Voldemort: Born or Made Evil?

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 131300

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tonks" <tonks_op at y...> wrote:
 
Tonks:

<snip>

> Then we have Harry. Harry is an example of someone like the other 
> two who has somehow (??) managed to rise above it all. And the 
> mystery is just how has he been able to do that? I think that the 
> books are about many things, and one of them is the developing the 
> ability to overcome the evil done to us by other so that we do not 
> give it back to the world.


Geoff:
I am reminded firstly of the old couplet:

"Two men looked out from prison bars,
One saw mud and one saw stars."

It has also been said that an optimist sees a glass as half-full, a 
pessimist as half-empty.

Much hinges on a person's attitude of mind. People who are faced with 
difficulties and problems such as illness, misfortune or being 
treated badly by others - as Harry,Tom and Snape for example - can 
react in two ways. They can let it take over their lives, they can 
brood over injuries, real or imagined, and complain to all who will 
listen about their bad luck and wallow in it or they can set their 
sights on rising above it and defeating it rather than the converse.

Harry has had to adopt the latter course in order to stay positive - 
not necessarily consciously but because he possesses that kind of 
temperament.

As ever, Dumbledore's comment on choices comes back into play.