Wow, what a title to live up to. Before I commence the article, note that I'm much better at constructing the title of an article than an article itself.
I was a little bit late on the boat (no pun intended), but this morning I saw Moana, the new Disney Pixar movie, for the first time. Though the main theme was all about discovering inner strengths and coming of age, I found underlying themes of constant dissatisfaction. Spoiler alert, there will be spoiler alerts in this article.
Moana, a girl from the island Motunui, has been destined with the obligation of returning the Heart of Te Fiti that Maui originally stole, in roder to restore balance on the islands. She must convince Maui, the demigod, to do so, considering she is mortal and faces the impossibility of dealing with the Gods. Maui, originally introduced as the antagonist because he stole the Heart in the first place, becomes a much more complex character through one scene in particular. A classic DisneyPixar movie both in story, and in hidden adult theme.
As is customary, there is one uplifting scene in which self-discovery is involved, except instead of discussing the main character, the secondary character was in the spotlight. Maui told the story of how his tattoos came to be - essentially, they appear when something significant in his life occurs. Though this was not explicitly said in the movie, I've got a sneaky feeling that the closer the tattoo is to the center of his torso (in other words, his heart), the more significant the event. Right in the center of his back is the image of a woman throwing a baby into the sea. Maui reveals that he was not always a demigod, but rather started off as an unwanted child that was ultimately saved, and cared for, by the Gods. Maui was given a fishhook by the Gods that offered him God-like powers to be used as he pleased - and Maui chose to use it for the very people who abandoned him. He ended up giving everything he could to those who seemed to be thankless, who were thankless. It was never enough.
Maui himself was never enough to satisfy those he so craved approval from. Such a feeling is, unfortunately, not that foreign to many of us. Dissatisfaction with what we have, dissatisfaction with oneself. Now, this is not meant to be a disheartening article, nor is it supposed to be a guilt-trip. Simply a manner in which to open eyes. Maui was trying to do what he could to serve his people and bring him joy - almost puppy-like.
We hear often that there are 2 types of people in many different respects. There are dog people and cat people, those who entertain and those who don't, givers and takers. Maui is an endless giver, constantly giving to the dissatisfied. Though this is what seemed to help, perhaps Maui needed to adapt his habits elsewhere. Perhaps he needed to displace his talent, if only just a little bit, to lead to satisfaction.
But perhaps the human condition isn't dissatisfaction. While Moana shows it in almost every respect, perhaps the human condition is change, and the hesitance to adjust. Maui always wanted to make the humans who abandoned him happy, perfectly embodying a traumatic bond. Perhaps not being enough is exactly the way it should be. Perhaps not being enough is what inspires greatness. Perhaps not being enough, every once in a while, is a good thing.
Later in that same scene where I first made this observation, Moana, as the hero of the story, attempts to uplift Maui, and realizes she can't. The ocean then dispatches him so that he is obligated to teach Moana how to sail. He shares his knowledge to a willing student and ultimately earns a tattoo, which is almost perfectly positioned above his heart. Despite his hesitance to do so, Maui accomplished something great. Instead of appeasing many, he has given joy and knowledge to one, and that was enough. For just a moment, Maui was enough.
Whenever I feel particularly overwhelmed, like I certainly cannot undertake the tasks set before me, like I am not enough, I break my tasks down. I set a timer. I start over, treating each task like a little one. Almost a little bit like Maui. I accomplish the smaller tasks one by one, and suddenly I have accomplished something great. I have completed an application, induced some sort of change. Maybe I helped someone else make a decision as well through my unwarranted determination. When I am not enough, I first allow myself to mope. I hesitate. Just like Maui.
But hesitation cannot last forever, and nor can dissatisfaction. After hesitation comes action and then satisfaction. And such is the human condition, according to Moana.
