Found this is on tumblr...EXACTLY my thoughts!
Apparently, an alarming number of people refuse to consult their vast stores of intellect to understand why Stefan is doing what he's doing. That, or they just prefer to irrationally hate him in favor of Damon. So, against my better judgment, I'm going to share my opinion! Hooray!***DISCLAIMER: I love Damon and I enjoy Delena. Really. I think they have an interesting dynamic. But Stefan strikes me as the true tragic hero in this situation, and I'm kinda sick of seeing him dragged through the mud after everything he's been through.
SO. Friends! TVD fans! If you:
a) Expected that Stefan's first compulsion-free act would be to run back to Elena, beg her forgiveness, and attempt to patch things up,
b) Don't understand why Stefan isn't embracing his humanity right now,
c) Don't understand why he said "Destroying Klaus is all I have left" [*]…
…you seriously need to open your eyes.
LESSON #1:
- Stefan hates himself. He almost killed himself the last time he BARELY went off the rails in Blood Brothers. Now he has violently slaughtered dozens of innocent victims, completely destroying any chance he had with Elena (in his own eyes), and nullified the personal peace he worked for 30+ years to achieve. All to save Damon's ass, of course. Because he'd rather sell his soul and give up everything good in his life than let his brother die.
So when given the chance to "patch things up", why do we think he'd be chomping at the bit to do so? Stefan believes everyone's better off without him. He flat-out tells Elena in The End of the Affair that he doesn't want her to waste half of her life waiting for him to pull himself together again. Because he loves her, he wants better for her, and he thinks he's a lost cause.
LESSON #2:
- Emily Bennett told Stefan when he was freshly turned: "Even in death, your heart is pure. That will be your curse." And it is. Stefan's curse is that he cares – too much. He feels an overwhelming amount of grief and guilt every time he's off the human blood and remembers the lives he's wrecked. It's a daily battle, as he's admitted before. The blood promises him he can escape the guilt… and that has always been his greatest temptation, because he feels the guilt worse than anyone. Thus, he wants the blood worse than anyone. Thus, he's a Ripper. Bad cycle. Catch-22.
So. In light of recent events, I completely understand why – as he told Kat in the car – Stefan is a LITTLE BIT HESITANT to let his feelings all come rushing back in. He'd probably be paralyzed and useless for God knows how long. He's trying to use the state he's in right now to get rid of Klaus once and for all, since nobody else seems to have the balls to do it. And because he feels like he has absolutely nothing to lose.
It makes sense to me how, in his messed up frame of mind right now, Stefan is able to brush aside something like Jeremy's potential death: because he thinks nothing in the world can restore his relationship with Elena, Damon, etc. He genuinely thinks that part of his life is irretrievable – and that even if it was retrievable, he doesn't deserve it anyway. So what does it matter if he falls out of everyone's good graces even further?
Damon once told an unconscious Elena: "I can't stand the thought of you hating me." IMO, Stefan is stronger than that: he can stand the hate, if it means Elena and Damon are safe and happier in the long run. In the end, he doesn't give a shit about himself. He'll do everything he can to protect his loved ones.
People like to dismiss this selfless attitude by calling Stefan a "martyr". And yes, I agree. Quoth Damon, "Stefan is an insufferable martyr who needs to have his ass kicked." It's unfortunate and self-destructive, but why do people act like this is a reason to despise him? Apparently, caring more about others than about yourself is a trait to be spurned or mocked.
So it's cool, guys. Keep hating on Stefan. He'll just continue to save everybody's asses like he always does, with zero thanks and hell as his reward.
But he'll do it with snark and BAMFery to spare! And that's why I love him.
Team Stefan 😎