Controlled and just aggression as a weapon of a Jedi

Knowing yourself can't be done without conquering fear, when it destroys harmony and peace.

There is a fire inside me and there are also doubts and fears. The Jedi Way, I guess, is not aggression or passivity towards the fears or in stressful situations, but perseverance. Yet, perseverance is hard without aggression for me right now. Maybe, when I'm stronger, I will learn focus to the point that aggression is no longer necessary.

For now, I just channel my locked aggression to overcome fear. I strive to control it and only unleash it when it's just.

I don't like the SW franchise references much, but this one is a good illustration - link , the quote at the top: "I created Vaapad to answer my weakness: it channels my own darkness into a weapon of the light."

Have you ever used aggression against your weaknesses/doubts/fears?
And what about resolving conflicts?
What do you think of it?

I, personally, try not to use aggression against fear because I think aggression is often a response to fear rather a counter to it.

I think the only real counter to fear is understanding because when you understand what it is you're afraid of, why, and why you don't need to be afraid.. then it's a lot easier to overcome that fear.

Hi den385,

What are you afraid of?

den385 wrote: Knowing yourself can't be done without conquering fear, when it destroys harmony and peace.

There is a fire inside me and there are also doubts and fears. The Jedi Way, I guess, is not aggression or passivity towards the fears or in stressful situations, but perseverance. Yet, perseverance is hard without aggression for me right now. Maybe, when I'm stronger, I will learn focus to the point that aggression is no longer necessary.

For now, I just channel my locked aggression to overcome fear. I strive to control it and only unleash it when it's just.

I don't like the SW franchise references much, but this one is a good illustration - link , the quote at the top: "I created Vaapad to answer my weakness: it channels my own darkness into a weapon of the light."

Have you ever used aggression against your weaknesses/doubts/fears?
And what about resolving conflicts?
What do you think of it?

I don't believe in aggression as a solution to anything. Aggression creates suffering and suffering creates uncertainty and fear.
We all have urges and impulses, but those can be learnt to be suppressed when they're undesirable. There are many ways to curb aggression - for me, the best way is to use sports (and not necessarily martial arts *) as an outlet. I don't know anyone who feels aggression after a 5km run, for example. Meditation certainly also helps but that takes time. Physical activity has an immediate effect.


* not say that martial arts can't be an effective outlet as well - but I'd say only if you have a competent teacher that'll also point out the implications of power gained through them

Thank you!

What I am afraid would be too long and hard to explain in here. In this case, I believe the approach to be universal.

I agree that aggression is only a response, a reactive thing rather then proactive.

I think, the 2nd line of code in this case would be - Ignorance, yet knowledge [of your fears]

I believe that I learned today that to rely on knowledge, sound sense and will is a better approach. It's not that I abstractly subscribe to an abstract idea. I've lived it, yet I also tried the aggressive approach. I understand now, that I've succeeded when I used knowledge, not aggression. When I choose to listen to my heart, to the voice of defiance, not to the thousand of others - than I succeed in conquering fear.

May the Force be with you, always.

For some good insight on the proper use of controlled aggression, you might enjoy Sun Tzu's The Art of War or Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings.

Long story short... it's a complex issue

I wouldn't say aggression is inherently reactive (say some guy comes and punches me in the face for no reason, he's aggressive and not reactive), but in practical terms for Jedi it usually is. At the same time Jedi understand balance, and can use it to their advantage.. if you wish to withdraw, a strong push forward can facilitate some momentum for that, for example.

den385 wrote:
May the Force be with you, always.

And with you!

Aggression is human and some are more prone to living it out than others. That's normal. The question is just how to channel it so it doesn't cause suffering.

I know I have little authority, but what I do know from what experience I have is that aggression in my life is something that needs to be totally absent. It causes me to become blind to the effects of my actions, and to not take into account what it is doing to my soul. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. From the many anger management books I have read, the most resounding thing I have learned is that whenever you feel aggression, you have to take a step back in your mind and totally distance yourself from your anger, and shut it out completely. Otherwise who knows the consequences. There is no emotion, there is peace.

I'm just trying to understand the nature of your fears

is it fear of a person?
is it a bad neighborhood?
is it metaphysical?
fear of yourself?

It helps to know if channeling aggression is the right response depending on the fear.

Den,

I hold with Cyan. Aggression is a very normal response to stress.

Where I may differ from some in opinion - and this is just that, an opinion - is that aggression is a useful tool when properly channeled. As natural responses, fear and aggression will be with you anytime you're exposed to a stressful situation. There ARE methods of what we call 'stress inoculation' that help minimize these effects to dampen them from the destructive to the constructive. An appropriate level of controlled aggression is one component in what athletes and other performance-seekers use in entering 'The Zone'. The Zone has many definitions and indicators, but nothing entirely definitive on a way to reach it. *A* definition, albeit vague, is when a high level of skill pairs against an equal challenge of that skill. There are plenty of intangibles in that, including emotion. Too little, and you become bored and complacent - too much and you lose control. Either detract from performance. The key is managing these factors. Here is a book I found useful. It provides many case studies and examples for maximizing performance:

Warrior Mindset: Mental Toughness Skills for a Nation's Peacekeepers

The principles in it are sound, whether undergoing a deadly force encounter, a business proposal pitch, a best man speech, or a game of chess.

I will caution against embracing aggression entirely. Fear and aggression can be a bit like a horse waiting to break out of the gates at a racetrack. It can propel you faster than if you feel nothing...but let it get out of control even for an instant and that horse will destroy its stall and take YOU for a ride. Either way...we AREN'T automatons. You know you have this inside of you, as do we all. Try to achieve that balance and don't REACT when it comes calling...RESPOND with it. Try some of the techniques described in the book above if you get a chance to read it. It will nudge you in the right direction.