The greatest truth you have learned playing Zelda?

[Sunbird Risen]

Over the course of my many years playing Zelda, there are definitely aspects of the games or themes within the games I have been able to equate in my own life. The archetypal and mythological themes present throughout the games speak to many aspects of the human spirit. The never ending quest of the Hero of Legend seeking to conquer whatever evil is in the world to bring balance and peace to the known world. A classic story, that (almost) always begins with a young and inexperienced Link who eventually overcomes all the odds and becomes the Savior of Hyrule. Or whatever land it may be depending on the game. This among countless other themes from classical stories and myths is present in nearly every Zelda game, and so naturally there are things to be learned from the games.

My question is for YOU what has been the greatest lesson you've learned from playing the Legend of Zelda series?

Although I have only just started pondering on this question for the past 6 months or so, I would say that for me, it would be a lesson I learned upon completing Skyward Sword for I believe the 3rd time. I took a moment to reflect on the many things I experienced and what it all meant. And then the Triforce popped up on the screen above Link and Zelda and in and in an instant the thought hit me:
It doesn't matter nearly as much what you pursue, than it does how and why you pursue it.

The Triforce is the ultimate symbol of power, wisdom, and courage as we well know. It's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the genies lamp, the star we wish upon. It brings to fruition our deepest wants and desires. It can be used to bring about ultimate good or ultimate evil, the sacred realm changes to reflect on the inner heart of whomever is able to assemble the various pieces of the triforce. What it is, clearly is important, but far more important is why someone would pursue it. The Triforce in a sense could represent many things in our lives. It could represent our loved ones, our career, our hobbies, whatever. The ultimate question is our motivation. That is what seperated Link and Ganondorf in the end. Both pursued the Triforce, but for very different reasons.

 

[Sheikah_Witch]

This is perhaps super trivial, but North, East, South and West. I played MM when I was 10 years old and that game thought me a ton of the English language (as well as words like 'child', 'strange' and 'consume'.). To this day, whenever I want to keep tabs of North, East, South or West, I always use Clock Town as a sort of inner reference.

 

[Dizzi]

This is perhaps super trivial, but North, East, South and West. I played MM when I was 10 years old and that game thought me a ton of the English language (as well as words like 'child', 'strange' and 'consume'.). To this day, whenever I want to keep tabs of North, East, South or West, I always use Clock Town as a sort of inner reference.

I use Never Eat Shredded Wheat...

 

[NoRush]

Mine would be that I want to be Link - I am became him. I no longer play Zelda games nearly as much as I like because I live my life
as a great adventure, and I feel that I'm wasting time playing someone else's life in a Zelda game when I should just be living my own.

Viewing others as NPC's really really relieves stress - and I realize it's not about my reaction to what's going on, but how I'm going to work with the story to make it as positive as I can, or at least know that I cannot change what I have no control over.

 

[el :BeoWolf:]

Probably time management in Majora's Mask. The bomber's notebook was a neat idea to keep track of what's all going on at the same moment.

 

[Shroom]

It's a secret to everybody.

 

[Castle]

Nothing ever lasts forever.

 

[Renzong of Song]

That life isn't fair.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

certain things can be interpreted in a completely different way that what it's originally intended, depending on the person

specifically, wind waker was my first zelda game, in the beginning prologue that talks about the hero of time, I initially thought it was referencing all the different links from the older zelda games, in that whenever there's danger in hyrule, this same hero in green cloths has always come to save the day no matter the time period, hence, the hero of time
but nah, it was just talking about ocarina of time; but given that I had little knowledge of the previous zelda games, I had to interpret that prologue in a way that makes sense to me, given my limited experiences, don't know if that counts for reader response theory but if it does, it's definitely the earliest example I had

 

[GrooseIsLoose]

Skyward Sword is my first Zelda game.
I have learnt that even if a game has an average graphic and/or game play it could still be enjoyable which happens if it's narrative is beautiful.
Skyward Sword unwound like a spool of silk thread and I started to weave a legend with that and my Wii mote.