Lessons we can learn from Itachi Uchiha’s Life.
“Tell me, where should I go? To the left, where nothing is right, or to the right where nothing is left?” -Itachi Uchiha
Itachi Uchiha of Konoha, most probably one of the most liked anime character, his transition from a ruthless character who massacred his whole clan to protecting the shinobi world, is one of the best character building I ever watched in an Anime. Honestly, in naruto’s arc, I hated his character to the core for beating Sasuke almost to death and torturing Kakashi with his Mangekiyo Sharingan. But in the end, Itachi Uchiha becomes my favorite character from Naruto’s franchise.
Like in Naruto’s world, he also inspired me with his selfless action and his unique understanding of the world. As I followed Itachi’s character closely, I realized that many of his principles and actions are very much applicable in this world and can help you become a better person. Here are my top picks of Itachi Uchiha characteristics that a person can implement in real life also.
1.Sacrifice for the greater good: Itachi Uchiha massacred his whole clan except his brother to prevent a civil war between the Uchiha clan and others for power control in his village. He thought that it could provide an opportunity to the enemy to attack their village, resulting in more destruction and loss of life. Konoha’s peace and protection were always forefronts in Itachi’s mind. Though this is an extreme case, we can learn an important lesson from this incident that good things often come with a cost, and making a sacrifice for the prosperity of a family or society is worth making.
Self-sacrifice… A nameless shinobi who protects peace within its shadow. That is a true shinobi.
2. Be humble: From a young age, Itachi was calm and insightful, showing noticeable maturity at a very young age and knowledge on dealing with every situation. For all his accomplishments, talent, and fame, Itachi was a rather humble man. If an opponent exceeded his expectations or posed a legitimate challenge to him or his allies, Itachi would freely admit it. Generally, it’s harder to be humble when you are very talented and successful. This arrogance leads to the downfall of the career and getting unnecessary hate. Being humble and appreciating other abilities makes another person like you. In fact, in many research, it is found that if you want another person to like you, you should ask them about suggestions and appreciate their opinion. No doubt there were so many admirers of Itachi when he was young.
It is not wise to judge others based on your own preconceptions and by their appearances.
3. Thirst for Knowledge: Itachi was a well-read person. His thrust for knowledge made him realize the importance of peace. At a very young age, he read about both his village history and world history. He knew about what leads to all the great wars and how they can be prevented. Thirst for knowledge open unseen world in your life, and accepting what you didn’t know can make things easier in life. It makes you humble and more tolerant towards other ideas.
In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony Shinobi’s blessing. But because, I’m enlightened by my intelligence.
4. Accept your mistake: Initially, Itachi’s plan to create hatred in Sasuke for him so that he can later kill him and earn a good reputation to the Uchiha clan, which was tarnished by the plan of Coup. But after his reincarnation, he realized his plan failed. Sasuke is no hero, rather a rogue ninja, and instead of saving Konoha, he wanted to destroy it. He then begins to see the flaw in his original plans. He had been trying to manipulate Sasuke rather than be honest with him and trust in his strength. Acknowledging the mistakes, Itachi is free to be himself instead of the persona he fabricated. He later told Sasuke the truth and let him decided his destiny. Again it’s easier than saying to accept one mistake as it takes a lot of courage, and sometimes one has to face a lot of embarrassment. But accepting your mistake can fix the issue right at that moment instead of intensifying to the point of no return. Also, it makes you humble and more tolerant.
He who forgives and acknowledges himself… that is what it truly means to be strong!
5. Fight when needed: A pacifist at heart, Itachi did not actually like fighting and would avoid it when he could. When he couldn’t, he would end the fight as quickly as possible, all the while holding himself back as much as possible. But despite this, he decided to become the best shinobi enduring all hardship as he knew that no matter how much he wanted to avoid conflict, sometimes you have to fight to protect your loved one. He showed it by planing to stop a civil war by first convincing his clan, and if it fails, he will then use the force to neutralize a coup, which he did eventually. Remember straight trees cut down first. Avoid conflict as much as you can but fight the strongest when things are at stake.
Growth occurs when one goes beyond one’s limits. Realizing that is also part of training.
6. Hatred achieves nothing: Itachi’s initial plan of letting Sasuke hate him and believing that it will force Sasuke to become stronger was an absolute failure. Not only it makes Sasuke a global criminal but also caused him immense pain and suffering. In the end, even Itachi has to admit that instead of feeding him the seeds of hatred, it would be better to tell him the truth. The vicious cycle of hatred results in more hatred. Hatred creates pain and suffering, and it will never be a solution to anything.
You are weak. Why are you so weak? Because you lack… hatred.
These are some of the things which we can learn from Itachi’s character. Though implementing the above points won’t make your life a perfect one, but whose life is perfect, even the best shinobi of Konoha has his failure. I wanted to end this article with one of Itachi’s quotes.
I actually don’t think something like perfection exists. That is I think why we are born able to absorb things… and by comparing ourselves with something else we can finally head in a good direction. — Itachi Uchiha.
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