The force

Personally, I believe that there is an energy that flows through everything. That energy can manifest itself positively or negatively (light side and dark side). I believe one has to learn to balance the two. Any favor over the other can cause corruption and mislead you towards your goals. Anybody can learn to understand this energy and manipulate it for many different uses. You can use it to strengthen yourself both physically and mentally.

I want to hear other people's perspective on how they view 'the force' or whatever else you may call it.

ThefirstSaijin wrote: Personally, I believe that there is an energy that flows through everything. That energy can manifest itself positively or negatively (light side and dark side). I believe one has to learn to balance the two. Any favor over the other can cause corruption and mislead you towards your goals. Anybody can learn to understand this energy and manipulate it for many different uses. You can use it to strengthen yourself both physically and mentally.

I want to hear other people's perspective on how they view 'the force' or whatever else you may call it.

I'm guessing your strong opinions come from practice, not theory. So, why do you believe what you believe?

Yes, my opinions and view of everything stems from years of physical and mental training. I learned at an early age, through many years of different martial arts mainly, about this energy that not only was inside of everybody but also in and around everything. My philosophies were sparked by intense phylicsophical conversations with former masters that I learned from and then over time I molded my own beliefs into what they are now. I have learned to except the role this energy, or the force, plays in the workings of the universe, but I don't revere it as a diety or look at it as an all powerful force that I must live my life by. I look at it more as a force of nature, like gravity.

I also believe in the Force as a universal energy, both a physical one - like gravity or magnetism - AND as a psychological one - such as the connections between us as people and to all other beings in the universe.

However, I believe there is no such thing as "dark side" or "light side" of the Force. The Force is neutral: "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so"

I agree that there is no good or bad. Both are only what the individual perceives them to be. While most of the time these energies are neutral, they can be positive or negative in nature. Depression, sadness, anger, and hate, all deeper emotions, can turn this energy negative. Negative energies can consume you, make you not think clearly, even act irrational. It's not good to give off negative energy all the time. Energy is never lost or gained, just transfered. The energy you give off can affect other people and other things, so one should learn to control their emotions and not let them get the best of them and hinder their ability to think and act right. But you shouldn't completely mask your emotions, rather learn to use them to your advantage to help fuel your passion and make you stronger.

Peace, yet passion.
Knowledge is strength.
Power with serenity.
Victory over chaos.
The Force is freedom.

ThefirstSaijin wrote: I look at it more as a force of nature, like gravity.

How can gravity corrupt me?

I think you misunderstood what I meant. Your emotions can cause you to think unclearly and create negative energy . The more negative energy there is, the more positive energy it takes to balance back out. If you always worry, are stressed out, or just are angry all the time you are putting out too much constant negative energy, and it will be much harder to balance yourself out and ultimately find peace . Understanding the force is ine of the first steps to learning to use it to better yourself

ThefirstSaijin wrote: I think you misunderstood what I meant. Your emotions can cause you to think unclearly and create negative energy . The more negative energy there is, the more positive energy it takes to balance back out. If you always worry, are stressed out, or just are angry all the time you are putting out too much constant negative energy, and it will be much harder to balance yourself out and ultimately find peace . Understanding the force is ine of the first steps to learning to use it to better yourself

Can I be too positive as well? And how do I balance it out with negativity?

ThefirstSaijin wrote: I agree that there is no good or bad. Both are only what the individual perceives them to be. While most of the time these energies are neutral, they can be positive or negative in nature. Depression, sadness, anger, and hate, all deeper emotions, can turn this energy negative. Negative energies can consume you, make you not think clearly, even act irrational. It's not good to give off negative energy all the time. .

Seems contradictory?

Yes you can be too positive. Though it is easier to be blinded by the dark side, you can be blinded by the light. You have to realize that there will always be sorrow, hunger, poverty, and ultimately negative energy. Once you truly can grasp that and understand that it is easy to balance with the dark