Once again, thanks to Angelica for tagging me for this exciting little challenge!
Rules
• Thank the person who nominated you.
• Post a quote for 3 consecutive days (1 quote for each day, can be a super short post).
• Nominate three new bloggers each day.
Today’s Quote:
“Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy’s first law of Equivalent Exchange”
I kid you not, I suffered through two years of IB HL Chemistry in high school thanks to Fullmetal Alchemist. I barely knew anything about sciences back when I was making the choice between chemistry, biology, and physics (you need one to fulfill the requirements of the IB program), and I chose chem because…hey, balancing equations! Isn’t that just like equivalent exchange? How naive…(and yes, I might just have taken physics if the last anime I watched had been Steins;Gate or something). Chem wasn’t that bad in the end. I got through it by relying on pure memorization rather than understanding. The knowledge is kind of useless to me today, but then how many high school subjects are all that relevant to your life in the end?
About the quote though, I can very much agree with what it claims. I mentioned in yesterday’s quote post that I don’t believe in optimism. Life is full of sacrifices, and I think that’s something to recognize – without acknowledging this loss, your gain is a lot less valuable. There’s something poignant about this quote that I really like.
Tags:
Again, only if you have the time~
And like last time, here’s a bonus I found:
No idea where it came from (probably not an actual Gluttony quote), but this is oddly depressing…
The Moyatorium 
Awesome quote! It makes me want to watch Fullmetal Alchemist, because I haven’t yet, and I really need to… I look forward to seeing the rest of your quotes!
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That bonus thingy though… 😛
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Thank you! It’s a long-ish series but it will definitely be worth your time. One more quote left! Still have no idea what to do for that one.
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That’s one of my favourite anime quotes! I feel like I have a general understanding of what it means, but I would like to know more in depth about it… ^^
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You pay for what you gain, basically. It’s pretty interesting in the context of FMA, with the practice of alchemy and how you can only transmute something by sacrificing another material of equivalent value (as far as I can recall). And a human life costs more than the chemical components that make up a human, which is why Ed and Al fail to bring back their mom.
It also kind of helped me think about equilibriums and stuff when I was taking chemistry…XD
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Mhmm. It’s been too many years since I last watched it! I should rewatch it, haha.
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This quote is actually one of those mindsets I kind of hate.
My mother specifically had a habit where she would make herself suffer, because she thought that somehow everything would balance out and she would be rewarded or something for her pain.
Thing is, suffering isn’t always necessary. Sometimes the hardest path isn’t actually the most rewarding. That’s something you learn with maturity.
Good people really take things too far sometimes, don’t they?
Besides that… do chemists play around with their chemicals to see what they can do, like just for fun?
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Thanks for the comment. Looks like I can always count on you for the most thoughtful responses!
I don’t think the quote necessarily has to be interpreted that way – it can be seen as a motto for motivation that tells you that you have to strive for what you want to achieve. At the same time, I have to admit that you’re absolutely right in that people who take on this way of thinking often have the tendency to make themselves suffer.
I say that because I identify as one of those people, though not in a hardcore masochistic sort of way, in that I don’t actively seek to suffer. It’s easy to accept and indulge in the idea of being a sufferer though. Remember when I said Tsubasa was best girl? That is probably in part because I relate with her tendencies.
I’m sorry if such a mindset has indirectly given you negative experiences. It’s quite a difficult feeling to explain, and I do believe that it is a healthier thing for people to take in the implications of a quote like this in moderation.
As for those crazy chemists…I’m glad to say that I haven’t touched a test tube since finishing high school and am now a happy Arts student. I’m sure they play around with their chemicals for fun though 😆
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Yep. I used to feel kinda similar.
And that’s why I kinda hate seeing other people making what could end up as a mistake.
I still kinda hate myself for the way I stopped looking for ways to be happy. I learned from my mother, in a way, and acted like someone or something was going to come around and recognize all my hard work, and reward me. Life doesn’t work like that, though.
You have to grab your own happiness, not just wait forever for a dream.
I just really don’t want other people to feel the way that I did a few years ago. Living like that sucked.
Also Hanekawa… ;_;
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There’s a slight but significant difference between wishing that your suffering would be rewarded and earning your reward through suffering though. The latter is more like a combination of embracing your suffering and also reaching for your happiness at the same time. Or, if you’re a little more perverse, finding your happiness in suffering. I don’t necessarily think it sucks, but if you look at Hanekawa I guess it does.
I suppose we each have our ways of living. Thanks for initiating such a thought-provoking discussion!
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Great quote! Thanks for tagging me, by the way.
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Hmm. I can’t agree with what’s being said in the quote like what edgyanimeteenblog says, but it’s still a memorable quote from a great series.
I still have nightmares of chemistry. Good job on toughing it out.
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Should have taken biology…
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Great quote! I LOVED Chemistry in High School so, I can’t complain about getting tricked into it. But, Full Metal Alchemist doesn’t seem like a bad reason! Lol! Definitely not exactly what you would be learning though!
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I took a practical chemistry class in an advanced learning institution (we had better equipment then most colleges) back in high school, long before I knew anything about fma. While you went in because of fma, I can say without a doubt that the class increased my enjoyment of the series most definitel, even two years later. Interesting reversed situation.
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That’s interesting! I guess I’m just not a science-minded person, and have to rely on external sources of motivation to want to do certain subjects XD
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One of my favourite quotes from FMA! :’)
Thanks for the nomination! I shall give it my best shot! 😊
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