Curate, connect, and discover
Something I have noticed is that so often in media and in real life, is that we push around this narrative that having a “dark side” or being someone who “you don’t wanna see mad” is a good thing.
If you have a “dark side” you’re dangerous, someone who could hurt others and be cruel, and that makes you strong. That being good in a fight, having the ability to be scary when your angry, those are things that push authority.
I don’t get it.
Why must being benign be seen as a weakness?
Being harmless does not make you fragile.
Violence and strength have been so interwoven to the point people mistake one for the other.
Being violent does not make you strong, and being strong does not mean you have to be violent.
One of the greatest ways to show strength not in a character but in life in general is to choose forgiveness (seriously, like watch ATLA and see how Aang shows great strength by forgiving others instead of lashing out).
Anger is a valid and real emotion that you are allowed to express, but it is not one that should be wielded as a weapon. Anger is a secondary emotion, morphed from pain and sorrow.
Anger is like fire. It’s okay to light a fire, as long as it is safe and contained. You can keep a fire in a fire pit going for as long as you want, just don’t burn a forest.
Do not fear your anger and do not use it to strike fear in others. Being kind does not make you weak, being forgiving does not make you soft.
Generosity, honesty, fragility with your emotions—these can bring you strength. To be open with who you are and how you feel is a tremendous feat.
It takes courage to cry, to ask for help, to forgive.
Know that being loving is not a weakness, understand that forgiveness takes strength.
It’s easy to kill a fly, but it takes effort to capture it and bring it home.