THE WISDOM OF THE IVYVERSE

       It may seem silly or downright absurd to suggest that a fantasy novel can teach us about being realistic, but some of these people have lots to say about setting realistic goals. In fact, sometimes they get in trouble if they expect too much from themselves:

I shouldn’t even have weak moments, especially not in front of anyone else. —Ivy, Book 1, Chapter 1

       But it’s important to know that no one is perfect—no one you know is perfect, and anyone who pretends to be is not truly wise. Adele, arguably the wisest character in THTIB, has this to say on the subject:

“None of us exhibit peak performance a hundred percent of the time, Ivy.” —Adele, Book 1, Chapter 1

       Surprisingly, she was talking about herself here, after having failed to foresee that the faucet might be about to give her an unexpected bath. The comment was made in response to Ivy’s taunting. Right after she herself had had one of her “weak moments.”

       Even when she was about Ivy’s age, Adele had a good understanding of her limits:

I'm talented, but I'm just not strong enough to do this alone. —Adele, Negative One, 0060

       But then, being a prophet may be a situation that lends itself to good understanding of everything, including one’s limits:

“My ability is fine. My judgment of what to use it on is apparently not so good.” —Shelshay, Negative One, 0056

       Especially if you have a history of being very good at something, you must remember not to overestimate yourself. Always aim high, but don’t undertake absurd risks if you may end up paying a very high price. Everyone has limits. Know yours.