Bestselling self-help author turned Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson posted a Neon Genesis Evangelion meme on Facebook and Instagram, because apparently the otaku demographic matters.
The image depicts Asuka within the blood-spattered cockpit of Eva Unit-02 during her climatic fight against the Mass Produced Evas in 1997's End of Evangelion. The meme reads: "Value does not derive from labor; It derives from self-actualization. Everything we do to help people express themselves at a higher level puts value into the economy." While that isn't an Evangelion quote, Williamson explains, "Those are indeed my words, and I think people are turning them into cartoon memes is utterly fascinating. What away [sic] for the mind to process something. I love it. The use of lightheartedness can be a very serious thing."
Although we wouldn't exactly describe Evangelion as "lighthearted," the accompanying text reflects Williamson's understanding of Evangelion: "The biggest problem with the world is that we do not show up for one another. We withdraw in judgment rather than extending ourselves into each other's lives." Here, Williamson references the hedgehog's dilemma, the philosophical question at the crux of Evangelion: During the winter, how does a hedgehog/human stay warm? Does the hedgehog endure the painful quills that come with getting close to other hedgehogs? Or does the hedgehog endure the cold alone?
Keeping in mind that Evangelion is already difficult enough to decipher on its own, how does the meme relate to the series? Well, the idea that one's value is dependent on their self-actualization as opposed to their labor summarizes Asuka's character arc. Initially the overconfident ace Eva pilot, Asuka's confidence became compromised when newbie pilot Shinji outpaced her. Throw in some FUBAR sorties, and Asuka becomes so insecure that she can no longer pilot. Because her self-worth was derived from being the best, Asuka falls into a deep depression. Realizing that her mother always supported her, Asuka self-actualizes in the most literal sense, maximizing the use of her piloting abilities and Unit-02's arsenal to brutalize the Mass Produced Evas.
The second half of the meme explains "the politics of love" that comprises Williamson's platform. As she states, "There is literally nothing we could not achieve were we willing to join with each other at deeper levels." This is SEELE's reasoning for enacting The Human Instrumentality Project: By removing the barriers that separate people, humanity can be united as single, perfect entity, thus erasing the insecurities and faults of each individual.
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