The true nature of the Force
Warning: Very long, very dry, very nerdy entry about the expanded Star Wars universe approaching. There's a more bearable entry for today below. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Ever since I took a more profound interest in the Star Wars universe, I've witnessed numerous lightsaber battles, on screen and in games, and I've seen how the Force is used by the Jedi and how it was taught, by the New Jedi Order and the Old Jedi Order of c. 4000 BBY. Ive watched them, and I've always wondered, and believed, that there was something naggingly wrong about their teachings. Material possessions, attatchments and love are forbidden in a Jedi's life from when he or she is a Youngling (although the New Order is more lax). Wouldn't this make temptation's job so much easier, thereby somewhat perpetuating the fall to the Dark Side? The Jedi's life is one of sacrifice and hardship, so doesn't it seem tempting if one had a seemingly easier choice?
I've also seen the kind of training undergone by Sith on Korriban during the New Sith Wars. Knights of the Old Republic really opened my eyes to Sith practices and ideaologies. The way they go on only one student makes it through as a full fleged Sith from a group of 6 or so, and you never know when your friend or apprentice is going to usurp or betray you to claim your position. It's no wonder Darth Bane resurrected the concept of "One Master, One Apprentice" for the Sith.
The way they go on about the Dark Side all the time implies that it is somewhat evil, and yet it is derived from the Force, which encapsulates all living things in the galaxy. How is it that something like this that occurs naturally and binds all living things together have such a drastic "alter ego" with such detrimental effects? Personally, I don't feel that the Dark Side is corrupt and evil; it is just a stereotype due to the kind of people that the Dark Side is naturally linked to. Right off from the start with Xendor, the first heretical Jedi, down through Exar Kun and Darth Revan to Darth Vader and Desaan, the Dark Side and its users were labelled as evil.
What I believe is that these people turned to the path of evil, and the people that propagated such thoughts just so happened to embrace the "Dark Side". Xendor had new beliefs about the Force and achieved his power through raw emotion, and because of that he and his comrades here exiled from the Order. It's the seed of rejection and isolation that drove him to evil. And frankly speaking, the Sith of that time weren't that evil; the brutality and senseless in fighting and civil supremacy is just an overblown ideaology. The Sith of 4000 BBY were but a mere shadow of the true Sith. People turned to evil not becouse of the Dark Side, but due to other circumstances.
Exar Kun, one of the most feared Dark Lords of the Sith of the great Sith War, was turned to evil because of his arrogance and rashness, and because the ancient Sith Lords poisoned him against the Jedi. Ulic Qel-Droma fell because he was doing undercover missions amongst the Sith and was seeking revenge for the death of his master. Revan had to give in to the Dark Side because the darkness of the Trayus Sith Academy would have killed him otherwise. Darth Vader was turned to evil because his mind was poisoned by Sidious, while his intentions were mainly to achieve power enough to save Padme. Desaan fell because of his arrogance and overconfidence, which led him to want more out of the Force and o strike a fellow Jedi student down in cold blood. I could go on forever.
My point is that the Dark Side is not evil; it's just used for evil purposes. I've seen the Light Side, and I've used the Dark Side, and I've always thought that, contrary to Jedi belief, the true Jedi Master has maximum mastery in both fields, and yet still has sense enough to know how to fight the good fight. If you ask me to take a preference on a side, I'd choose Dark. Your power is derived from passion and aggression, something that drives you to your goals. Of course that doesn't mean I neglect the Light. The Light helps one be at peace with himself, something the Dark cannot do. So you can see in this sense a conscious balance of the two is the best, as you possess the good qualities of the two, which help support and balance each other, or you'll end up being a pacifist, or killing all your friends.
When Joshua, Jeremy and I meet up one of our favourite things to discuss is Star Wars. Joshua was telling me on how Luke realised after the Yuuzhan Vong War that the force shouldn't be concentrated on in the Light or Dark in specific. I used to think he meant that in a Ying and Yang sort of way, until I stumbled across an article about the Jedi in Wikipedia:
After the war with the Yuuzhan Vong was over, Luke realized that the order would have to further adapt in order to survive. His experiences had led him to believe that the Force was not rigidly divided into a light and a dark side. Strong emotions, including anger, were not intrinsically evil - instead it was the intentions of the Force user that mattered the most. Luke came to believe that nearly everyone, regardless of their heritage, had some ability to touch and use the Force. He also felt that individual Jedi (and other Force users) would need to discover their own paths: that some could be called to contemplative life, while others would feel a need to take a more active role in galactic affairs, like the old-style Jedi. Because the Jedi had no single goal, he felt the Jedi Order as a whole should remain carefully aloof of its allegiance to the Galactic Alliance or any succeeding government.
So I guess I was kinda right. So I sit in my room and think about this for a night and I end up being just about more correct than all the Jedi have been for the past 15,000 years.
Cool :P
PS sorrie for going all geeky and Star Wars on everyone. this is just something I've been thinking abot for ages.
Ever since I took a more profound interest in the Star Wars universe, I've witnessed numerous lightsaber battles, on screen and in games, and I've seen how the Force is used by the Jedi and how it was taught, by the New Jedi Order and the Old Jedi Order of c. 4000 BBY. Ive watched them, and I've always wondered, and believed, that there was something naggingly wrong about their teachings. Material possessions, attatchments and love are forbidden in a Jedi's life from when he or she is a Youngling (although the New Order is more lax). Wouldn't this make temptation's job so much easier, thereby somewhat perpetuating the fall to the Dark Side? The Jedi's life is one of sacrifice and hardship, so doesn't it seem tempting if one had a seemingly easier choice?
I've also seen the kind of training undergone by Sith on Korriban during the New Sith Wars. Knights of the Old Republic really opened my eyes to Sith practices and ideaologies. The way they go on only one student makes it through as a full fleged Sith from a group of 6 or so, and you never know when your friend or apprentice is going to usurp or betray you to claim your position. It's no wonder Darth Bane resurrected the concept of "One Master, One Apprentice" for the Sith.
The way they go on about the Dark Side all the time implies that it is somewhat evil, and yet it is derived from the Force, which encapsulates all living things in the galaxy. How is it that something like this that occurs naturally and binds all living things together have such a drastic "alter ego" with such detrimental effects? Personally, I don't feel that the Dark Side is corrupt and evil; it is just a stereotype due to the kind of people that the Dark Side is naturally linked to. Right off from the start with Xendor, the first heretical Jedi, down through Exar Kun and Darth Revan to Darth Vader and Desaan, the Dark Side and its users were labelled as evil.
What I believe is that these people turned to the path of evil, and the people that propagated such thoughts just so happened to embrace the "Dark Side". Xendor had new beliefs about the Force and achieved his power through raw emotion, and because of that he and his comrades here exiled from the Order. It's the seed of rejection and isolation that drove him to evil. And frankly speaking, the Sith of that time weren't that evil; the brutality and senseless in fighting and civil supremacy is just an overblown ideaology. The Sith of 4000 BBY were but a mere shadow of the true Sith. People turned to evil not becouse of the Dark Side, but due to other circumstances.
Exar Kun, one of the most feared Dark Lords of the Sith of the great Sith War, was turned to evil because of his arrogance and rashness, and because the ancient Sith Lords poisoned him against the Jedi. Ulic Qel-Droma fell because he was doing undercover missions amongst the Sith and was seeking revenge for the death of his master. Revan had to give in to the Dark Side because the darkness of the Trayus Sith Academy would have killed him otherwise. Darth Vader was turned to evil because his mind was poisoned by Sidious, while his intentions were mainly to achieve power enough to save Padme. Desaan fell because of his arrogance and overconfidence, which led him to want more out of the Force and o strike a fellow Jedi student down in cold blood. I could go on forever.
My point is that the Dark Side is not evil; it's just used for evil purposes. I've seen the Light Side, and I've used the Dark Side, and I've always thought that, contrary to Jedi belief, the true Jedi Master has maximum mastery in both fields, and yet still has sense enough to know how to fight the good fight. If you ask me to take a preference on a side, I'd choose Dark. Your power is derived from passion and aggression, something that drives you to your goals. Of course that doesn't mean I neglect the Light. The Light helps one be at peace with himself, something the Dark cannot do. So you can see in this sense a conscious balance of the two is the best, as you possess the good qualities of the two, which help support and balance each other, or you'll end up being a pacifist, or killing all your friends.
When Joshua, Jeremy and I meet up one of our favourite things to discuss is Star Wars. Joshua was telling me on how Luke realised after the Yuuzhan Vong War that the force shouldn't be concentrated on in the Light or Dark in specific. I used to think he meant that in a Ying and Yang sort of way, until I stumbled across an article about the Jedi in Wikipedia:
After the war with the Yuuzhan Vong was over, Luke realized that the order would have to further adapt in order to survive. His experiences had led him to believe that the Force was not rigidly divided into a light and a dark side. Strong emotions, including anger, were not intrinsically evil - instead it was the intentions of the Force user that mattered the most. Luke came to believe that nearly everyone, regardless of their heritage, had some ability to touch and use the Force. He also felt that individual Jedi (and other Force users) would need to discover their own paths: that some could be called to contemplative life, while others would feel a need to take a more active role in galactic affairs, like the old-style Jedi. Because the Jedi had no single goal, he felt the Jedi Order as a whole should remain carefully aloof of its allegiance to the Galactic Alliance or any succeeding government.
So I guess I was kinda right. So I sit in my room and think about this for a night and I end up being just about more correct than all the Jedi have been for the past 15,000 years.
Cool :P
PS sorrie for going all geeky and Star Wars on everyone. this is just something I've been thinking abot for ages.
posted by Russell Chander at 11:29 PM
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