The Alchemist | Equivalent Exchange Being Wise in Making Exchanges

Before we go there, I had to dig into this term Alchemist starting from the anime series. My advice is, before reading this article, it’s better to watch the Fullmetal Alchemist anime if you haven’t yet. There are some slight spoilers but with a touch of personal and scientific perspectives.

Fullmetal Alchemist illustrates the concept of equivalent exchange, which applies to alchemy. Equivalent exchange is the concept that when performing transmutation or transforming one type of material into another, it must be done by giving something of equal value.

In the story of Fullmetal Alchemist, two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, learn alchemy from their father and attempt human transmutation to revive their deceased mother. However, they break the taboo in alchemy, which causes Edward to lose his leg and arm while Alphonse loses his entire body.

They then strive to use the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary stone with the power to alter material structures, to restore their bodies. However, they discover that the Philosopher's Stone they seek does not actually exist and that the Philosopher's Stone is a result of unethical human transmutation.

Through their experiences, the Elric brothers learn that alchemy cannot change everything and that every action has consequences that must be paid through equivalent exchange.

In life, this can mean that every action we take, no matter how small or big, will have consequences or impacts that we must face. Therefore, we should always carefully consider every action we take and understand that nothing comes for free without some form of exchange or consequence.

“No matter what we do, everyone on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And they usually don’t know it.”

Additionally, Fullmetal Alchemist’s story also teaches the importance of valuing oneself and others. In the anime, there is a prohibition against human transmutation because humans have souls and lives that cannot be measured by anything. However, we often regard ourselves or others as objects that can be exchanged or used as tools to achieve certain goals. Yet, every human has dignity and equal rights to be respected and valued.

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

Furthermore, the story of Fullmetal Alchemist teaches the strength of brotherhood and love between humans. In the story, Alphonse and Edward strengthen each other and fight together to achieve their goals. They also help each other and make sacrifices for others' happiness. This teaches us the importance of having strong relationships with others and how we must support and appreciate each other in every situation.

Being wise in making exchanges:

1. Think before you act is something we need to do as humans. Understanding the good and bad consequences of our actions ultimately comes back to each individual. We have the freedom to act, whether good or bad, but we do not have the freedom to avoid the consequences of our actions.
2. Use the past for evaluation and face the future with improvements because we cannot go back to the past. Look forward to the future with improvements based on evaluations; do it even though it may be difficult.
3. Accept the pain of every consequence and endure as part of the test process because if we do not direct all of this correctly, we will act poorly and forget to evaluate for improvement.
4. Help each other in good deeds to make us strong in facing all consequences, no matter what. Facing them together and striving for mutual goals will make you trust your abilities and your surroundings more. Start with those closest to you and slowly spread kindness around; hopefully, you’ll be eased in facing life’s challenges.

All of this article is the author’s personal take on life inspired by the Fullmetal Alchemist anime. If there are any mistakes or inaccuracies in the story, feel free to correct them because I am just a human prone to errors :(

Hope this is beneficial for both the author and all readers, stay healthy :)