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In this article:
- Uncle Iroh stands in as the father figure for Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender, whose real father is estranged.
- A man of simple tastes, Uncle Iroh doesn’t look like much at first glance. But behind those humble eyes is a wealth of wisdom that shapes Zuko into the man he becomes.
- Those same life lessons that helped Zuko find redemption can also help us live better, more fulfilling lives.
If you’ve watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, chances are one of your favorite characters is Zuko. And why wouldn’t he be? He has arguably the best character arc in the show, bringing true redemption for himself and the Fire Nation as a whole.
But Zuko never would have acheived that growth if it weren’t for one particular father figure in his life: Uncle Iroh.
On the surface, Uncle Iroh is a rather simple man with a love for tea and his nephew. However, there’s actually much more to him than meets the eye. We see this in the valuable lessons and insights that he gives Zuko throughout the show.
Uncle Iroh’s Top 7 Life Lessons
1. Be Humble
This can be a difficult lesson to understand at first. It implies that our pursuit of pride — which is what fuels the desire to feel valued and important — can also be the reason for our own insecurity and self-hatred.
“Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame.” – Uncle Iroh
Uncle Iroh meant this lesson for Zuko to understand that external approval is not everything, especially from Fire Lord Ozai.
If you can see and accept yourself as you are through humility, then you can live more freely and authentically.
2. Live Your Life, Not the Life Someone Else Wants for You
Whether it’s parental pressure or the expectations of society, Uncle Iroh encourages Zuko (and everyone else!) to think about whether we’re living life for ourselves or simply following one that is forced upon us.
“Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny that someone else has tried to force on you? It’s time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions: Who are you, and what do you want?” – Uncle Iroh
In season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko said that he wanted more than just a nice apartment and a simple job serving tea. Uncle Iroh responded, “There is nothing wrong with living a life with peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is you want from your life, and why.”
He pushed further by asking Zuko to practice a bit of introspection to figure out what he truly wanted. This can be quite challenging, especially if you’ve spent your life being told how to live it.
When Zuko claimed to know his own destiny, Uncle Iroh had this to say: “Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny that someone else has tried to force on you? It’s time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions: Who are you, and what do you want?”
These are truly difficult questions to answer. There are a lucky few who may know what they are destined for, but many of us spend most of our lives trying to figure this out.
Uncle Iroh’s journey is just one example of how hard this can be. He experienced humility and loss after the attack on Ba Sing Se where he was stripped of his rank and banished from the Fire Nation.
Through the process of healing from the death of his son, he learned how to find peace and how to live with himself, building the life that he wanted.
3. You Won’t Always See the Light at the End of the Tunnel
This is one of the more challenging lessons to swallow, but there’s real wisdom behind it. Uncle Iroh teaches us that we won’t always see light at the end of the tunnel. “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.”
“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.” – Uncle Iroh
Coming to terms with this takes a tremendous amount of courage.
Even if everything around you seems like it’s going up in flames, you can muster up the courage to keep going. At the very least, things will start to improve in some way, even if it isn’t the light at the end of the tunnel you were expecting.
4. Asking for Help Is Okay
One of the most memorable scenes in Avatar: The Last Airbender is when Uncle Iroh, about to be mugged, corrected his attacker’s stance. It turned out that the mugger was someone who desperately needed help, and Iroh taught him how important it was to ask for it.
“There is nothing wrong with letting people love you and help you.” – Uncle Iroh
Many of us might feel ashamed to ask for help when we need it. Perhaps it comes from a fear of feeling inadequate or not knowing how to ask for help in the first place.
In episode eight of season two, Uncle Iroh says, “There is nothing wrong with letting people love you and help you.”
Another thing people don’t often realize is how rewarding receiving help can be. By doing so, it can feel as though a burden has been lifted off your shoulders. When in doubt, remember that “while it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing.”
5. Live In the Moment
Some say that life is what happens when you’re making plans. Many people get caught so caught up in the hectic details of daily life that they forget to live in the moment.
Fortunately, this is something Uncle Iroh knows how to do well. He has a knack for taking any moment and making it lighthearted and fun. He’ll even crack a joke during serious situations to lighten the mood. And, of course, who could forget his penchant for making and sharing tea with others.
As he said during episode eight of season two, “Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights.” This shows just how present he is in the moment, focusing his energy on who and what is in front of him.
Many of us aspire to live in the moment and be more spontaneous. So much of our time is spent planning and worrying that we forget how to enjoy life. Iroh skillfully how to just be.
6. Keep On Hoping
Iroh knew a thing or two about not giving up and remaining hopeful. As he said in the show, “You must never give into despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.”
“In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength.” – Uncle Iroh
It might be tempting to wallow in despair, but it rarely helps if you stay in that state. Uncle Iroh says that hope is something you give yourself, and it will give you the strength to carry on even during the darkest of times.
7. Believe In Second Chances
Last but not least, anybody who has watched Avatar: The Last Airbender will probably remember how Uncle Iroh is a believer in second chances. This is perhaps the greatest lesson from him: that we can change our lives, especially when given another chance to do so.
“I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances.” – Uncle Iroh
Even Iroh himself is looking for a second chance. Though it was never explicitly stated in the show, we know that he lost his son through some error on his part during the siege of Ba Sing Sei.
These events set Iroh on a new path, one that seeks to rectify his past wrongs.
His second chance meant getting involved with The White Lotus and eventually hitting back hard against the Fire Nation. But most of all, it meant taking Zuko in as a sort of second son and ensuring the young man goes down the right path.
Uncle Iroh proves that second chances can happen to anybody at any age. As he says in the show, “I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances.”
