#aang is really out here basing his decisions on a half-completed education

[the-badger-mole]

I just saw a post about all the past Avatars telling Aang he should murder Ozai, even Yangchen (just like in the show) and it made me think: Aang is just 12 when he run away, and when he wake up, he's the last Airbender and last person from his culture, but he is still a 12 year old! I think it's crazy how everything that he says about the Air Nomads philosophy and lifestyle is taken as true. No question. I don't think he had much time to fully comprehend his own culture and its point of view. We know that Monk Gyatso killed Fire Nation soldiers and even Avatar Yangchen implies that kill Ozai is an option that he must take because isn't about him, but the whole world.

How much of this "every life is sacred" is really true? Maybe it was just his interpretation based on his age. Besides, Aang as the Avatar should be loyal to the balance of the world not just his own nation. Shouldn't he, as part of each element, eat meat or at least wear some Water Tribe clothes? Korra eats meet, it doesn't make her less of an Airbender or Avatar.

I don't know, I just think that as someone who should represent all the nations and cultures and balance, Aang seems always pretty bias and unbalanced.

What do you think?

I agree. The Air Nomad culture was both a society and a philosophical (religious?) ideology. I am a Christian and American. When I think back on what I understood about either at age 12, it's insane to me that everyone just took Aang's word for it on Air Nomad teachings. When I think of how I was taught both American culture and religion at age 12, I wouldn't have been able to have complex discussions about either topic, let alone teach someone else about it. My understanding at age 12 was rudimentary at best. And having not had anything approaching a history class since I graduated (unless you count interesting YouTube videos, which considering one of my favorite history YouTubers is Oversimplified, you should absolutely not), I am only slightly more qualified to discuss American society at any length.

Also, understanding a topic doesn't mean there's not ongoing research and education that needs to happen. The best teachers and pastors I had understood that while they knew a lot, there was still a lot to learn, and they kept studying and learning even while they were teaching. Having studied a few languages and lapsing in all but one of them, I can tell you from experience that no matter how good you are at something, continued studies are important not just for learning, but for retaining the information you already 'mastered'.

Now consider Aang, who we never really see practicing any form of bending after "mastering" it. I highly doubt that despite being a 'master' of airbending at 12 that he was among the best benders in the Air Nomad society. He was absolutely a natural airbender, but being a natural at something doesn't equate to being the best. After all, a natural athlete still needs to be trained and conditioned. But Aang doesn't even really practice bending, not even airbending, after getting what has to amount to basics down. Oh sure, he uses his airbending, but we don't really see him actually practicing or putting much effort into getting better at it. There's no reason to believe that he would suddenly throw himself into becoming an expert on Air Nomad philosophy or customs. He was born into it, after all. He studied with the monks (who likely kept the lessons age-appropriate). Why should he study it?

It seems to me, and I would argue that canon supports me, that Aang is not only basing his decisions on a 12 year old's perspective of his culture and philosophy, as he gets older, he's probably not even retaining information to that level. I have to assume that by the time the Acolytes come around, the version of the Air Nomad belief system they're getting is probably mostly just Aang's own personal beliefs and very little actual Air Nomad philosophy.

#atla #anti aang #aang is really out here basing his decisions on a half-completed education #ask the badger mole #the older i get the less the chosen child narrative makes sense #aang needs adult supervision