have seen on GG, the following are several of Chuck’s core beliefs:

Losing is not an option because people only respect those who come out on top, those who win.
Win at all costs even though there may be collateral damage.
Remain aloof so no one sees the emotional scars.
A horrible person does not deserve happiness.
Love is earned not deserved.
Help those you care about.

These core beliefs help to create both the admirable and detestable attributes of Chuck Bass. Some of his commendable traits include his ability to devise an often complex course of action to accomplish a goal and his willingness to aid those he cares about. Some of his more deplorable traits include not knowing when he has gone too far in terms of his actions when trying to reach a goal and turning to PDA (pussy, drugs and alcohol) when he is hurt instead of relying on those who cares about him.

Throughout the series, especially in S5, I believe that Chuck has matured. Although the process has been painful, he is undeniably a better man for it. His core beliefs have been repeatedly challenged, allowing for their flaws to be both revealed and resolved. He has learned to rely on others (i.e Blair and his father issues and accepting Lily as a parent figure), become less vindictive (i.e. relinquishing his flawless victory when it came to Dan’s book), put others happiness above is own (i.e. Blair’s prom with Nate, princess dreams with Louis, and dating Dan), and finally learning how not to not self-destruct by turning to PDA when faced with failure (i.e. Blair not being with him and his father taking everything away). (I could list out more examples of how he has changed using examples of what he did and what he now does, but that is out of the scope of this post. Feel free to let me know if such a post is necessary. I could go there.)

I guess I say all this because the “Change Chuck to Love Chuck” campaign is old. There seems to be a running theme that the person Blair is with should love her as is, but for some reason Chuck is not worth loving as is. Yes, Chuck is ruff around the edges, but those edges become smoother as a result of maturity not change.

My message to Chuck: Don’t listen to those HOs that want you to change. Keep on maturing into the great man you are destined to be.

Smooches,

Al

PS. In an effort to avoid confusion, yes, I am a serious Chuck Bass fan. No shame. No regrets. I like Blair too, but she comes in 2nd.