L.M. Montgomery once wrote in Anne of Avonlea, “Well, we all make mistakes, dear, so just put it behind you. We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.” Montgomery makes an argument that authors and inspirational figures all over the world have told us at one point – dwelling in the trails of mistakes can negatively affect life, not making it worth living. The only alternative is to break free from the chains and release the inner soul to roam free, not to be trapped in a net of darkness; learn from the mistakes and carry on. Similarly, television and media usage has proliferated in the past decade, unleashing its massive database of new serials, shows, and movies. The inspirational factor has been so stunning and massive that an innumerable amount of figures and characters have taught the world to enjoy, weep, and reflect. Even in the realm of 21st century media, Montgomery’s message hasn’t been forgotten. Thus, individuals can learn important ethics and values from their mistakes. Three characters in popular media that have gained this knowledge include Aang from Avatar: the Last Airbender, Ben Tennyson from Ben 10, and most notably, Jerry Seinfeld from Seinfeld.
Aang, in Avatar: the Last Airbender, makes a mistake when he attempts to get revenge on enemy tribes but ultimately fails, learning about the ethic of forgiveness in the process. Aang, the last alive member of the “Air” clan, is an energetic character. He is driven by fury and his only goal in life is to restore the honor to his tribe – the same honor that was taken away from the “Fire” clan, led by a man by the name of Zuko. When Aang was discovered in a barren tundra landscape, he was taken into hospitality by the “Water” clan. Two kids, Katara and Sokka, took good care of Aang, and became his two true friends. He develops a sense of compassion and shares his life’s moments with them every second of his life. Aang takes Katara and Sokka on field trips around their countryside and lives the life of a regular teenager. However, Aang faces an ultimatum when he has to finally seek revenge on Zuko. Many years ago, Zuko and his fire army marched to the land of the Air tribal members and killed them all, leaving the baby Aang behind. When Aang musters up his might and proceeds to the land of the Fire tribe, he is encountered by Zuko at the castle. They unleash their weapons and being to fight but they suddenly stop and instead start talking about their past life. Zuko was abused as a child and didn’t know what path to take in life. He was a puppet in the hands of his uncle and was forced to do what the uncle commanded. Aang’s blood was full of revenge, full of fury, but his inner ethics and values sparked, and at that moment, Aang learned about the ethic of forgiveness. Even though Aang had committed the mistake of seeking revenge and blinding his rationality with fury, he was overcome by compassion. He forgave Zuko for what he did because he knew that inside Zuko, there was a calm being, a peaceful soul, a kind entity. The ethic of forgiveness allowed Aang to accept Zuko for who he was and from that day, Aang and Zuko have become best friends. In this sincere example, one can see how Aang’s mistakes of pure revenge and blinding fury allowed him to see the holistic view of life and unraveled a true value: the ethic of forgiveness.
After Ben Tennyson from the show, Ben 10, leaves his cousin in the dust while he attempts to save the world, he realizes the value of friendship. On a warm summer night, young teenager Ben Tennyson goes on a road trip with his grandpa, Max, and his cousin, Gwen. While cooking dinner, Ben travels deep into the woods and finds a strange watch that has arrived from outer space. Tennyson puts the watch on his wrist and surges of electricity and power flow through his veins, ultimately causing the young boy to faint. When Tennyson wakes up, he finds out that the watch allows him to transform into multiple aliens – each with its distinct power. Tennyson immediately rushes out of the campsite the next morning, without telling Grandpa Max or Gwen, to fight crime in his city. Using his new powers, he manages to stop a few criminals, but then sees Gwen approaching him, in tears. With the watch, called the Omnitrix, Tennyson transforms into his regular self and hugs his cousin. She tells him she misses him, that she didn’t know where he was and that she was scared. In that moment, Ben Tennyson realized it all. He realized that he had become overconfident with the Omnitrix and left his cousin and family sitting at the campsite, wondering where he might be. That day, Tennyson learned about the value of friendship, the inherent bonds that kept two members of a family together. He accepted his faults, returned to the campsite with his cousin, Gwen, talking with her and enjoying his time with her. Thus, the message from Montgomery is supported once more – mistakes can teach us wild things – as shown by Ben Tennyson and his newly acquired value of friendship.
Jerry Seinfeld, in the vintage comedy, Seinfeld, learns about the value of love after getting dumped by his many girlfriends. Seinfeld marks an important spot in the history of television shows through its hilarious comedy and wonderful cast. Most notably, Jerry Seinfeld, the main character in the show, shows a sense of delight and expresses numerous qualities, which really get folks laughing. One problem Seinfeld has in the span of events is that his girlfriends constantly dump him. In every episode of Seinfeld, viewers see Jerry Seinfeld dating a new girl, but by the end of the episode, he’s single. Through the show, Seinfeld learns that he is making some mistakes, otherwise, why would his girlfriends be breaking up with him? Through Seinfeld’s talks with his fellow friends, Elaine, George, and Kramer, Seinfeld finds out that he is not being a gentleman. He does whatever he likes, becomes selfish at times, and doesn’t let the lady decide the agenda. Furthermore, his attitudes towards certain foods, beverages, and restaurants also get in the way with his relationship. After getting dumped by a fine, young blonde woman, Seinfeld learns about the value of love – the value of shared equality and prosperity. He finally accepts the truth that he was being selfish and instead he needs to ask the lady for her opinions and do what she wants to do. Seinfeld takes his newly gained knowledge of the value of love and decides to hunt for another woman. He finds one, dates her for a while and happily lives with her. As shown by Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld, one can learn many important ethics and values through their mistakes, as Seinfeld learned about the utmost importance and value of love.
Nobody on this Earth is near perfect, shiny on all ends, or performs 100% accurately when they do something. The thing is, mistakes are a part of life. In some way or another, one breaks the moral code. However, the righteous thing to do doesn’t lie on the fact that one should never make mistakes, but instead one should accept and learn from their mistakes. As shown by L.M. Montgomery and inspirational figures all around the world, beings can learn a lot from their mistakes. Specifically, people can learn about the importance of values and diverse ethics through their mistakes as shown by Aang learning about the ethic of forgiveness when he forgives Zuko, Ben Tennyson upholding the value of friendship with Gwen, and finally, Jerry Seinfeld grasping the value of love after consistently getting dumped by his girlfriends. As John C. Maxwell once wrote, “A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”