Here's my problem with Hermies

[Selvokaz]

Hermes was probably depressed. In a society that values conformity to that degree, of course they would've been absolutely garbage-fire god-awful at understanding a mental health issue like that. It doesn't matter that Emet-Selch was factually correct about what he should've done; not only is it too late, but Hermes didn't get to that state through logical reasoning, and you can't logic someone out of a view they didn't logic themselves into.

Which, in tragic irony, is the exact same position Emet-Selch would go on to have been in in Shadowbringers (time travel tenses are fun). Also probably depressed, also ignoring facts because he was emotionally mired into his plan rather than logically reasoned.

Yeah but he was missing crucial information thanks to Hermes memory alteration device, memories that would have definitely swayed his chosen course of action, where as Hermes lack of memory probably bought them more time since he wasn't aware he actually put them in this crisis. Ironically had he just erased his memory of the events that led him to feel so depressed with that device he'd have been a functional person, or as functional as one could be on Etheirys.

[Iscah]

Ironically had he just erased his memory of the events that led him to feel so depressed with that device he'd have been a functional person, or as functional as one could be on Etheirys.

I don't think it necessarily works that way – in fact, it could well have the opposite effect.

Consider that the erased events were never truly forgotten, but etched deeper in his soul to echo through lifetimes. Now, imagine if he was doing that on a semi-regular basis as an attempt at self-therapy. Erase the memory, including the memory of setting up the erasing. Every so often, get the idea again to use it "just this once". On the surface, there'd be nothing to recall; underneath, layers of anguish building up that he can't even name, until it utterly breaks him one way or another.

That said, Hermes' problem is that he cares too much about what's happening and thinks nobody else does. Because he thinks it's important to care about the creatures' fate, he isn't going to voluntarily remove that care from himself, even as it hurts him to hold onto it.