So something is bothering me because it doesn't quite make sense to me.

Bending was a learned art. People learned how to bend by observing something. Be it the moon or a dragon, a flying bison or a badgermole, observation was key for people.

Which brings me to my question: how are there non-benders? Going by this observation principle in regard to bending, the ability to bend shouldn't be a passed down genetic trait. ...right? So technically, couldn't anyone bend?

But this leads into yet another question: what limits people to only bending one element, then? Besides making it a unique characteristic of the Avatar. Why couldn't people bend all four elements? Or at least, dual bend?

If you have any theories, do share! I'm pretty sure these questions weren't touched upon in the series (as far as I remember).

i'm guessing the limit of one element was chosen potentially by the spirits the original benders learned them from. like, yes, the avatar exists separately from these benders with the ability to bend all elements. but, originally maybe by bending one element, the chi and connections with the other elements were blocked.

i mean, i know everything is connected and the fighting forms of other elements can help aid benders in their own elements, but still, if it were that easy, like take for example when Iroh was trying to teach Zuko lightning bending. he was telling him the movement of water benders and the transformation of your body as basically a circuit to redirect lightning helps.

but if it were that easy, would some simple knowledge and observation of how different benders work with their elements, there probably wouldn't be a block on the ability to bend other elements besides the one you're connected with?

idk. just my thoughts. i have no idea about the whole non-benders thing because i've been wondering that same thing myself haha.

I think I'm mostly going to be reiterating what Colors is saying, but I shall say it anyway. The way I imagine it is that when a person at that time period learned how to bend a specific element, they stopped being able to get in contact of those other elements to bend. I kind of like to think of it as a contract to whoever they learned it from as a loyalty thing. Also, the reason why I believe there are non-benders and it becomes genetic is simply due to evolution. As we can see early in the show of ATLA, there are so many different Avatars. Gives plenty of room for the evolution to take place.

For non benders it has to be genetic related. It's kind like in American Dragon that not all members of Jake's family could become dragons. For example Jake's mother said it skipped her generation in the family. How ironic Jake is voiced by the guy who voiced Zuko. XD

It's still weird though because bending was first learned through observation. How would a learned ability become genetic?

When a mommy bender and a daddy bender really love each other. XD
Nah I have no clued how it became genetic. It's like smuggle borns in Harry Potter.

My phone is being mean to me! I meant muggle borns.

Yeah exactly that's like that one false idea that if you are good at something, it is passed down to your offspring, but I can't remember the name. I remember the example given was like, if you are super strong, your kid is automatically going to be super strong. Obviously this is false.

Evolution. I believe it's through evolution.

Chikami wrote:

Evolution. I believe it's through evolution.

Okay. How?

MAGIIIICCCCCCCCCC

XD

i think the idea of evolution might have gone something like this: the first benders learned from the spirits, and before that were energy benders, right? well they learned the art of bending one of the four elements by observation, and since bending is controlling the flow of your chi which is linked up to a single element, the continued use would probably cement itself in certain people, who could then pass it down?

idk.

well at least the airbenders were able to surpass the genetics problem (I think), because if I remember correctly all air nomads are airbenders due to their spiritual connection with nature I think