Force Inclinations

Ok, heres a topic. I looked at the little survey and took it only to find that my answer seemed to be in the minority of responses. I find that as a military member for the better half of my life I should be and am more inclined to be light. However, also with the military as a backdrop to my history (Father and brother served), I find that I seem to be drawn more to the pageantry of the dark side. Do I consider myself gray or should I do the \"right\" thing and choose once and for all for myself and my path towards becoming a master? Anyone new and old is more than welcome to pitch in and in doing so you could help me and maybe those of you that are also confused could finally make the choice for yourselves. Hope to hear from you!

Well, I think most of us would agree that the Light path is the more noble and worthy of the paths to the Force. On the path of Light you will, over time, begin to understand the Force and its will. You will, with study and meditation, begin to understand your feelings and emotions in order to master them and bring inner peace. Most importantly you will be able to follow the path of light and simply incorporate Jediism into your current Christian Belief system(Knowing that is what you follow from a previous post of yours). Niether the gray path nor the dark side can offer you these benefits. The gray path is more of a study in Balance than peace and will not offer you the opportunity to become the master of yourself as you will constantly be struggling between light and dark and will not be able to spend the time necessary to look within yourself and define your emotions.
The Dark side does seem easier and in that itr offers more temptation, but within the darkside you will not truly be a Master of yourself or your emotions. They will be the master of you.

Obviously it is a choice, one that only you are qualified to make for yourself. But frankly if I had to choose between Enlightenment and Peace or a life of Hate and darkness (which I did) I would obviously choose the light (which I did) However the choice is ultimately yours.

I see, and not to steal a line or anything, but do I miss out on learning everything I can by not embracing all aspects of the Force? I certainly don't see myself truly \"leaning\" towards the dark side, however I feel a pull that more than likely can be attributed as/to temptation but I can't seem to want to turn away. I can freely and legitimately say that I walk in the light, but I don't feel as if the dark side is just some generic evil but another piece of the puzzle that ultimately leads to totality. I admit that as a novice I am probably missing something or maybe I just write (at lengths) to see your answers to my questions. Does one turn away or does one look to everything to learn all there is as in \"how can you know what is good without knowing what is bad? I am obviously so conflicted....or do I choose to be? Hmm...

No, as a matter of fact you miss nothing by not seeking or learning the dark side other than emotional turmoil and periodic sorrow. The second step on the path to being a jedi is as follows:

2. Believe in the Force and its power, a Jedi is devoted to the Force, being committed to the ideals of a Jedi is a pervading tenet. A Jedi does not serve the dark side in any way, in thought or in deed. A Jedi acts in a righteous manner defining the principles of a true Jedi. Knowledge and a relationship will you develop with the Force, it resides within you, surrounds you and flows through you.

The Jedi Code also puts it very plainly

The Jedi Code
There is no Emotion; There is Peace.
There is no Ignorance; There is Knowledge.
There is no Passion; There is Serenity.
There is no Chaos: There is Harmony.
There is no Death; There is the Force.

The dark side has none of these qualities.

Finally, and most importantly, by studying on the path of the Light you will understand the dark. That is part of your self reflection and meditation. When you study your own feelings and emotions, you will learn what it is that the dark side feeds on and how it takes control. As it is said in our basic teachings:

7. Jedi are mindful of the negative emotions which lead to the Dark Side: Anger, Fear, Aggression, and Hate. If we sense these emotions manifesting within ourselves, we must meditate on the Jedi Code and focus on purging these destructive emotions.


You see we all have these feelings, Jedi or Not. However, A jedi will acknowledge them and look inward to study them. The Jedi will analyze and categorize these emotions one by one, viewing them as they purge themselves of them in order to master them. In doing so they then master themselves. As you know from your military training, Discipline is core to a Jedi. The dark side has no such discipline and as such is truly only a drunken persuit of power.

That came sooner than I was expecting, but I am glad. Thank you brother. Is there a zip file or something that encompasses all of these tenets and bits of knowledge that you impart within your postings? I think the more I read and study the easier I can come to a better understanding. Again my thanks and MTFBWY.

Actually you don't need a Zip file or anything of the sort. Everything I quote is listed under temple doctrine on the left side of your screen. You simply have to click on it and all the information is laid out in front of you. Again, If you have need for guidance or council please feel free to let me know at anytime. I am always here to help.

Sweet, thank you. I guess I only thought I had clicked on everything on the page. Off to reading...MTFBWY.

Anytime.

IF your character is strong enough, you will not constantly struggle with the light and dark, if you are a gray, or shadow Jedi. As long as you know who you are, and what your views of right or wrong are, learning and studying to be balanced will actually help you, more than hurt you. Its only those who cannot or will not, control themselves that have to truly worry about falling to the dark side. There are things you may not learn if you do not atleast study the dark side for some time. You wouldn't go to war without understanding your enemy as much as possible, how can you combat (I use the word loosely) evil, or the dark side if you don't understand it truly? Just some extra points of view to give you other insight and give you more choices.

Dhagon Krayt

IF your character is strong enough, you will not constantly struggle with the light and dark, if you are a gray, or shadow Jedi. As long as you know who you are, and what your views of right or wrong are, learning and studying to be balanced will actually help you, more than hurt you. Its only those who cannot or will not, control themselves that have to truly worry about falling to the dark side. There are things you may not learn if you do not atleast study the dark side for some time. You wouldn't go to war without understanding your enemy as much as possible, how can you combat (I use the word loosely) evil, or the dark side if you don't understand it truly? Just some extra points of view to give you other insight and give you more choices.

Dhagon Krayt