Hey, kid.
Last time I talked about the Force as a responsibility, and how you shouldn’t let it go to waste. Now I’m going to talk about all the ways this power we have can be abused.
It may seem obvious—you shouldn’t use the Force to push people around, hurt them, control them, and so on. That’s what Sith do. But in some Jedi traditions, it’s taboo to even use the Force to kill someone, regardless of the context. Doesn’t matter if you do it quick and painless, because the Force is life. Using it to kill is akin to sacrilege. Or at the very least, it’s perverse.
While I hesitate to give any absolutes when it comes to doctrine, you definitely don’t want to go around murdering people with a wave of your hand, even in a warzone. People will see you wielding these godlike powers, crushing your enemies with hardly any effort, and they will feel small and helpless compared to you. This is not a mentality you want to nurture even in your foes, for it breeds terror and resentment among non-Jedi. Nor is being feared and loathed something you should want for yourself.
In some ways, it’s inevitable. People envy and hate. They crave power and control. They’ll look at you, someone who was gifted with a strange and incredible power, and they will question why you have it and they don’t. What makes you so special? Well, you don’t know. None of us do. Jedi in the past have theorized about destiny and the will of the Force, but nobody knows what that will is or to what end it’s working towards.
Regardless of what the Force might have in store for us, you are a Jedi, so act like one. Strive to help others wherever you go. Defend the defenseless. Protect the innocent. Safeguard the weak. You may be there in full Jedi capacity, waving a lightsaber around and yes, killing people with it, but the ones you’re protecting shouldn’t feel like you’re just as much of a threat to them as the forces assailing them. Your presence should be, if not a comfort to them, then certainly a tolerable one. If they hate you, don’t lash out in anger. If they envy you, don’t flaunt what they covet. If they want you to leave as soon as the job is done, then go. Don’t expect a reward or special treatment. You may lack the humility to truly believe that you aren’t special (I know I struggle with it, even though deep down I know I’m a fool), but you should at least act like you aren’t special. You’re just a guy doing a job that needs to be done. You’re the universe’s plumber, and that means things are going to get shitty, but you've just got to deal with it.
You can’t necessarily control how others see you, but your conduct matters. Too many Jedi ignore any critiques of their actions. They are too proud, and believe they are always right. Pride is something everyone has to some degree, making men and women believe they are good, even when they do things that are objectively not good. There’s this tendency on our part to make value judgments—I stole something, but at least I didn’t kill anybody. Well, stealing is still wrong, so we make excuses. Sometimes those excuses seem pretty sympathetic—I stole food because my family was starving. But then you must ask yourself, were there really no other options? Do you think if you told the shopkeep that your family was starving, they wouldn’t have tried to help you? Or were you just too proud to admit it, and so would rather resort to petty crime than humble yourself before another being? Was there a chance you could've resolved this situation peacefully, without hurting anyone? Or did you go the easy route that wouldn't upset your pride?
Well, that’s a rabbit hole that goes a lot deeper, and this letter is already getting long. If you find yourself making excuses for your behavior, or telling yourself that you’re better than so-and-so, I suggest you reevaluate your attitude. Or just come and talk to me about it. I’ll set you straight real quick.
Signing off,
Starlin Rand
Last time I talked about the Force as a responsibility, and how you shouldn’t let it go to waste. Now I’m going to talk about all the ways this power we have can be abused.
It may seem obvious—you shouldn’t use the Force to push people around, hurt them, control them, and so on. That’s what Sith do. But in some Jedi traditions, it’s taboo to even use the Force to kill someone, regardless of the context. Doesn’t matter if you do it quick and painless, because the Force is life. Using it to kill is akin to sacrilege. Or at the very least, it’s perverse.
While I hesitate to give any absolutes when it comes to doctrine, you definitely don’t want to go around murdering people with a wave of your hand, even in a warzone. People will see you wielding these godlike powers, crushing your enemies with hardly any effort, and they will feel small and helpless compared to you. This is not a mentality you want to nurture even in your foes, for it breeds terror and resentment among non-Jedi. Nor is being feared and loathed something you should want for yourself.
In some ways, it’s inevitable. People envy and hate. They crave power and control. They’ll look at you, someone who was gifted with a strange and incredible power, and they will question why you have it and they don’t. What makes you so special? Well, you don’t know. None of us do. Jedi in the past have theorized about destiny and the will of the Force, but nobody knows what that will is or to what end it’s working towards.
Regardless of what the Force might have in store for us, you are a Jedi, so act like one. Strive to help others wherever you go. Defend the defenseless. Protect the innocent. Safeguard the weak. You may be there in full Jedi capacity, waving a lightsaber around and yes, killing people with it, but the ones you’re protecting shouldn’t feel like you’re just as much of a threat to them as the forces assailing them. Your presence should be, if not a comfort to them, then certainly a tolerable one. If they hate you, don’t lash out in anger. If they envy you, don’t flaunt what they covet. If they want you to leave as soon as the job is done, then go. Don’t expect a reward or special treatment. You may lack the humility to truly believe that you aren’t special (I know I struggle with it, even though deep down I know I’m a fool), but you should at least act like you aren’t special. You’re just a guy doing a job that needs to be done. You’re the universe’s plumber, and that means things are going to get shitty, but you've just got to deal with it.
You can’t necessarily control how others see you, but your conduct matters. Too many Jedi ignore any critiques of their actions. They are too proud, and believe they are always right. Pride is something everyone has to some degree, making men and women believe they are good, even when they do things that are objectively not good. There’s this tendency on our part to make value judgments—I stole something, but at least I didn’t kill anybody. Well, stealing is still wrong, so we make excuses. Sometimes those excuses seem pretty sympathetic—I stole food because my family was starving. But then you must ask yourself, were there really no other options? Do you think if you told the shopkeep that your family was starving, they wouldn’t have tried to help you? Or were you just too proud to admit it, and so would rather resort to petty crime than humble yourself before another being? Was there a chance you could've resolved this situation peacefully, without hurting anyone? Or did you go the easy route that wouldn't upset your pride?
Well, that’s a rabbit hole that goes a lot deeper, and this letter is already getting long. If you find yourself making excuses for your behavior, or telling yourself that you’re better than so-and-so, I suggest you reevaluate your attitude. Or just come and talk to me about it. I’ll set you straight real quick.
Signing off,
Starlin Rand
