In The Lord of the Rings, when Aragorn charges into battle with the words, “For Frodo,” it’s easy to interpret his actions as self-sacrificial. On the surface, it seems he’s setting aside his own interests for Frodo’s sake. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Aragorn’s whispered battle cry is not an act of sacrifice—it’s a declaration of egoism.
Fighting for Values, Not Giving Them Up
Aragorn’s cry does not mean “for Frodo’s welfare” in an altruistic sense. Frodo is his friend, a fellow member of the fellowship, and the bearer of the Ring—the cornerstone of their shared mission to save Middle-earth. Rather than being motivated by an abstract sense of selfless martyrdom, to fight “for Frodo” is to fight for everything Frodo represents in Aragorn’s life: loyalty, courage, friendship, and the ultimate goal of their quest. Aragorn isn’t sacrificing himself for Frodo; he is acting to preserve and protect what he holds dear.
Love, Not Duty, Breeds Courage
Similarly, Éowyn’s words to Merry before battle—“Courage, Merry. Courage for our friends.”—capture the same spirit. Their bravery isn’t selflessness; it’s an affirmation of their shared values. Éowyn and Merry don’t charge into battle because they disregard their lives. They act because their lives are enriched by the people they love and the ideals they’re defending. To act otherwise would mean living in a way that contradicts their values—more a shamefully unbearable self-betrayal than merely a betrayal of their friends and mission.
What We Fight “For” is What We Fight “To Gain”
Consider the phrase, “I work for money.” No one assumes this means prioritizing the welfare of the money itself. You give up your time and energy for money because it is a value to you—it enables you to live the life you want. Similarly, to act “for Frodo” is not to serve Frodo’s welfare at Aragorn’s expense; it is to fight for Frodo as an indispensable part of Aragorn’s own pursuit of purpose and fulfillment.
The word “for” carries the profound weight of exchange. It signifies the deliberate choice to expend effort, energy—or even life—to gain or preserve something of supreme personal value. Aragorn’s battle cry is not a renunciation of himself—it is a declaration of everything that matters to him. While Frodo is undoubtedly a beneficiary of Aragorn’s actions, Aragorn is the greater, because Frodo embodies the ideals and goals Aragorn is fighting for. It is for himself that he fights.
That’s not sacrifice. That’s the courage of egoism.
*(This has been an illustrative companion piece to “Pursuing People as Values,” if you want more clarification.)