That which is labeled good…is evil
"Run that by me again?" Zuko looked confused. He sat in the haul of their ship. His uncle had decided to have a conversation with him to pass the time on their way to Kyoshi Island, which they began to sail to after hearing the Avatar might be there.
"You see, my nephew, there are many different methods and paths to follow in this world. But the very moment you declare one of those ways to be infallibly good, you simultaneously declare any other way to be flawed. You declare it to be the opposite of good, which is evil."
"So? What's wrong with that?" Zuko sneered at his Uncle. "If it's right one way, why bother with any other way?
"Zuko…life is constantly changing. Change is the only thing that is permanent in life. Just because one idea works today, that does not necessarily mean it will work tomorrow. And just because something doesn't work today, does not mean that it will not work later.
But by declaring a single idea to be 'good' or 'the only way'…to say that it is incapable of being improved upon…that prevents someone from experimenting with other solutions that may, in fact, be more effective.
And then that good way will be like a weight tied on your leg, only holding you down rather than giving you strength. Many wise men have destroyed themselves by refusing to let go of stale and out-of-date ideals."
"I see…" Zuko said.
"You do?" Iroh was surprised.
"Yes. If I want to get what I want, then I need to think of different ways to get it. There's lots of ways to capture the Avatar. I just need to be creative. Thank you Uncle. For once, your ramblings came in handy."
Iroh groaned as the young Prince left. He was not getting through to him.
This story will have the last 6 stories in Tales of The Dragon of the West, plus 4 new ones, so keep your eyes pealed.