2020-05-24 20:38:34 ¶ ●

## EARTHBENDER RESULT

At their core, Earthbenders place a lot of value and importance on stability and order, making them quite likely to make personal sacrifices in order to maintain those things in their lives. The best example I can think of is a parent who takes on a job they may not like in order to better support their family. If that parent is of Earthbending nature, this won’t feel wrong to them. They’ll understand that their own personal wants or dreams are impractical to chase when faced with what is really needed to maintain a sense of security and stability. This can be a great thing, but it can also be quite detrimental depending on what the Earthbender associates with order and stability. Earthbenders who associate wealth with stability are likely to remain in a toxic environment longer because finances aren’t a problem whereas if they were to leave, money would potentially be an issue.

It’s important to know here just how stubborn and enduring Earthbenders are. They’ll do a lot, they can take a lot, so don’t try pushing them around. They’re unmovable forces when they’ve made up their minds.

This being said, Earthbenders living in unstable environments or who simply feel unstable or out of order, will bend over backwards—perhaps sacrificing their own wellbeing or integrity trying to achieve some sense of it. I call these Fractured Earthbenders. An example I have of this would be in Euphoria where Fez and his younger brother are shown as poor and trying to care for their sick grandmother. Fez, who’s kind and has a solid moral code (i.e. refusing to sell Rue drugs), is forced to deal drugs and break into homes in order to take care of his home and his family. He does what he must with what is at his disposal, sacrificing his integrity in order to maintain some stability. Another example would be Daisy in The Great Gatsby, who picks financial stability over Gatsby because she’s not guaranteed the same comforts she gets from Tom. Even though Tom is abusive and cheats on her, Daisy stays with him anyways and it makes sense for her to do so. Other Earthbenders are likely to understand the motives of the mentioned examples and heavily empathize with the idea of destroying important parts of yourself for the sake of something you believe is greater in nature.

It’s true that Earthbenders can be content with what’s already at their disposal, but notably the best of their kind are those who are resourceful without sacrifice. Where a Firebender will sacrifice anything in pursuit of what makes them happy, an Earthbender looks around them and transforms what’s already there. Toph is a primary example of this. When she’s weighed down by her parents, she sneaks away to fight in the arena. When she’s kidnapped and put in a metal box, she invents an entirely new form of bending. They can look like Waterbenders at times because of this great ability, but it’s important to understand the differences. Waterbenders act emotionally with their reactions being impulses and improvisations; Earthbenders are thinkers. They wait and listen, searching for the right moment or opportunity to act. They are progressive as an element, working towards solutions that are innovative and don’t disrupt life. I mean just because earth is a stubborn element doesn’t mean it can’t be creative with what it has.

This isn’t to say that Earthbenders don’t speak bluntly or make impulsive choices. Toph again is a great example. She schemes, she says what’s on her mind to everyone—except her parents. The conflict Toph faces with her family, a Waterbender would have confronted this issue, placing importance in their immediate emotions, but Toph considers the greater picture. She might feel held down and underestimated, but at the end of the day she’s 12 years old, those are her parents, and they’re much more at ease believing what they want to believe. Yes, she inevitably runs away, but it’s still in favour of greater world order: helping the Avatar and she’s still deeply affected by how she must’ve made her parents feel when she left. Other elements would likely feel the same emotional ramifications but would more easily justify the necessity of their actions (i.e. Sokka and Katara leaving Gran-Gran, Hakoda leaving his children, Zuko becoming a traitor, etc).

Overall, Earthbenders are thinkers, approaching conflict with the knowledge that they may need to make personal sacrifices in order to maintain stability and order in their lives and in the lives of those around them.

If this sounds like you, if you’re an Earthbender, my parting advice to you is to remember to take care of yourself as well. It might not feel wrong to ignore your own needs, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t. Order and stability can also mean making your wants known as communication is always key. As mentioned before, without proper expression, disaster is inevitable. If you’re an Earthbender who’s already mastered this, well I’ve got nothing else for you.