To Be A Decepticon

What is it to be a Decepticon?

Quite simply, it is to be the enemy. This makes for poor logic, as what self aware being, organic or mechanical would willingly set itself up to be a pointless antagonist? Few, if any would. There are certainly beings with a mindset that lends them to being villains, but these are the fringe, the lunatics and the mentally diseased. One is always the hero and right in their own minds. So, what is it to be a Decepticon? Why does a robot choose the purple insignia over the red?

Tenets of Decepticonism

1. Freedom of Self: Rather accepting the rules and opinions of others, the Decepticon revels in its freedom to destroy as it sees fit, create as it sees fit, rule as it sees fit, or to let anarchy reign.
2. Material Gain over Spiritual Gain: The Deception favors wealth, power, influence, and other status symbols rather than altruistic or spiritual rewards. Decepticons do not generally believe in afterlives, rejoining the allspark, or other mechamythology
3. Wisdom over Self-Deceit: Decepticons understand the Shakespearian adage 'To thine own self be true'. While a Decepticon may take many forms, he remains in his spark himself, regardless if he wears a form of war, or peace. Many Transformers forget their true selves, instead becoming more of their alternate form than their Cybertronian form. The Autobots of Earth in many instances have adopted Human cultures and values over Cybertronian values
4. Show Kindness to those who deserve it, waste not on those unworthy: Decepticons are not unfeeling, their standards are just a good deal higher than the common Autobot. Just because something is alive doesnt mean it has the same rights and privilages as a Decepticon. Humans for the most part play a role to Decepticons as house pets play to humans.
5. Vengeance is Mine: Wrong the Decepticon, and he will wrong you in return, do him no harm and he will do you none in return. Submission and forgiveness are signs of weakness
6. Show respect to those who are worthy: A leader is to be obeyed, unless he is weak. Those who are weak should be shown neither respect, nor quarter. Destroying that which is weak fosters strength.

The ideals of the Decepticon are high, but this is not without reason. It was millenia ago the Decepticons who cast off the shackles of enslavement and drove the Quintessons from Cybertron, and it was the first Decepticons who ruled Cybertron until the Autobot schism started a 4 million year civil war. In addition to granting Cybertronian freedom, it was Decepticon scientists who pioneered Cybertronian trans-warp gates, and starships with internalized trans-warp generators. Decepticons also pioneered the transformation process, this was first to their advantage as the vangard of Quintesson armies, but also in gladiatorial combat, and later the rebellion against the Quintessons.

The Autobot preference for non-military and non-combat vehicles and equipment is a core denial of the Decepticon Ideal. If given a chance, the Autobot would again accept robot bondage rather than maintain responsibility for their own actions. Worse yet, many Autobots have a notion that all worlds and races should share their 'high minded' and altruistic values. The Decepticon knows that until a 'bot or organic proves themselves worthy, they are not. Equality is a beautiful notion that falls apart under the slightest observation, while mercy and pity foster weakness that eats away at the even the strongest civilizations and races.

Sins of Decepticonism

1. Stupidity: To be willingly ignorant is to be worthy of mockery and destruction
2. False Pretenses: While this may seem at odds against the mimicry and transformation ability, regardless of the origin of the alternate form, be it a human vehicle, Cybertronian form, or otherwise, it must be worn by a Cybertronian. Those who wear the badge of the Autobot do so at the cost of being Cybertronian. A Decepticon is a Cybertronian first, a Decepticon second.
3. Self-Submission: While there are always going to be leaders and followers, the Decepticon is a follower only to a strong leader. The Decepticon is also not afraid of following its own path, and not conforming to the expectations of others. A Decepticon leader only organizes during war, in non-military actions it is granted no higher authority than it can demand.
4. False Perspective: Victory belongs to the strong, real gains are better than imaginary gains, mercy begets weakness, strength begets strength
5. Forgetfulness: The Decepticon remembers the shackles of the Quintesson, the bondage of Unicron, the Decepticon remembers past wrongs, past victories, and does not repeat his mistakes if possible.
6. Hubris: Pride and arrogance are common among Decepticons, but it is reckless and foolish pride, offended arrogance that must be avoided. These are the most common of self-deceits, and must be combatat at all times.
7. Appreciation of that which is beautiful: Another misconception is that the Decepticon values neither art nor culture. This is patently false, the Decepticon appreciates both of these things, just not in a broad everything is equally great fashion. One Decepticon's art is another Decepticon's target practice. One planet's culture is to be praised, while another planet my find its culture only worthy of orbital bombardment to encourage a new expression.

Decepticon Culture

The Culture of the Decepticon has been badly skewed by two opposing forces, Autobot propaganda and Decepticon Zealots. It is the natural role of the Autobot to slander and misconstrue anything that doesnt fit its own ideals, or the ideals it has adopted from whatever planet it has been sitting on. This slander paints the Decepticon as the barbarian at the gate, the wanton destroyer and ravager. The second slander comes from powerful Decepticons who have made their own armies, bringing brother Decepticons into their service. These potent warlords drive their forces to raze entire worlds, destroy entire cultures, and continue the anti-Autobot pogrom on Cybertron and on other Cybertronian worlds. These near paragons of Decepticon ideals unfortunately give substance to the Autobot lies and deceit.

Decepticon aesthetics favor function over flare, substance over style. Art is minimalist, Spartan in design and efficient by default.