Philosophical Fiction Vol. 1 Iroh from ATLA
Iroh of Avatar the Last Airbender
Most Avatar the Last Airbender fans know him as uncle Iroh. He was a general for the fire nation and a grand Lotus of the order of the white lotus, but most importantly he was a mentor to Zuko, a wise tea maker who helped anybody who found themselves in need of answers. In this article we are sharing some of Irohs wisdom.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead
“You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your darkest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.” - Iroh Season 2 Episode 5
Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not. -Iroh s2e14
While it’s always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing.” -Iroh S2E15
"Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights.” -Iroh S2E8
This is a silly one, but not really. Some of my best memories are in fact of meeting people over a cup of tea. That is how I met one of my good friends. Next time you find yourself working in a crowded coffee shop don’t be afraid to invite people over to share your table. The gesture is much appreciated and you never know who you might meet.
It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place it becomes rigid and stale.” -Iroh S2E8
Follow your passions and life will reward you. S2e19
Uncle Iroh is a whole reason to watch the show. Along with his wisdom he has a great character arch that we could all learn from. Both him and his nephew, Prince Zuko. In fact, I am pretty sure he is the reason many adults go back to watch the show now. The show aired when a bunch of us were just starting high school and we didn’t understand his wisdom then. But as time goes on, struggles of Iroh and Zuko start to resonate with us and so does the wisdom. . .
“You sound like my nephew. Always thinking you need to do things on your own, without anyones support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you.” -Iroh S2E8
Iroh is addressing Toph in this quote. For those of you who don’t know, Toph is a blind earth bender. From the very beginning we can see that Toph is very capable of taking care of herself, very independent, and can in fact do most on her own despite her blindness. Toph complained that Iroh wouldn’t let her pour her own cup of tea and he told her that he only poured her cup because he wanted to, and for no other reason. A lot of people find purpose & joy in helping others, & allowing them to do so can be selfless. Allowing people to help you does not mean that you are weak, & people offering to help you does not mean that they see you as weak or that they pity you. It means they care for you and most people show that through kind gestures, such as pouring your tea.
Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can’t always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving you will come to a better place.” -Iroh S2E20
Iroh: “You must let go of feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away.”
Zuko: “But I don’t feel any shame. I’m as proud as ever.”
Iroh: “Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame”
It’s time to look inward and start asking yourself the big questions: Who are YOU? and what do YOU want? -Iroh S2E17
In this episode prince Zuko and Iroh had started their new lives as refugees in Ba Sing Se. Zuko has given up his search for the avatar but steps back into old habits when he finds out the Avatars missing Bison is in the city. Zuko keeps falling back onto the path that has been set out for him by his father, but it is one that he clearly does not want to follow. His uncle sees his inner struggle and asks him the hard questions that he does not have answers for. Questions that a lot of us do not have answers for. Like Zuko, a lot of us have a path laid out for us by the time we turn 5, if not by our parents then by society. We need to get good grades, go to college, get a good 9-5 job, get married, have kids, retire. . . and if we do not have these things we are considered ‘losers’ or in Zukos case: we get exiled and forced to fight for your honor back. But life isn’t about following somebody else’s plan. It’s about you and what you want. As far as we know we only get one life, or at least one life in this point in time as we are now so we ought to make the most of it. Follow your passions and life will reward you. Just like Zuko did when he restored his own honor, by following his own path.