Do you have someone you can’t forgive? We tend to feel unforgiving when our important values are violated. For example, someone who values punctuality might feel frustrated with those who are often late. However, living with negative emotions can be tough, right?
This time, let’s learn how to break the cycle of hatred through the Japanese manga “Attack on Titan” by Hajime Isayama!
What kind of manga is Attack on Titan?
It’s a story about a young boy named Eren Yeager who fights as a soldier to exterminate the Titans that threaten humanity’s peace.
Hajime Isayama. 2009. Attack on Titan. Japan: Kodansha
How does hatred arise?
When Eren Yeager was 10 years old, his hometown was suddenly destroyed by Titans. At that time, he witnessed his mother being eaten by a Titan right before his eyes. This event led him to vow to become a soldier and eradicate every Titan. In other words, he felt anger and hatred because something precious to him was taken away.
Does Hatred Disappear with Revenge?
Afterward, Eren Yeager attacks the Liberio Internment Zone in Marley, the country that directed the Titans to his hometown. In other words, he exacted his revenge after nine years. However, this act incites the anger of Gabi, a young girl who lost her friends and comrades during the attack. Fueled by vengeance, Gabi kills one of Eren’s dear friends.
From this, we can see that revenge driven by hatred does not extinguish hatred but instead breeds new hatred.
Like Eren, Gabi’s revenge also generates new hatred. Later, she is resented by Kaya, the sister of the person she killed.
Gabi tries to justify her actions by saying, “The magnitude of the sins your ancestors committed 100 years ago is the problem.” But Kaya retorts, “So what sins have we, who are living now, committed?“
Hajime Isayama.Episodes 5-70.Attack on Titan.Japan: MAPPA
In other words, Gabi attempts to justify her actions through historical facts, but this kind of “displacement of aggression” is what perpetuates the cycle of hatred.
“Unhappy people seek the cause of their unhappiness in someone else.”
“If they attribute their current unhappiness to ‘that person,’ naturally, they will hate that person. The more unhappy they become, the more intensely they will hate ‘that person.'”
“They can only think of ‘that person’ as the cause of their misery. This is the displacement of aggression.”
Kato Taizo. 2008. The Person You Just Can’t “Forgive”. Japan: Bestsellers, pp. 112.114.120
How Can We Break the Cycle of Hatred?
Now, let’s move toward a fundamental solution and start letting go of hatred!
We have seen that revenge only breeds more hatred. So, how can we stop this vicious cycle? In short, self-reflection is the fundamental solution.
In “Attack on Titan,” Gabi realizes something through her interactions with the Eldians, who she had been taught were “devils.”
“There were no devils. There were only people on this island. We’ve been doing the same thing over and over, labeling people we’ve never even seen as devils!”
Hajime Isayama.Episodes 6-77.Attack on Titan.Japan: MAPPA
Gabi then reflects on her actions:
Gabi: “No, the devil is me. I’ve killed so many people just to be praised. That’s my devil.”
Niccolo: “That devil is in me too, and in Kaya, and everyone else. It’s because everyone has a devil inside that the world has become like this.”
Hajime Isayama.Episodes 6-81.Attack on Titan.Japan: MAPPA
In other words, Gabi becomes aware of the hatred within herself. This introspection is the first step toward breaking the cycle of hatred.
“People who commit indiscriminate acts of violence do so because their sense of self is not established.”
“The important thing is your awareness when your sense of self is about to be overwhelmed by feelings of hatred. In other words, can you recognize when you are about to be submerged in feelings of hatred?”
Kato, Taizo. 2008. The Person You Just Can’t “Forgive“. Japan: Bestsellers, pp. 63.
Additionally, focus on the sense of lack within yourself. If Gabi could acknowledge herself without needing others’ praise, perhaps she wouldn’t have felt the need to kill others.
“The reason people harbor hatred is their own frustration. When a frustrated person says, ‘I can’t forgive that person,’ the one they truly can’t forgive is themselves.”
“People become kind when they honestly acknowledge their frustrations. Kindness comes from honesty. A kind person can acknowledge others. If you become honest, you can understand and forgive others.”
Kato, Taizo. 2008. The Person You Just Can’t “Forgive“. Japan: Bestsellers, pp. 120.115
In other words, if you can forgive yourself without blaming others for your frustrations, you can forgive others as well. By doing so, you can free yourself from the feelings of hatred that arise within you.
Summary
When Eren Yeager lost his hometown and his mother, I couldn’t help but sympathize with him. Readers probably thought that the Titans, the “devils,” had to be defeated. However, what is right for oneself is not necessarily right for everyone. “Attack on Titan” is a great work that teaches us what is needed to live with people from different backgrounds and cultures!