Lessons from Albus Dumbledore
I find myself coming back to the Harry Potter series every year. I either hunker down and read through all seven books or I lose myself in the wonder of the audiobooks (Both the British and American versions are amazing and if you haven’t experienced either then I highly recommended you treat yourself).
Each time I revisit the series I find myself discovering things that I overlooked. Something that seems impossible seeing as how I’m 32 and have been a Potterhead since I was 15. That’s half of my life as a fan of this series, and yet still to this day, I learn new lessons from Harry Potter that help me in my everyday life, especially from Albus Dumbledore. He’s one of my favorite characters in literature because of everything he has come to represent for me.
Here are some of the things Hogwart’s greatest headmaster has taught me over the years.
1-Be the Calm in the Storm:
I’ve always been impressed by Dumbledore’s ability to stay calm in almost any situation no matter what vitriol is being thrown at him. Whether he’s dealing with a certain toad-faced ministry administrator, a minister of magic that thinks himself more important than he is, or a Slytherin alumna with a eugenics-centered mentality, Dumbledore never debases himself by stooping down to someone else’s level. He exhibits great patience and understanding even in the most trying of times often diffusing an uncomfortable situation or putting someone in their place with humor. I’ve tried to emulate these qualities in my own life. Doing so requires a degree of mindfulness and control, especially over one’s emotions, skills that take time and dedication to hone.
2-When you fall, pick yourself back up:
I’ve lost count on the number of times I’ve fallen flat on my ass, and each time it seemed impossible that I would ever get back up again, but eventually, I did, albeit with great effort and without the certainty that things would get better. Each time I got back up I learned something new, and, whether I realized it or not, got stronger, learned more about myself and the pitfalls I needed to avoid. Even the tiniest flame is enough to push the darkness back, and if nurtured will grow into a roaring fire, but you have to put in the work.
Quotes to hang your hat on:
“Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.” -Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
“We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on.” -Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the lights.” -Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
3- Lead with Humility:
Humility is one of Dumbledore’s greatest strengths. As much power, admiration, and accolades as he accumulates he never takes himself so seriously as to believe he is better than anyone else. This was a hard-learned lesson for Dumbledore. In his youth, his quest for knowledge and power led him to cast his family aside and develop a close relationship with Grindelwald, which ultimately led to the death of his sister. This loss woke Dumbledore up and showed him that a swollen ego is a dangerous thing to combine with a thirst for power. Being humble keeps you grounded, and staying grounded helps you make good decisions and lead a good life.
Quote to hang your hat on:
“Maybe a man in a million could unite the Hallows, Harry. I was fit only to possess the meanest of them, the least extraordinary. I was fit to own the Elder Wand, and not to boast of it, and not to kill with it. I was permitted to tame and to use it, because I took it, not for gain, but to save others from it.” -Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
4- Our Choices Are what define us:
Destiny and fate are terms that people throw around to try and make sense of their lives, ignoring the facet of control that they wield. Your choices are like stepping stones, and each one leads you closer and closer to becoming a more self-actualized person. It’s ok to have dark thoughts sometimes. It’s ok to be scared. It’s ok to have doubts. Our inner lives are mysterious, chaotic things, but it’s the actions we take that help define us: how we treat others, how we treat ourselves, how we interact with the world, the legacy we leave behind.
Quotes to hang your hat on:
“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be.” -Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” -Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
5- Live in the moment:
As someone who is constantly reliving the mistakes of his past and numbing himself to the world through elaborate daydreaming, I find that I always have to bring myself back to the here-and-now. Learning from past mistakes is wise but dwelling on the past is a fool’s errand. It keeps you from living your life, from paying attention to the things and people around you. As a writer, fantasizing is part of the job. How else can you create entire worlds with your words? But oftentimes, my daydreaming is more than just a writer’s tool. It’s a numbing agent, used to keep my mind occupied so that I don’t have to deal with reality and live in the moment. All we have are moments stacked together to form our entire lives. Be mindful of where you are and stay present in your life before it passes you by.
Quote to hang your hat on:
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” -Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
6-Words have great power:
This one should seem like a no-brainer considering I’m a writer, but sometimes I get so wrapped up in my inner critic that I forget that my words have more power than I give them credit for. We all have our unique voice, powered by our minds and hearts, and each of us has something important to say, but you have to take the time to honor that voice, hone its edges, and practice what you preach. Words have a way of helping us organize our chaotic inner lives, they give life to our intangible thoughts and emotions, and help us relate to one another. I remind myself that my power lies in that voice and the words I choose to string together. I remind myself not to let that voice be silenced, even by my inner critic.
Quote to hang your hat on:
“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both influencing injury, and remedying it.” -Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
7-Tyrants are cowards in disguise:
This one feels especially relevant these days. After four years of Trump and the rise of autocratic governments throughout Europe and Asia it seems like tyrants are inescapable, that they’re consolidating more power, and dragging us back into the dark ages, but all of the tyranny rising throughout the world comes as a result of fear: fear of exclusion now that minority voices are growing louder, fear of being left behind in a changing world, fear of losing power and presence. Tyrants take advantage of these fears in their supporters and build their empires on it, but an empire built upon fear is a brittle one, and risks being toppled when everyday people choose to work together and embrace their neighbor’s differences; when they stand up for one another; when they say no to fear, and no to discrimination, and no to hatred.
Quote to hang your hat on:
“Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one that rises against them and strikes back!” -Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
