As a Jedi what is balance to you?

  • Visitor
  • Visitor
    Public
6 years 3 months ago #307791 by
Replied by on topic As a Jedi what is balance to you?
To me balance, in relation to life, Jediism, and the Force, is not about equal amounts of X and Y, but about the correct amount of both.

For example, we have parts of our doctrine that talk about action and parts that talk about patience and inaction. A Jedi doesn't have to be perfectly even in the amount of times that they act and don't act, but they should do both in the amount that they deem necessary.

It's about finding how much your child needs protected and how much they need to learn to pick themselves up. How much tough love your friend needs VS how much gentle caring. How much to let your employees cut loose and how much you need to crack the whip. None of these examples need to be a perfect 50/50, but they all need to find the right balance.

Now, for the lightsaber in each hand. B) Keep in mind that while some arts teach using weapons of equal size and weight in each hand others use weapons of very different sizes and weights. (Tip: my dad taught me two weapon fighting by having me play ping pong with two paddles. :laugh: )

Balance is one of my favorite Jediism concepts. :woohoo:

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
6 years 3 months ago #307792 by MadHatter
In all my love of debate I forgot to post what I feel balance to be.

Balance to me is much the same as Goken. It is whatever increases your sense of peace and wellbeing. That could mean a period of conflict that is needed to cleanse bad influences from your life. Or it could mean seeking peace by letting the inconsequential go. There is no need for equal measures or even any effort towards them. Only you will know what brings balance to your life and path

Knight of the Order
Training Master: Jestor
Apprentices: Lama Su, Leah
Just a pop culture Jedi doing what I can
The following user(s) said Thank You:

Please Log in to join the conversation.

  • Visitor
  • Visitor
    Public
6 years 3 months ago #307795 by
Replied by on topic As a Jedi what is balance to you?

JLSpinner wrote: 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.


Exactly! To me the difference between Harmony and Balance is that one is trying to manipulate and control an outcome (Sith much? :-p) And the other, harmony is the ability to adapt and engage with the storms in a "Lightsided" way.

Much like a ship on a stormy sea. The Captain does not seek to balance the ship, but adapt with the ebbs and flow's.

Harmony is very much apart of Conflict because it is conflict that causes a need to adapt and harmonize with it. It is in taking the conflict outside of you and adapting to it's process in a way that effects the outcomes in a more satisfying method. AKA - The ship coming out of the storm still afloat :)

Please Log in to join the conversation.

  • Visitor
  • Visitor
    Public
6 years 3 months ago #307799 by
Replied by on topic As a Jedi what is balance to you?

MadHatter wrote:
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.


Harmony is lack of conflict and I don't believe you have shown otherwise. You cant be harmonious and in conflict at the same time. Harmony is agreement by definition. Sure you can agree to disagree but that's still just another word for conflict - lack of agreement. Favoring harmony and ignoring conflict is not balanced. Once again I never said equal just balanced. We must never ignore conflict either without or within. In this regard conflict is a very large part of our daily lives. Your assertion that this is not the case is just that, an assertion. Just because we use the term conflict does not mean violent conflict either. In fact every decision we make is one of conflict. We must weigh the validity of each circumstance and decide the best course of action all the time. This is conflict. You and I are in conflict right now in fact. To say you are not engaging in that conflict and instead are seeking to reduce it by all means is in error. You are engaging in conflict not harmony.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

  • Visitor
  • Visitor
    Public
6 years 3 months ago #307801 by
Replied by on topic As a Jedi what is balance to you?

Trisskar wrote: Exactly! To me the difference between Harmony and Balance is that one is trying to manipulate and control an outcome (Sith much? :-p) And the other, harmony is the ability to adapt and engage with the storms in a "Lightsided" way.

Much like a ship on a stormy sea. The Captain does not seek to balance the ship, but adapt with the ebbs and flow's.

Harmony is very much apart of Conflict because it is conflict that causes a need to adapt and harmonize with it. It is in taking the conflict outside of you and adapting to it's process in a way that effects the outcomes in a more satisfying method. AKA - The ship coming out of the storm still afloat :)


That only leaves you at the mercy of the sea. If it decides to sink the ship it will do so and you will be harmonious at the bottom of the ocean. I think it better to take control and shape my environment to my will than allow it to shape me. I guess Im sith? :P :lol:

Please Log in to join the conversation.

  • Visitor
  • Visitor
    Public
6 years 3 months ago #307803 by
Replied by on topic As a Jedi what is balance to you?
You are not listening Kyrin. Everyone here has stated in agreement that conflict is real and present. We have all said as much. We are simply using extreme examples in an attempt to illistrate our views. Naturally....conflict can be small. And in some cases, silly and personal.

I am at conflict with my current situation. I want to get up and get a glass of water...but my cat is sleeping oh so comfortably on my lap!! I can't move without waking him up and upsetting his calm and mine....

Balance: So I could either give him a scratch behind the ears before setting him down to get my water

Or

Harmony: I could pick him up in my arms, carrying him to the sink, get water and sit back down all the while petting and loving on him until we can return to this same position.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
6 years 3 months ago #307804 by MadHatter

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

MadHatter wrote:
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.


Harmony is lack of conflict and I don't believe you have shown otherwise. You cant be harmonious and in conflict at the same time. Harmony is agreement by definition. Sure you can agree to disagree but that's still just another word for conflict - lack of agreement. Favoring harmony and ignoring conflict is not balanced. Once again I never said equal just balanced. We must never ignore conflict either without or within. In this regard conflict is a very large part of our daily lives. Your assertion that this is not the case is just that, an assertion. Just because we use the term conflict does not mean violent conflict either. In fact every decision we make is one of conflict. We must weigh the validity of each circumstance and decide the best course of action all the time. This is conflict. You and I are in conflict right now in fact. To say you are not engaging in that conflict and instead are seeking to reduce it by all means is in error. You are engaging in conflict not harmony.


When one uses harmony in reference to people you tend to mean:
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

You can be calm about conflict and you can be in agreement while conflicted about said agreement. Neither is off balance nor is either state out of harmony. By the very definition of the words. The limiting factor is only in our thoughts. Further, we can indeed ignore conflicts that are silly and pointless and most often indeed they are just that.

Knight of the Order
Training Master: Jestor
Apprentices: Lama Su, Leah
Just a pop culture Jedi doing what I can

Please Log in to join the conversation.

  • Visitor
  • Visitor
    Public
6 years 3 months ago #307807 by
Replied by on topic As a Jedi what is balance to you?

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

Trisskar wrote: Exactly! To me the difference between Harmony and Balance is that one is trying to manipulate and control an outcome (Sith much? :-p) And the other, harmony is the ability to adapt and engage with the storms in a "Lightsided" way.

Much like a ship on a stormy sea. The Captain does not seek to balance the ship, but adapt with the ebbs and flow's.

Harmony is very much apart of Conflict because it is conflict that causes a need to adapt and harmonize with it. It is in taking the conflict outside of you and adapting to it's process in a way that effects the outcomes in a more satisfying method. AKA - The ship coming out of the storm still afloat :)


That only leaves you at the mercy of the sea. If it decides to sink the ship it will do so and you will be harmonious at the bottom of the ocean. I think it better to take control and shape my environment to my will than allow it to shape me. I guess Im sith? :P :lol:


So adapting to the sea is less effective than willing it to your needs? Can you elaborate?

Please Log in to join the conversation.

More
6 years 3 months ago - 6 years 3 months ago #307808 by MadHatter

JLSpinner wrote:

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

Trisskar wrote: Exactly! To me the difference between Harmony and Balance is that one is trying to manipulate and control an outcome (Sith much? :-p) And the other, harmony is the ability to adapt and engage with the storms in a "Lightsided" way.

Much like a ship on a stormy sea. The Captain does not seek to balance the ship, but adapt with the ebbs and flow's.

Harmony is very much apart of Conflict because it is conflict that causes a need to adapt and harmonize with it. It is in taking the conflict outside of you and adapting to it's process in a way that effects the outcomes in a more satisfying method. AKA - The ship coming out of the storm still afloat :)


That only leaves you at the mercy of the sea. If it decides to sink the ship it will do so and you will be harmonious at the bottom of the ocean. I think it better to take control and shape my environment to my will than allow it to shape me. I guess Im sith? :P :lol:


So adapting to the sea is less effective than willing it to your needs? Can you elaborate?


Having been a sailor for years with the military I can tell you trying to fight or resist the sea will get you killed. You cant shape the weather and you cant fight the ocean. Avoid the conflict and flow with it and that is how you live. Having sailed through many a storm I can tell you that for a fact that the best course is not always a balanced( Edit for clarity level is the proper intent of the word here ) and upright ship. Sometimes you are tilted at 45 degrees in order to keep going safely.

Knight of the Order
Training Master: Jestor
Apprentices: Lama Su, Leah
Just a pop culture Jedi doing what I can
Last edit: 6 years 3 months ago by MadHatter.
The following user(s) said Thank You: ,

Please Log in to join the conversation.

  • Visitor
  • Visitor
    Public
6 years 3 months ago - 6 years 3 months ago #307809 by
Replied by on topic As a Jedi what is balance to you?

Trisskar wrote: You are not listening Kyrin. Everyone here has stated in agreement that conflict is real and present. We have all said as much. We are simply using extreme examples in an attempt to illistrate our views. Naturally....conflict can be small. And in some cases, silly and personal.

I am at conflict with my current situation. I want to get up and get a glass of water...but my cat is sleeping oh so comfortably on my lap!! I can't move without waking him up and upsetting his calm and mine....

Balance: So I could either give him a scratch behind the ears before setting him down to get my water

Or

Harmony: I could pick him up in my arms, carrying him to the sink, get water and sit back down all the while petting and loving on him until we can return to this same position.


I am listening just fine. Im just disagreeing with your assessment. Given your two scenarios above I would actually pick the one of balance over the one of harmony. Either way you have disturbed the sleep of the cat but in your harmony example you also steal choice from the cat. What if he does not want to return to your lap? Better to scratch him behind the ears and put him down. Telling him unequivocally what your situation is and allowing him the choice to either return or find another place to rest or go play or whatever.

JLspinner, yes it is because in that situation you give up the option of choice and give it all to the sea. You allow the sea to dictate your options at that point and if that sea is malevolent it could lead to a less than desirable situation for you.
Last edit: 6 years 3 months ago by .

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Moderators: ZerokevlarVerheilenChaotishRabeRiniTavi