Alright, alright. Let's talk about my lash. F*** internet, I'm Steve. Welcome to Raffo. For those of you who have been following me for a while, I know this video is not the one you've been waiting for. It's coming, I promise, but it's gonna be a bit. I'm needing to take a break from some things, lessen some pressures in my life at the moment, so I will be stepping back from making videos for a few months. Honestly, it might not feel you need effort for you, than my regular sporadic releases, but getting rid of some self-imposed deadlines, I think will be beneficial to me for a time. Which brings me to Moash. Spoilers for at least up until lookbringer. Listen, Moash sucks. I hate the guy. And I know a lot of Moash apologists compare him to Delinar, which in terms of actions, I suppose, is fair. But the big difference to me between them is intent. And we all know how important intent is in the Cosmere. I used to think that Moash should not get a redemption arc, because in life, there are some people who just suck and never get better, which definitely seemed to be where he was headed, the beginning of Rhythm of War. And which is what sets him off very distinctly from Delinar at the end of Oathbringer. Daddy Colin accepts his responsibility, while Moash refuses it altogether. But that's destination, or at least further down the journey that I want to talk about. Delinar and Moash both did horrible things. Delinar objectively did more horrible things than Moash, more horrible and more horrible. But again, intent. Delinar committed war crimes. Oh boy, did he. And yes, later felt regret and worked to change. But even while he was doing horrible things, things which I think he knew were horrible, they were simply a means to an end. Kill a whole bunch of people in battle in order to unite Alif Kara as a kingdom. Even his worst act, raising a city and killing his wife, was not necessarily intentional, even without considering unmade influences. And in that way, I think Delinar is inherently relatable. We all screw up. We all make bad decisions, which lead to unintended consequences. And I think we all wish there was a way to selectively forget certain parts of our past, because the thought that we were once that person is physically painful. We are all Delinar. That's what makes his third ideal so powerful, taking responsibility for actions, intentional or not, and claiming his past, his pain as his own while committing to move forward is incredibly inspirational. It is indeed an ideal. We are all Delinar. But I think we are also at least a little all Moash. Moash's goal from the outset was revenge. His intent was to do harm. He wasn't seeking for the betterment of the kingdom. As Calladin puts it, what's most important for Moash is petty vengeance. And sometimes that's us too. Not nearly as often as I've made stupid mistakes, I have done intentional harm to people, including myself. In seeking after petty vengeance, a sense of entitlement, or just because I thought it might be amusing or fun, I've made snide comments, put people down, take an advantage of others, been less than honest, betrayed people, or just generally been a selfish jerk. Yeah, I've heard people on accident like Delinar, but I've also done plenty of stupid stuff like Moash. So as much as I hate him, as much as I believe he is beyond redemption, I see myself in him. The things I hate so much about Moash are the things I can't stand in myself. Do I think Moash deserves a redemption arc? No. Do I hope he gets one? Desperately. Just as I personally hope for one. We've all made mistakes. We've all caused harm. We all have pasts we'd like to escape. Bad habits we'd like to break. People we try to avoid becoming, but making those mistakes, causing that harm and having those pasts, presents, and potential futures does not mean that change and redemption are impossible. Change is possible. To quote my friend Darth Padre, the next step is always the most important, but the first step is often the most difficult. Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a person who is in the process of changing. Moash's story is not finished yet. Neither is mine. So if I must fall and I'm sure I will, then I will rise each time a better man. Therapy, baby! So yeah, I'm going to be taking some time off to work through some stuff. I'll still be working on content. I have a list of videos I really want to make, but it's not going to be my primary focus for a bit. At this point, I'd normally say, hey, if you like my videos, then support me on Patreon, but I don't want to take people's money if I'm not producing anything. Once I'm back, support me on Patreon. In the meantime, if you want shorter, less effortful videos from me, follow me on TikTok. If you're interested in seeing what I'm up to, want therapy insights, or just want to talk Sanderson with a bunch of really fantastic people, please join my Discord. And as always, read and find out. Alright, therapy. Oh gosh, therapy.