The Mad Genius
A Lesson in Perspective & Innovative Thinking From The Last Airbender
For those who have never seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, an animated series on Nickolodeon, it is worth a view. I can’t mention the show without noting that the movie adaptation, by M Night Shyamalan is NOT. Which is a little sad given that M. Night once built his reputation from the same perspective altering and innovative thinking that fueled this article’s King Bumi.
Now The Last Airbender is a fantasy concept rich with inspiration from Eastern culture. The general premise is straight-forward enough, their world is divided into four nations. Each nation aligns with an element — Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. Within these nations certain people possess the ability to manipulate their element via “bending”. One person on the planet, the Avatar, is capable of “bending” all the elements. This person is endlessly reincarnated, much like the Dalai Lama.
At the start of the series, the Fire Nation attacks and wipes out the Air Nomads. They are seeking to capture the Avatar, currently a young boy, so as to get him out of their way. He actually does them one better by accidentally freezing himself in ice for 100 years. He awakes in episode one and the series is the story of how he deals with it.
The Last Airbender is full of lessons. Lessons on maturity, responsibility, second chances, change, and too many more to list. These lessons develop over episodes, seasons, and the length of the series. It is there sophistication that really makes this show appealing at all ages. But speaking of ages… lets get to King Bumi.
King Bumi is 112. He breaks every stereotype you can think of and then promptly reinforces one to keep you guessing. See his quote on the left.
He is certifiably insane and he loves it. He is awesome and awkward. He is frail and formidable. He is wise and impulsive.
Aside from the Last Airbender’s flying air buffalo, which was frozen with him, Bumi is the lone link to the Avatar’s pre-frozen past. The two actually knew each other as contemporaries prior to the Avatar’s accidental nap. Even then, Bumi was a Mad Genius.
When the two reconnect, after one hundred years, time has only amplified his “madness”. The Avatar does not recognize his former friend. After 100 years, he assumed they were all long gone. And Bumi, never one to overlook an opportunity, decides to teach him a lesson… or three maybe four.
Bumi’s lessons boil down to some variation of mental judo, never judge a book by it’s cover and expect the unexpected. To pass, the Avatar needs to learn to approach things differently, to see things differently, and to never assume. Of course, in classic Bumi-style, the final lesson while similar requires the Avatar to draw on what is familiar. “What… is my name?”
In the end, the challenge is solved. The final dialogue of the episode provides closure on the lesson and the personality of Bumi.
Katara: So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?
Bumi: Who are you calling old? Okay, I’m old.
Sokka: Why did you do all of this instead of just telling Aang who you were?
Bumi: First of all, it’s pretty fun messing with people. [Snorts.] But I do have a reason. Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years that you’ve been gone. It’s the duty of the Avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius.
This is only the first appearance of King Bumi in the series. He will go on to be captured. Spend months living in an iron coffin, pretty much voluntarily — noting that he needs to hang out for a bit.
He advises Aang on the value of learning to “wait and listen”. He eventually, single-handedly, frees his kingdom in an awesome display of power. He then joins the members of the White Lotus — old dudes, in a final battle to free the Earth Nation’s capital. All the while, reveling in his Mad Genius.
The lessons of the Last Airbender are solid and compelling. King Bumi is just one of many examples. The link below gives you another set of lessons I authored a while back.
I am sure we will revisit the Last Airbender again. It is just too rich in examples. For now, thanks for reading! I hope this challenged your perspective. For more Mad Genius on your phone:
