Jedi of Merit

Many a time, in an attempt to unite the Jedi under common interest and moral pursuit, has someone sat down and said "All Jedi should know these things". This is the wrong approach. One should say to themselves "it would be useful for all Jedi to know some of these things."

In the spirit of elevating worthy goals of common knowledge I respectfully request suggestions for a voluntary list of Jedi skills. They should have real world applications with the lowest common denominator of benefiting the world around the Jedi.

My examples would be First Aid, Martial Arts, a second language and Logic....but the list goes on. Please take a moment to suggest skills you have or would like to have that you see benefiting the people in your life(yourself as well as others). I hope to edit and present a final list that can be turned too as a list of worthy endeavors to pursue and perhaps master. Please note this is not for life long career choices but single, useful, beneficial or otherwise uplifting skills that would enrich, protect and strengthen yourself and those around you.

Teach people how to think for themselves and all the rest falls into place.

I suggested Logic already...are you reffering to something else?

rugadd wrote: I suggested Logic already...are you reffering to something else?

Nope. Just wanted to emphasize the importance of it. :laugh:

I like the idea, but feel it is also not the best approach. The same as providing a list of should know. Perhaps the better question is - What skills and traits have you found useful while living as a Jedi in your life? In this - it is simply Jedi offering their two cents on the skills they have found beneficial during their time as Jedi.

It is about each Jedi knowing their skills, abilities, and limitations. Not all Jedi are fit to jump on the frontlines of an accident and render first aid. Thus I would not expect it of every single one of them. I would however expect all Jedi to live positive and productive lives that benefit those around them. And that comes from being comfortable with you. Being a place in life where you can give of yourself, your time, your resources, without it hurting or having a negative impact on you. It is about personal well-being (in many areas). The skills vary from Jedi to Jedi. Often based upon focus, talent, and demographics.

My Two Pennies.

I agree completely with Opie.

I just posted an enormous rant about this very thing to my Apprentice Journal, where I basically ripped apart the conventions of saying "I am a Jedi" and what it means to a person.

Many go in the wrong direction. We think: "Ok, what should a Jedi know?"

And, there should be awkward silence in the room. What do you have to base it against? Everything becomes arbitrary.

Instead, it should be the opposite.

We each have our lives, and we each experience being a Jedi in different ways. People choose the path for various reasons.

In this way, we should just find useful things for people to know, and I think people who resonate with it and find it useful will pursue them.

Thank you Opie and Connor. I agree. I thought I had come across more similar to your input then perhaps it read. I'll try to be clearer in the future.

This is not meant to be a list of "not a Jedi if you don't know this" and I want practical application to be core to it. A lot of people come here looking for inspiration. This list is meant to be suggestions of worthy pursuit.

I am a musician, and I think it is so good for everybody's health if they knew a little music. Whether it's the ability to jam on a piano, or to sing along to their favorite song on the radio... I think basic musicianship is so helpful to the psyche. There is study upon study showing the benefits of music. And, not just the calming music. There is some death metal that is insanely intellectual. If you're a fan, and you enjoy theory and math, look up the theories behind how those songs are masterfully written.

If I had to share one technique about me? That's what I would teach.

Aleister Crowley wrote: Every man and every woman has a course, depending partly on the self, and
partly on the environment which is natural and necessary for each. Anyone who is
forced from his own course, either through not understanding himself, or through
external opposition, comes into conflict with the order of the Universe, and suffers
accordingly.

There tends to be a very strong pull in this movement (in this forum or others) to try to standardize curriculi, skills, rituals, etc). I don't know what is the right answer, I just know that what I feel applies to me is that each person is different, and when they find within their uniqueness what their bliss is, what moves them, they become a spark that gets the world rolling, without ever needing to try to be utilitarian.

Do not worry too much about this. There are Jedi that always endeavor to distinguish themselves by their actions, not their words.

I am going to agree with Opie. For me it is not about Jedi knowing the same set of useful skills, but a group a Jedi that know how to make their skills and passions useful.