The Philosophical Paradox of the Cabbage Man

Avatar the Last Airbender is full of complex storylines, characters and lore. But one particular group is not addressed very often, frequently forgotten when it comes to the rest of the story. It’s not the animal hybrids, it’s not the different sub-genres of bending, and it’s not the great cabbage merchant man. Actually, it does relate to the cabbage man.

The Non-Benders of Avatar the Last Airbender

In a show all about a magical, unfamiliar power system revolving around the ability to manipulate the environment around you at will, it makes sense that the “regular” people are pushed to the side. But does this also apply to real life? Aside from Sokka and Suki (and, of course, the wonderful cabbage man), other non-benders are generally seen as weaker and less powerful than the bending characters. Only when the non-benders have some other impressive ability (e.g. Sokka’s intellect, Suki’s fighting abilities, and Tylee’s acrobatics) can those non-benders hold a candle towards the benders. If this seems familiar as a concept, it is- often the gifted get the most opportunity to shine, while the “regular” individuals are often ignored. This raises a few questions:  

“How, if at all, are non-benders accommodated or protected for their lack of abilities?”

“Should the non-benders be ignored if they are simply not as useful as benders?”

“What should be done about those who are, objectively, less useful in society?”

The parallel between Avatar the Last Airbender’s non-benders to the common argument of meritocracy is clear: where those with power are the ones who have the most merit. On the surface, the entire system makes sense and seems flawless. Those who have the greatest ability are the ones who should lead since they are the most suited to lead. But what happens is the legitimisation of the absence of equality. 

Essentially, we don’t find it wrong or unjust that these objectively less talented individuals are pushed to the side while others get to shine. We are okay with the fact that, for example, Sokka is a supporting cast who only manages to rise up as a prominent member of Aang’s group because of his intellect and strategy. When it comes to fighting, Sokka has to sit back and let his bending friends do most of the work since, obviously, he cannot keep up with a barrage of water, earth, fire or air attacks with just a sword or (sadly) his boomerang. Thus, it starts to become clear how this mirrors society: those with innate, genetically inherited skills will often succeed more in life when they simply perform better than those who weren’t as “blessed”. Not only does Avatar normalise this inequality, they almost praise the greatness of these individuals with their supernatural abilities. 

This is similar to how academic “geniuses” and exceptionally athletic students will typically receive more university offers, more scholarships, and ultimately more opportunities to succeed and grow in life. Rarely do we ever see people praising the average or the mundane; only the amazing and out-of-the-ordinary really get our attention. Thus, they may not have access to the opportunities or help needed to protect themselves against those who are objectively more powerful than them. 

Question 1: “How, if at all, are non-benders accommodated or protected for their lack of abilities?”

The thing is, the answer to this question seems to be that there is no explicit mechanism or international Avatar charter. What we do see is that non-benders with money or political influence, such as the Beifong family, have the means to protect themselves by employing benders as security guards. Essentially, the non-benders can’t protect themselves unless they get a bender to do it for them. Circumstances that cannot entirely be controlled have a large factor in determining the future of an individual. For instance, if the offspring of a wealthy family ends up average or even below average, then the child can still survive financially as they have their wealthy parents’ money to afford the child’s living expenses. 

Question 2: “What should be done about those who are, objectively, less useful in society?”

This whole situation raises the question of which “direction” Avatar society should go. Should they make everyone a bender, or a non-bender?

 In regards to making everyone a bender, the genetics or the hereditary aspect of bending is beyond my scope of understanding. Fictional world science doesn’t seem to line up with real world science as even bending parents can create non-bending children (for instance, Aang and Katara’s children). The point of this article isn’t to try and crack the genetic code of Avatar, but it is worth noting the randomised aspect of ability. Bending itself is a trait that seems inherently random, and so is intelligence, athleticism, and merit. On the other hand, turning everyone into a non-bender is actually a point explored in the (honestly trash) Legend of Korra series with Amon and the equalizers. What ensued was not really an answer to the question of all benders or all non-benders, but an allegory to communism in the avatar world, and a dramatic plot point in the story. Regardless, it seems that nothing can be done about the randomised nature of gaining ability in both the Avatar world and in real life. 

But, should anything be done? I personally think otherwise; these differences are not inherently “bad”, and the scale of “usefulness” forces humans onto a dystopian scale of efficiency that turns us all into manufactured parts in a great factory. Plus, without non-benders in Avatar, how else will we have the great cabbage man?

(Side note, if you want to explore a dystopian society that has selectively bred humans to be “perfect”, read Red Rising by Pierce Brown)

Question 3: “Should the non-benders be ignored if they are simply not as useful as benders?”

Ultimately, the flaws of meritocracy should still not be ignored in modern society; they should, at the very least, be understood and acknowledged by everyone. And what I urge everyone to do is to encourage people to take initiative over the things in life they can control. Although some people have life handed to them on a silver platter, it does not mean you cannot eventually get it by making it yourself. Anyone could be special; life is just a brutal free-for-all where everyone has to fight to be someone special. While attempting not to be cynical, it is inevitable that some people will get ignored due to the scarcity of attention, but those who start from the “bottom” as a non-bender, marginalized, or challenged can experience an even more awe-inspiring rise to greatness.