It's true that some boys don't fall into hierarchies; my point was that lone wolves exist in a pack hierarchy, so boys outside the system are actually inside it also.
With Katara, like I said, it's not that she doesn't dominate but that the reasons and context is different. She's not trying to gain power for its own purpose-- she's forcefully mothering (or smothering). It's that whole 'for your own good' type of thing. I wouldn't say she's a rock or an island, clearly, but she's just a different type of person than Azula, basically.
Competition itself isn't really an attempt at dominion, though it can be (especially with team sports). It's not that you're being gentle and kind, but it's like... well, not all domination has the same goals. Specifically, a 'queen bee' or an Alpha wants to be served/supported and so on, in a long-term way. In a contest of strength & skill, you (or at least Toph) want to prove something to yourself and to others: that you're strong. It's not about the other person's submission so much as it is about how you achieved it.
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Date: 2008-06-22 09:47 pm (UTC)With Katara, like I said, it's not that she doesn't dominate but that the reasons and context is different. She's not trying to gain power for its own purpose-- she's forcefully mothering (or smothering). It's that whole 'for your own good' type of thing. I wouldn't say she's a rock or an island, clearly, but she's just a different type of person than Azula, basically.
Competition itself isn't really an attempt at dominion, though it can be (especially with team sports). It's not that you're being gentle and kind, but it's like... well, not all domination has the same goals. Specifically, a 'queen bee' or an Alpha wants to be served/supported and so on, in a long-term way. In a contest of strength & skill, you (or at least Toph) want to prove something to yourself and to others: that you're strong. It's not about the other person's submission so much as it is about how you achieved it.