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29-04-2023, 10:17 PM
[entry #4: Philosophy.]
[indent]I’ve been taking some time to think recently. Some time to muse over everything I've seen, be that from my so called “peers", all the way through to the upper echelons of the powerbase. A great deal of their actions - and in some cases, such as Utahis and Siors and Vaenra, almost all of their actions are lorded over by anger.
This seems… distinctly strange to me. Afterall, it is well known in medical circles that the constant flood of stress chemicals and associated metabolic changes that walk hand in hand with recurrent unmanaged anger can (and will) cause damage to a great deal of one's body… Things such as headaches, digestive problems, abdominal pain, insomnia (which causes more problems than I care to count), increased anxiety, depression, higher than normal blood pressure, skin problems (which explains a great deal about Siors), and on the more extreme end, potential heart attacks and strokes are all things that come from allowing oneself to be plagued by anger on a near daily basis. Either they're not aware of the health risks involved, or they are and they're choosing to ignore them.
Yet these observations are not borne out of concern for their health (frankly if the aforementioned trio, and several others dropped dead from an adrenaline fuelled heart attack because they're too thick to understand that anger needs to be managed correctly it'd make my life a great deal more relaxed). No. These observations come from a more philosophical point of view.
Take those three for example. They practicality pride themselves on how angry they can get in a short amount of time. They sit and admire the depths of their devotion to the Dark Side through said anger. But… why? They're putting so much effort into something that, well. Has no real bearing on anything other than one's ability to throw around a lightsaber for a little longer than others. But how can I say it has no bearing on anything other than combat?
Well. Look at the code of the Sith - the very thing we, as what effectively functions as a religious body-come-government are supposed to live by (even if it is just a twisted parody of another code…) - its intended to be a way of life. A way for us to move through the galaxy while adhering to the ways of the Sith. And not once does it mention anger:
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
See? Not once. Passions. Strength. Power. Victory. Freedom. It's all there, but never just anger.
Yes it could be argued that anger is a deeply passionate state of being, but if you were to just focus on anger you disregard everything else you could be passionate about - things such as opulence, success, art, fine wine, all the way to things less associated with the Sith, such as deep compassion, sadness, and even love. The list isn’t exhaustive, because if it exists within the Galaxy it is possible to be (and, according to the Sith code, appropriate to be) deeply passionate about it.
The Sith Code, and therefore the Dark Side isn’t just about fury or hatred, it’s about passion, and while anger is a passionate emotion, it isn’t the only one.
It's this permanent failure to graduate beyond the concept that one must be angry in order to be Sith that so many of my peers, and so many of those above me have become mired in. I would say as of late, but I feel it has been going on for many, many years. It is almost like they've failed to take the necessary evolutionary steps to cease wielding rocks as weapons, while others have already passed through the threshold and learned how to make swords from fine steel.
It genuinely saddens me that there is such a failure to grasp this concept. To hear those like Zhephra who claim to be keeping ancient ways alive, to see those like Cadeus who push only for violent recourse, and those such as Cerberus who only drag themselves to the route of explosive hatred, while all the while failing to treat this almost beautifully simplistic cornerstone of what it is to be Sith without due regard, respect, or attentiveness can only lead me to the conclusion that entire generations of would be Sith have had their understanding of the Force deeply stunted and permanently ruined in favour of anger.
To understand the Dark Side is to understand life itself. A powerful Sith must be passionate: they must have a passionate love for music, art, food and drink, and for love. Just by paying a little more attention to the Sith Code, it is made crystal clear that a true Sith can draw power from ALL their emotions, not just their anger, and in doing so they unlock far greater understanding of the Force than mere combat ability - and it is clearer still to me now that those who seek to focus only on their anger and hatred are to be held in contempt for their continued bastardisation of a millennia old philosophy, an ultimately the denial of life itself.
[right]-Acolyte Alencia Dista.
[/right]
[indent]I’ve been taking some time to think recently. Some time to muse over everything I've seen, be that from my so called “peers", all the way through to the upper echelons of the powerbase. A great deal of their actions - and in some cases, such as Utahis and Siors and Vaenra, almost all of their actions are lorded over by anger.
This seems… distinctly strange to me. Afterall, it is well known in medical circles that the constant flood of stress chemicals and associated metabolic changes that walk hand in hand with recurrent unmanaged anger can (and will) cause damage to a great deal of one's body… Things such as headaches, digestive problems, abdominal pain, insomnia (which causes more problems than I care to count), increased anxiety, depression, higher than normal blood pressure, skin problems (which explains a great deal about Siors), and on the more extreme end, potential heart attacks and strokes are all things that come from allowing oneself to be plagued by anger on a near daily basis. Either they're not aware of the health risks involved, or they are and they're choosing to ignore them.
Yet these observations are not borne out of concern for their health (frankly if the aforementioned trio, and several others dropped dead from an adrenaline fuelled heart attack because they're too thick to understand that anger needs to be managed correctly it'd make my life a great deal more relaxed). No. These observations come from a more philosophical point of view.
Take those three for example. They practicality pride themselves on how angry they can get in a short amount of time. They sit and admire the depths of their devotion to the Dark Side through said anger. But… why? They're putting so much effort into something that, well. Has no real bearing on anything other than one's ability to throw around a lightsaber for a little longer than others. But how can I say it has no bearing on anything other than combat?
Well. Look at the code of the Sith - the very thing we, as what effectively functions as a religious body-come-government are supposed to live by (even if it is just a twisted parody of another code…) - its intended to be a way of life. A way for us to move through the galaxy while adhering to the ways of the Sith. And not once does it mention anger:
Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.
See? Not once. Passions. Strength. Power. Victory. Freedom. It's all there, but never just anger.
Yes it could be argued that anger is a deeply passionate state of being, but if you were to just focus on anger you disregard everything else you could be passionate about - things such as opulence, success, art, fine wine, all the way to things less associated with the Sith, such as deep compassion, sadness, and even love. The list isn’t exhaustive, because if it exists within the Galaxy it is possible to be (and, according to the Sith code, appropriate to be) deeply passionate about it.
The Sith Code, and therefore the Dark Side isn’t just about fury or hatred, it’s about passion, and while anger is a passionate emotion, it isn’t the only one.
It's this permanent failure to graduate beyond the concept that one must be angry in order to be Sith that so many of my peers, and so many of those above me have become mired in. I would say as of late, but I feel it has been going on for many, many years. It is almost like they've failed to take the necessary evolutionary steps to cease wielding rocks as weapons, while others have already passed through the threshold and learned how to make swords from fine steel.
It genuinely saddens me that there is such a failure to grasp this concept. To hear those like Zhephra who claim to be keeping ancient ways alive, to see those like Cadeus who push only for violent recourse, and those such as Cerberus who only drag themselves to the route of explosive hatred, while all the while failing to treat this almost beautifully simplistic cornerstone of what it is to be Sith without due regard, respect, or attentiveness can only lead me to the conclusion that entire generations of would be Sith have had their understanding of the Force deeply stunted and permanently ruined in favour of anger.
To understand the Dark Side is to understand life itself. A powerful Sith must be passionate: they must have a passionate love for music, art, food and drink, and for love. Just by paying a little more attention to the Sith Code, it is made crystal clear that a true Sith can draw power from ALL their emotions, not just their anger, and in doing so they unlock far greater understanding of the Force than mere combat ability - and it is clearer still to me now that those who seek to focus only on their anger and hatred are to be held in contempt for their continued bastardisation of a millennia old philosophy, an ultimately the denial of life itself.
[right]-Acolyte Alencia Dista.
[/right]
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