A lesson on Pride and Shame from the Avatar Cartoon

I watched this and it made me think. I googled around and found the following description of the interaction here. I bolded the last bit for added emphasis because that's the point:

The antagonists in the series are also multilayered and fully realized personalities. Zuko, the obsessed Fire Prince who would be Aang’s nemesis, is disgraced and banned from the Fire Nation, and believes he can achieve redemption only through capturing the Avatar, who, legend has it, is the only thing that can stop the Fire Nation from destroying the rest of the world. Zuko was disgraced arguing with a general in counsel over using troops as cannon fodder in a diversionary tactic, and is told he must settle the matter in a fire duel. He accepts, imagining he will fight the general, not realizing that by speaking out in counsel, he has offended the Fire Lord – his father. He refuses to fire upon his father, and is fire-scarred and accused of cowardice, and exiled.

He is accompanied by his Uncle, who is also disgraced for having failed in a siege against the Earth Nation capital city of Ba Sing Se, during which his son was killed. General Iroh, memorably voiced by the remarkable late actor Mako, is perhaps the most intriguing character in the series, capable of great wisdom and buffoonery, but a man who despite his grief strives to repair the damage to his nephew’s soul. In one remarkable sequence, he is attempting to teach Zuko to control lightning. Finally, after numerous fizzles, he tells Zuko, “You cannot control your anger until you have dealt with your shame,” to which Zuko retorts, “I am not ashamed. I have never been more proud of who I am than now.” Iroh replies, “You think that pride is the opposite of shame. It is not. It is the source of shame.”

Living near Waterloo, this strikes me as very relivant. Waterloo has been labeled Canada's smartest city. Some days, it seems like it could also be Canada's most ego driven city. That may not be fair. Cities in general are not laid back places with people constantly competing for scarce resources. I think it's important to think, when you meet people who act proud and put others down, what is it that they are ashaimed of? Same goes for ourselves.