angstandhappiness:aeolianocean:marauders4evr:It just hit me…Aang did think like a mad genius!He open
angstandhappiness:aeolianocean:marauders4evr:It just hit me…Aang did think like a mad genius!He opened his mind to the possibilities!In fact, I daresay, it was only when he opened his mind to the possibilities that he was able to actually succeed!He initially wanted to go to the Northern Water Tribe so that he could find a Master to teach him waterbending. Instead, they fought against the patriarchal system, so that Master Pakku could teach Katara, giving her the ability and confidence to train Aang.He initially wanted Bumi to teach him earthbending. Then, he tried going to a school for earthbenders. Then, he sought out a wrestler. Then, he found Toph, who taught him to wait and listen to the earth.His first attempt at learning firebending ended terribly. He initially vowed off the element until Zuko joined them. When Zuko’s own powers were blocked, they went on an adventure, danced with dragons, and Aang learned true firebending.And, of course, he found a way to defeat Ozai without violating his nomadic pact to never take someone’s life.Aang, you’re a mad genius!I’ve always felt weird about the ending AtlA. Loved it, but felt weird when I thought about it in the context of: “Aang is essentially savior of this world, putting his personal beliefs in the way of the world’s safety is irresponsible, what would he have done if energy-bending weren’t discovered?” I wasn’t constantly viewing it that way but I felt bothered by that interpretation I was having and couldn’t really formulate a counter-explanationBut OP perfectly explains this. Aang is fixing the problems of people bound to a specific way of thinking, the thinking of that created and perpetuated the Hundred Year War. He must think outside the box, in a new way (or I guess 100+ year old way) to solve these problems.Seeing AtlA’s finale as a shirking of Aang’s avatar responsibilities was not the full picture. Aang has to think like a mad genius in order to think of innovative solutions to problems, and the culmination of this is Aang seeking out the call of the Lion Turtle at the 11th hour. Anyone else might be pushed to train, or to give in to the easy solution of violence, but he sought the weirder way and stuck with it, even after previous Avatars in their limited view discouraged him.Thanks OP!FASCINATING -- source link