Life lessons from Harry Potter
As children, we have all read our fair share of fantasies. Of these, the Harry Potter series has made its way into the hearts of many. We've stayed up late at night, reading greedily what next adventure Harry undertakes, and cried when we didn't get our invitation letters to Hogwarts. However, is Harry Potter just that – a story book? Well, here's why Harry Potter is awesome when you are going through a life crisis or have been feeling down or uninspired.
"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be" – The Goblet of Fire
Being born into a family without enough financial resources doesn't matter as what you grow up to be is what defines you. It is the inspiration to grow into the person we dream of despite the conditions that we might be in initially that Harry Potter provides.
"Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure." – The Half-Blood Prince
Another one of Dumbledore's amazing quotes, it tells us that life is not just for playing it safe. Harry Potter encourages the meek hearted to step outside and experience the true essence of life through adventure.
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live" – The Philosopher's Stone
Said by Dumbledore while he was warning Harry about the dangers of the Mirror of Erised (the word 'desire' written backwards), it provides insight into the fact that yearning about unachievable things that we wished we could have had and forgetting to actually work to achieve them is not really going to work in our favour.
"The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are" – The Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter tells us that unlike popular belief, good people don't only have a good side and vice versa. Just like the two sides of a coin, all of us have a good and a bad side. It is the side that we showcase that describes us.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" – The Prisoner of Azkaban
Created by James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, the map of the entire Hogwarts campus reveals itself on the apparently blank piece of parchment upon saying out this phrase. Somewhat of a motto for troublemakers like Fred and George, the password suggests that breaking the rules sometimes can actually be fun. The counterpart to this phrase, "Mischief Managed" is used to close the map.
"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it" – The Goblet of Fire
It's a reminder that running from pain will ultimately only prolong our suffering. Hence, it is wise to battle our problems head on and endure whatever pain that comes with, for otherwise the pain will only increase exponentially, rendering it unbearable for us.
"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals" – The Goblet of Fire
Some great godfatherly advice from Sirius Black to Harry, it shows us how even the elite behave immorally with the insolvent. The true nature of a person, therefore, is reflected in his/her behaviour towards those less fortunate than them as opposed to those equal or superior.
"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more" – The Half-Blood Prince
Gone are the days of being afraid of going to the bathroom because of the thought of creepy monsters lurking in the dark (or some blast-ended skrewts and an acromantula for that matter). Harry Potter does its best to diminish our fears, making us understand that it is our own minds creating reasons to be afraid and to tackle whatever it is out there that we don't know of with all our strength.
"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light" – The Prisoner of Azkaban
Sadly, we can't use Lumos to turn on the light in our case, but this quote does go on to inspire us nonetheless. Harry Potter makes us realise that magic exists within all of us, maybe not the kind with wands, but the kind that makes us smile in the hardest of times.