it's like. "but the monks taught me that I had to detach myself from the world so my spirit could be free" led to them removing aang from gyatso ("but what we need is what is best for the world" like for some reason that's perpetually mutually exclusive from what could be best for aang), which was the lynchpin in aang running away in the first place. often times, the teachings that aang cites are correct ("the monks used to say the shadows of the past can be felt by the present," their pacifism, "revenge is like a two-headed rat viper"). but we also see routinely that the monks are not always right, ie. setting aang apart, the increasing dehumanization and separation (which everywhere else in the series is a result of imperialistic violence, and is happening to aang and gyatso because of the threat of war).
we see this first hand in the serpent's pass, where aang is at his most detached from everyone around him, including himself. "the monks used to say that hope was just a distraction, so maybe we do need to abandon it." and how does that episode end? with aang feeling hopeful again; with aang reaffirming his attachments; with aang coming back to himself; with aang coming back to katara.
"i realized i'd lost myself getting there," zuko says, "that i'd forgotten who i was." and then 30 seconds later, when faced with doing violence, aang says "it didn't feel right. i didn't feel like myself."
"they wanted to take away everyone i knew and everyone i loved!" "let your attachments flow down the river, forgotten." "many great and wise air nomads detached themselves and achieved enlightenment, but the avatar can never do it. because your sole duty is to the world." "i saw you get so upset you weren't even you anymore." "you have to promise me you won't stop caring." "about why i'm really doing this. i'm doing it for you, katara."
give up your attachments and let the monks separate you. give up katara to access the avatar state. abandon hope. abandon yourself. follow the wisdom of the past elders. do what they tell you. ("is it your own destiny, or a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?")
aang chooses all of it. he chooses the world, he chooses himself, he chooses his people, he chooses his attachments. he goes "what's best for me and what's best for the world are not mutually exclusive." he goes "the monks were wrong... and they were also right." and i think that's beautiful
