ihopetarrlok:

i hope tarrlok reblogs something from did-yuo-kno thinking it’s serious　

forever-makorra:

crystalzelda:

forever-makorra:

crystalzelda:

forever-makorra:

Korra’s greatest flaw is her ego.

I think.

If she got “rid of her ego” as we Buddhists say, you think she’d be able to connect with the Avatar Spirit?

Her ego? I don’t think so. She spent the episode crying about the fact that she felt like a failure and inadequate and even confessed those feelings to her teacher and her friends. I don’t think someone with an ego problem would have admitted to that.

If she has an issue its her impetuousness and her rash decisions. As amazing as that fight was, she had no business bounding in the middle of the night to confront Tarrlok - or Amon. She doesn’t think things through, but she’s definitively starting to.

That’s not what “ego” in the Buddhist sense is (if anything, in a western sense, Korra is ruled more by her id). The ego is more of a desire to create a sense of self, to sort of grasp on and fulfill desires. Tarrlok continually insulted Korra’s abilities as the Avatar—her ego reacted by desiring to possess that situation and throw it in his face (and look where it landed her); that same ego also reacted by telling her she was a failure precisely because she wasn’t a fully realized Avatar yet.

Her spontaneity and rashness are also part of her ego; it’s how she tries to grasp situations and tries to turn them in her favor. And to have not gone to Tarrlok in the middle of the night would’ve been to ignore her ego and think things through on a deeper level, to destroy her suffering based not on a overblown/false(?) sense of “self”. Sort of like what Tenzin tends to do. And I agree that she’s definitely starting to think things through.

did this make any sense or am i just rambling? the buddhist ego thing is pretty damn complicated

I’m still thrown by the fact that I don’t think a girl ruled by her ego would have been so quick to admit to others that she was feeling vulnerable - she might have tried to front at one time, but in Episode 3 she did come to terms with the fact that is quite terrified. But yet, when we look at it from a perspective of ego = desperation to prove herself and reach importance that way through her Avatar title, I could see. I’d still think it quite unfair, though - yes, she obviously has something to prove to herself and others (see: her recalling his half-baked Avatar comment, and how Tarrlok’s taunt that she couldn’t airbend cut her deep). However, she is the Avatar. It is her responsibility to help people, it’s why she’s here in the first place - would it be egotistical of her, even in the Buddhist sense, to try to live up to that promise when her people need her the most? To quote unquote fulfill her purpose? She didn’t come after Tarrlok at the revolt scene because she was angry he was usurping her power or something to that effect, but really only acted when a civilian pointed out that it was her duty to help them too.

lol it’s complex, but I can see now a compelling case could be made for “ego” as her greatest flaw.

I think it comes back to what Yangchen and Guru Pathik told Aang—that Aang couldn’t focus on himself and his need to escape suffering because his duty was to the world (which is why he had to be decisive about Ozai). But in Korra’s case, she’s not doing things so much as for the “world” as she is doing things for herself. I think she’s slowly starting to realize that she has to stop acting for herself and start acting for others (like you said, when she ran to help the people at the revolt scene). Her needs come after the people needs because she is the Avatar, so if her ego and “self” are used for the peoples’ needs then she’s fulfilling her purpose.

I guess there’s two ways to go about it—either she turns into Tenzin (lawl), or she keeps doing what she’s slowly started doing: focus her energy not into validating herself (or her need to be recognized as a proper Avatar), but into doing her duty.

This is so complicated. Yeah. XD

It is very egotistical, in the Buddhist sense, of Korra to try to live up to what people think she’s supposed to be. One of the four tenets of Buddhism is that suffering comes from attachment, and people should strive to detach themselves from the physical world (samsara). As it is, Korra’s very concerned with how samsara views her, what she’s supposed to be doing, a role she’s trying to fulfill—it’s obvious Tarrlok’s jibes get to her. She is attached to this idea and the concept of her role and thus has not let go of her ego.

It isn’t that she shouldn’t care about the people of the world. Yangchen explains to Aang that the Avatar lives in the human world, and is reborn every time as a human, to understand suffering and compassion alike. This is the definition of a bodhisattva: someone who has achieved enlightenment, spiritually detached him or herself from desire, and returned to the human world to spread compassion and teach others.

When Korra lets go of her ego as the Avatar, she’ll see what the world really needs, not care what others think of her, and be able to spread help and compassion for the sake of compassion without being concerned that she herself is the one doing it. It’s more about the act itself rather than that she is doing the act.  Yes, she can care about the world, and yes, she can absolutely help the world, but it’s when she can do this for the sake of compassion rather than “it’s my duty, I’m the Avatar” that she’ll no longer be “egotistical” and have spiritual enlightenment. She’s beginning to do it, too. I get prouder of her every episode.

(I’m not sure if this is making it any clearer, but it’s as best as I can put it into words)