I feel like self acceptance is something that everyone has had an experience on working
with it.
You see all of these quotes, mostly on the internet, involving self acceptance, so you
generally get the idea of how it works, but integrating it is a lot different than what
it looks like.
Yes, I understand that true peace is having peace with oneself, and yes of course you’re
going to acknowledge your imperfections and mistakes, but that’s just being aware of
it and it’s usually just becomes knowledge you lock away in a mental safe because the
answers to those things aren’t always as clear cut as you would want it to be.
Golden Wind expands on some of the ways people go about approaching it, and or straying away
from it, and the results that come with both.
An example of a situation like this is Abbacchio.
Abbacchio’s history as a cop and what had happened to the cop that died on the line
of duty because of his bribe is a constant weight on Abbacchio’s conscious.
It took it’s toll on him before he had met Bruno and joined Passione, but even when joining
the gang, it still held onto him.
Even to the point where it most likely affected his relationships with certain people.
Specifically, Giorno because the resolve he saw in Giorno, and it was reminiscent to the
cop that was killed.
The effect of the event had done this much, and because of it, Abbacchio had developed
this guilt that shows in all the decisions he makes as a person after it.
He’s unable to accept himself for what he had done but finding solace in Bruno in the
group had bettered him so that it doesn’t have as much of a bind on him.
Truth of the matter, the grip hasn’t loosened exactly, but more so backed into the subconscious
and it just reflects in his character.
Though that makes you think about Abbacchio’s resolve, because where he finds the power
for it could be either from his devotion to the Bruno and the group,
or he feels like he must be a major help because of what he had done, and it could feel like
the good that he’s doing for the group will in end up making him feel better about himself.
Probably both, because when reconnecting with his cop friend, it’s acknowledged that Abbacchio
had done a good job with everything that happened after.
And considering the group are a bunch of sleeping slaves meant to help free those that were
bound to fate, I’d say that all the events that fell in line had helped the grand scheme
of things.
Abbacchio’s self-acceptance had came from the good that he did, but that doesn’t mean
it was only because of that.
Abbacchio had become an all-around better person once he started following the lit road
of resolve that Bruno was guiding everyone in the group through.
I would think that the cop would’ve been happy regardless of when Abbacchio and him
had reconnected, just because of how he had changed for the better.
While I would consider this as validation because it required more than just Abbacchio,
the reason he had felt the way he did was because of an event hurting someone that’s
not him and that hurts more than him being the one to get hurt.
Another case is Giorno in the White Album arc.
See, we all know Giorno’s dream is to be a gang-star, and to be a powerhouse like that,
you should be able to be someone who can lead.
Giorno before this arc had done a pretty great job at leading those with him by being the
shining resolve to direct them through the darkness.
So, his leadership attributes are there, but the White Album arc had shown something.
He’s always able to learn and he can be lead too.
Mista had been telling Giorno what to do because he had recognized the situation and he believed
it was the best idea because he’s considering Ghiaccio’s ability.
Giorno at this time was being overwhelmed because of how strong Ghiaccio’s White Album
is, and instead of listening to Mista he had picked his own decision.
After he did it, he realized it wasn’t the best idea really, and he acknowledges his
disadvantage in this fight.
He felt so helpless he started trembling in the same way that he did when he was
a baby, BUT Mista had helped and made the best of the situation and he consistently
did that in this fight, all of that helped guide Giorno.
Mista’s resolve was the one to shine this time and it illuminated that path that they
don’t walk one ahead of the other, but instead it’s a path that they walk together.
A beautiful moment!
I loved it so much.
The group dynamic they have in Bruno’s group is one lead by Bruno because he’s the one
with the missions giving it out to everyone, but when it comes to executing plans, all
of the members have the same path and can all have potential of being the light to guide
everyone on the righteous path of fate.
Abbacchio had done before, Bruno did it, Narancia had done, Trish does it and does it beautifully,
Mista had done it, Fugo…
Well, Shameless Purple Haze, do what you will with that, and Giorno does it.
Giorno realizes that making mistakes and not always being the one to have all the right
ideas is ok because of Mista, and he develops for the better because of it.
Being a leader and being able to accept your faults make you all the better for it because
you’re human, you’re going to mess up at times.
Though some people don’t realize that, and sometimes not being to realize you have an
active ability to make mistakes will hurt more in the end.
Transitioning into the case of Diavolo, or well, more so what Diavolo is to represent
instead of the character in it’s entirety.
Diavolo believes that the mistakes he’s made in the past and the past itself is something
to be removed because it hinders growth and can end up messing with you in the future.
He stays in the shadows for this reason and keeps all traces of him hidden.
When in actuality you’re supposed to grow from the mistakes you’ve made in the past
and the past itself is something that can make you a better person in the future.
Adding on to that, being in the shadows the whole time and trying to keep everything hidden
is futile because everything because out in the open sooner or later.
In the direct case in Diavolo’s character it’s interesting because it does look like
keeping his identity intact helps his situation because that’s usually the thing that his
enemies require to come after him, but it does do a great job at showing that attempting
to keep your past away doesn’t work.
That’s also a strong connection to his stand, because like King Crimson, he can’t erase
any events that have already happened in the past.
King Crimson is just an answer to the present, and it makes sense because you can deal with
the problem you have in the present, you can’t change the past, but you should be able to
learn and better yourself from it.
What the character represents completely goes against what acceptance would look like and
it’s interesting because…
Well he’s a bad guy.
Araki makes it a point that the characters following the bright light that is resolve
are the ones who experience self acceptance, meanwhile the bad ones show that they don’t.
Not to make it point that not accepting yourself makes you a bad guy, but more so that the
action of not accepting yourself has been personified as a bad person because it’s
a bad trait, it’s not the only thing about Diavolo, but it is a huge thing.
Part 5 goes to show you that self-acceptance in your own individual way is a huge aid
to the growth and
not doing it, doesn’t really help you
in anyway.