Dear Readers,

About a month ago I was inspired by the recent remake of “Beauty and the Beast.” Of course I had seen its earlier incarnations, but this version struck me. Belle, the teenage heroine, must still confront the former prince/horrible beast to free her father and then herself, and in the process, she and the beast still fall in love; but, in this live action film, Belle’s character is highlighted. It becomes clear that it is Belle’s twin qualities of fearlessness and compassion that lead to her success and, ultimately, a happy ending for all. Yesterday, I saw the power of these same qualities magnified in the new movie “Wonder Woman.” It was extremely moving to see a fearless “superhero” speak of the importance of Love as she displayed compassion to anyone she could.

The trope of Good vs. Evil is ancient and both of these female movie characters fight hard without concern for their own well-being — but these heroines alter typical fight sequences by bringing compassion to the story. They demonstrate how, in order to truly combat evil, and change the world for the better, they cannot let fear push them into acting reactively. Instead, their fearlessness keeps them calm, which allows them to access and express deep compassion for others. As a result, they not only defend themselves against “the bad guys,” but also eventually beautifully transform everyone around them through love. Fearlessness and compassion working together are a potent duo indeed.