I’ve been thinking about how similar Adam and Ronan are in regards to their selfless nature; but I don’t think that’s entirely true either.
Adam, despite his very odd charm, is not exactly an emotional character. His emotions don’t factor into his decision making process, and if he had to choose, he would prefer the logical option over whatever he may be inclined to feel. At the same time, though, his approach isn’t necessarily profound either. He is a specialist in his field and fiercely competent ---- but he’s reluctant to allow new ways to shape his judgments or value system overall. Regardless, he is somebody who’s very imagine-conscious, concerned with what others think and how they perceive him, though not necessarily in a superficial sense. He thinks of himself first and foremost as a reformer, as somebody determined to leave at least a tiny footnote in his field, however insignificant or inconsequential. At the same time, though, Adam is selfless, kind-hearted, patient, and would never refuse to help anyone if he thinks he can. He sees the best in people and is endlessly optimistic about life. But this need to be useful to others, to feel accomplished and appreciated, is borne out of the need to be the kind of model son to his mom so that she doesn’t have to worry about him or his future. In the same vein, Adam has adopted and applied this mindset to his closest friends. Though an expressive person through and through, you’ll find he confides rarely in others, and hates asking for help himself, not wanting to be thought of as a burden or as somebody taking advantage.
Ronan, in a word, is self-contradictory ---- about as contradictory as they come, even. Although his default demeanor suggests that he’s quite aloof, yet also nonchalant and mischievous, he’s not actually driven by anything feasible or logical per se, but by his instincts and intuition. He’s also a very empathetic and emotional person, and easily takes on others’ pain as his own. So when those close to him are going through hardships, Ronan genuinely feels for them, which is why he usually keeps his distance. The way he feels is, without a doubt, very visceral and vivid; it’s also often overwhelming. All in all, he takes social responsibilities seriously and does have a strong sense of integrity. These values, however, are often at war with what he has to do in order to survive around criminals. Given his childhood and the fact that his parents couldn’t accept him (amongst other unpleasant experiences), trust, as much as he’d like to take care of others and to feel close to somebody, is no small feat for him. So, yes, he’s extremely selfless but also extremely selfish, constantly pushing others’ boundaries to test them. Honestly, it is hard to pinpoint his personality due to how volatile he can be. Distrustful, yet in want of trust himself. Fearful of aggression, yet capable of being highly aggressive. Clingy, needy and dependent on others, yet protective of his independence. He can be likable and even irresistibly charming and very punchable in the next second.
But what rings true without question is this overlying fear that dominates and drives most of his decisions. As somebody who grew up in a dysfunctional home, lost a sister, and was homeless for a good while, he never feels truly at ease. His mind is always expecting faces of the past to pop up unexpectedly to drag him back, though he knows, rationally, that his parents would never care enough to do so. Thus, what may seem contradictory or odd to others really is just a response to allay his own anxiety and to move forward, at least for the moment.