As a Jedi what is balance to you?

Never liked balance. There never will be balance..

OnistarSykosis wrote: Never liked balance. There never will be balance..

Why not like it? and why do you think there never will be? If its impossible, why be a Jedi?

By its very definition harmony is a lack of conflict. It is only half the coin of balance. Triss you yourself define harmony as agreement and concord. No conflict is involved in that definition. Then you apply a harmonious approach to an external conflict. That is not harmony. That is applying harmony in the hopes of achieving equilibrium, balance.

What about internal conflict. Even one who is at harmony between "dark and light" still has conflict inside. We wrestle with decisions, we fight against our discipline and resolve. We second guess actions we have made. We make mistakes. this is all conflict. Harmony is the resolution of that conflict but the conflict still exists. It never goes away, the best we an hope for is balance between harmony and conflict.

This is my point when it comes to Jedi philosophy, They always tout that they are balanced but then always move to a position that favors harmony and ignores the conflict. Its an unbalanced position.

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote: By its very definition harmony is a lack of conflict. It is only half the coin of balance. Triss you yourself define harmony as agreement and concord. No conflict is involved in that definition. Then you apply a harmonious approach to an external conflict. That is not harmony. That is applying harmony in the hopes of achieving equilibrium, balance.

What about internal conflict. Even one who is at harmony between "dark and light" still has conflict inside. We wrestle with decisions, we fight against our discipline and resolve. We second guess actions we have made. We make mistakes. this is all conflict. Harmony is the resolution of that conflict but the conflict still exists. It never goes away, the best we an hope for is balance between harmony and conflict.

This is my point when it comes to Jedi philosophy, They always tout that they are balanced but then always move to a position that favors harmony and ignores the conflict. Its an unbalanced position.

This would be incorrect.

From Webster Definition of harmony https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harmony

plural harmonies
1 archaic : tuneful sound : melody
2 a : the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord She taught him how to sing harmony.
b : the structure of music with respect to the composition and progression of chords a song with complicated harmonies and rhythms
c : the science of the structure, relation, and progression of chords
3 a : pleasing arrangement of parts : congruence a painting exhibiting harmony of color and line
b : agreement, accord when a woman's desires are in harmony with those of her husband
c : internal calm : tranquility a period of relative harmony
4 a : an interweaving of different accounts into a single narrative
b : a systematic arrangement of parallel literary passages (as of the Gospels) for the purpose of showing agreement or harmony

From Oxford https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/harmony

harmony
NOUN

1mass noun The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect.
‘the piece owes its air of tranquillity largely to the harmony’
count noun ‘an exciting variety of improvised harmonies’
More example sentencesSynonyms
1.1 The quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.
‘delightful cities where old and new blend in harmony’
More example sentencesSynonyms
1.2 The state of being in agreement or concord.
‘man and machine in perfect harmony’
More example sentencesSynonyms
2An arrangement of the four Gospels, or of any parallel narratives, which presents a single continuous narrative text.

Neither of these requires a total lack of conflict. One can be in agreement and still conflicted. One can be conflicted and at peace with that confliction if you accept it properly. Further, as I have said in the other thread favoring one side does not mean lack of balance. A balanced bread dough is not perfectly fifty-fifty of liquids and solids nor does a balanced Jedi have to be perfectly balanced in peace vs conflict to be a balanced Jedi

OnistarSykosis wrote: Never liked balance. There never will be balance..

Or there is always a balance and we aren't always in a position to see it.

And just because there is a balance, that doesn't mean I have to like what it means in my life. There may have to be both winter and summer, but that doesn't mean I have to learn to like being cold. (To pick something over which I really have no control. I can dress for the weather, but I can't change the weather.)

Perhaps our issue here is semantics.

I know when I seek harmony, when I say harmony, I'm truly seeking center through adaption. I seek the ability to flow and shift. To change my bearing to the wind. Through quiet sunny days or violent trashing storms, I seek to remain calm and to maintain my faculties. This is what my goal is.
Life will never stay calm. Life will always change. I want to do more than just survive the changes. I want to thrive in them. like Bruce Lee said. Be water my friends.

MadHatter wrote: Further, as I have said in the other thread favoring one side does not mean lack of balance. A balanced bread dough is not perfectly fifty-fifty of liquids and solids nor does a balanced Jedi have to be perfectly balanced in peace vs conflict to be a balanced Jedi

I get what you're saying. Having the correct ratios of X to Y and C to D is important, sure, and you could envision that as reaching a sort of equilibrium or homeostasis or relieving tensions between opposing views or whatever. I just don't think of that as "balance" in any of the literal senses of the word, so this ideal of "balance" isn't one that holds much significance for me. YMMV.

Atticus wrote:

MadHatter wrote: Further, as I have said in the other thread favoring one side does not mean lack of balance. A balanced bread dough is not perfectly fifty-fifty of liquids and solids nor does a balanced Jedi have to be perfectly balanced in peace vs conflict to be a balanced Jedi

I get what you're saying. Having the correct ratios of X to Y and C to D is important, sure, and you could envision that as reaching a sort of equilibrium or homeostasis or relieving tensions between opposing views or whatever. I just don't think of that as "balance" in any of the literal senses of the word, so this ideal of "balance" isn't one that holds much significance for me. YMMV.

Well when I refer to balance I am speaking of : mental and emotional steadiness
That one is from Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balance

OR

mass noun A situation in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.
From Oxford https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/balance

So we can see its how we define or think of the word that can change how we feel about it. Not expecting you to change your mind but just seeking to offer a differing perspective

MadHatter wrote:
Neither of these requires a total lack of conflict. One can be in agreement and still conflicted. One can be conflicted and at peace with that confliction if you accept it properly. Further, as I have said in the other thread favoring one side does not mean lack of balance. A balanced bread dough is not perfectly fifty-fifty of liquids and solids nor does a balanced Jedi have to be perfectly balanced in peace vs conflict to be a balanced Jedi

A loaf of bread does not contain balanced amounts of those things but a ratio. Remove any one of those elements and the bread becomes not bread anymore but something else. Both are required. I never said anything about equal measure. I said balanced measure. There is a difference. Of course striving for harmony is a valid pursuit but there are also times when conflict is something to strive for. Conflict is always there and cant be denied just as the water in the bread. Without the water it is not bread and just as without conflict we are not human. Both serve a purpose and both sometimes need to be actively utilized as well.

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

MadHatter wrote:
Neither of these requires a total lack of conflict. One can be in agreement and still conflicted. One can be conflicted and at peace with that confliction if you accept it properly. Further, as I have said in the other thread favoring one side does not mean lack of balance. A balanced bread dough is not perfectly fifty-fifty of liquids and solids nor does a balanced Jedi have to be perfectly balanced in peace vs conflict to be a balanced Jedi

A loaf of bread does not contain balanced amounts of those things but a ratio. Remove any one of those elements and the bread becomes not bread anymore but something else. Both are required. I never said anything about equal measure. I said balanced measure. There is a difference. Of course striving for harmony is a valid pursuit but there are also times when conflict is something to strive for. Conflict is always there and cant be denied just as the water in the bread. Without the water it is not bread and just as without conflict we are not human. Both serve a purpose and both sometimes need to be actively utilized as well.

What you said is that harmony is lack of conflict. I have shown that to be inaccurate via the definition of the words. Further, you stated that favoring harmony and ignoring conflict is not balanced. I have shown why I disagree and why by definition that is not accurate. One can be balanced while favoring harmony over conflict just as balanced bread favors solids over liquids. Finally, I would say that Jedi do not ignore conflict but seek to reduce it where possible and only engage in it when all other options are exhausted and it is totally needed. Which it is often not.