Warrior vs other 'classes'

(in regards to the post in Anger)

There are many different kinds of warrior in every culture. There are those who fight intolerance, homelessness, poverty, illness, ignorance, even gravity. So you can not entirely rule out that the warrior path is not for everyone because it is my opinion that a warrior is someone who feels so passionately about (or strongly about) something that they feel needs to be changed. Also, we all have our own little battles in everyday life, and within ourselves. We as Jedi struggle everyday with which side of the line we choose to stand on.

Aside from that, i myself am more of a philosopher about to be Mother. In so many ways i want to look at the world and my religion and study every aspect of it, but now that i am having to view things in a motherly way i feel almost that it is my husband, child, and i against the world attempting to protect, much like in the warrior fashion.

With all of that said, never rule anything out because you never know exactly what part of a culture you may need to draw from.

MTFBWY

Anora, hi.

I was referring only to the Warrior class in the original meaning: Those of us who were born to fight and defend. Those of us who have walked that scarlet road oft paved with pain and suffering so that goodly folk might live in peace.

I was not in any way speaking ill of any other folk who serve their people and their society in a good and honorable way. No, those are highly valuable people and much respected. Healers, philosophers Seers, Midwives, crafts-folk, etc. All immensely respectable people.

However, there are those of us among the Warriors (myself included) who feel that the word 'Warrior' has been much abused over the past few decades. People seek to take it as a title or as a description of themselves that many do not deserve to take. Some use it to make themselves feel special or better or, as one fellow I know puts it...more extreme at something. Many of us are disgusted at how the word Warrior has been taken by the unworthy and by the media especially - and abused.

Warriors are fighters. We are trained in the arts of war or if we are not trained we strive to be trained because we can feel the call in our blood. Sometimes we are soldiers sometimes not, almost all are defenders. We are born to it. it is not our choice. It is almost as though the bloodfire of the Warrior chooses us at birth to walk that road. It is so difficult to describe the state of 'knowing' that all Warriors share; difficult to describe it to those who are not Warriors, yet all who walk the scarlet road know *exactly*what I am talking about.

Many of us wish we were something else; a great potter perhaps, an artist; a wondrous craftsman; a musician; a doctor, etc. I myself marvel and wonder at gardeners and their craft - Bonsai masters, in particular, yet plants seldom fare well around me despite my best efforts. A Warrior brother of mine deeply admires great cooks and chefs, yet he practically burns water if given the chance
Some of us can do other things; some of us have hobbies and things we love to do besides train as Warriors, yet at the core, Warriors are what we are.

Yes, many of us wish we were not the hard edge of the blade, yet that is the card that we were dealt. It is an inescapable part of our destiny.

Warriors are often involved in war. War is terrible and dirty and dark. It is pain; fear; misery; suffering. It is seldom glorious or worthwhile for any reason. Yet in any generation there are men and women who step forward and do what needs to be done, because, as I have said before, freedom is not free. Peace is always a thing which must be defended.

People who feel strongly about something and fight to change it may indeed be great people; great human beings of stout heart and much honor. I think of Dr. Martin Luther King as such a hero. People like that are of great, noble heart, but they are not, in this old war-dog's opinion, Warriors.

Anyway, this old fella gets wound up a bit whenever the word Warrior (notice how i always spell it with a capital 'W' ?) crops up. Not trying to stir anyone up, just expressing an opinion.


Regards


Qorvas

I admire your passion about such a topic and i do appreciate the origin of the term but i was going by the dictionary term. Not to be just tossed around here and there.

warÅriÅor
–noun
1. a person engaged or experienced in warfare; soldier.
2. a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics.
war·ri·or (wôr'-Yr, wOr'-)
n.
1. One who is engaged in or experienced in battle.
2. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict: neighborhood warriors fighting against developers.
[Middle English werreour, from Old North French werreieur, from werreier, to make war, from werre, war]

True by definition virtually anyone can be a warrior but not everyone is a fighter and not everyone does feel passionately about something so i feel that the warrior description is preserved by individuals choice to be a fly on the wall instead of getting involved with something 'courageous'. I am not saying anyone should title themselves as warrior. I would never actually call myself a warrior, mostly because (although do practice sword fighting and am better then some people i have come up again {the rest of that is for another time) I do not consider myself a warrior.

With all of that said i was more or less attempting to explain things to Uktena so that they didn't feel like they were out of place here more then attacking a class that you and few others seem to hold so dear. With that said i hope you can appreciate where i am coming from as i can see where you are coming from. I never meant to insult anyone in any way as always.

MTFBWY

Qorvas wrote:

... but they are not, in this old war-dog's opinion, Warriors.

This of course is the crux of many an argument/discussion - this is YOUR point of view.

Many people have fought for something, some have even died 'fighting' for a cause without being 'soldiers' - the list of these types of people is quite long and if we are all honest, the mentioning of one or two of these groups would at first appear to be very distasteful to say the least but remember what has been said, someone who has fought 'tooth n nail' for a cause could be deemed a warrior.

This is yet another demonstration of the limitation of the human languages, especially when it comes to expression of ideas and feelings.

I do understand your sentiments - but I personally know that one doesnt have to go to a foreign land with a gun as part of a task force (for whatever nation and on whatever mission) to have earned a right to be known or call oneself a warrior.

Everyone has different life experiences and it tends to be these on which we draw when making decisions in life.

MTFBWY - A

Since I'm the one who asked the question which spawned this thread, let me clarify what I meant to prevent further arguments of semantics.

My concept of the Warrior is based solely on the description of the Jungian archetype -- not the idea of a warrior or other such label as used in everyday speech. Having just been to an archetype intensive workshop where we identified which of the thousands of potential archetypes were active within ourselves, these ideas are fresh on my mind. If you're curious, you can find the definition which I was specifically referring to here: http://meta-religion.com/Psychiatry/Analytical_psychology/a_gallery_of_archetypes.htm . You'll have to scroll to the bottom to see it since they are alphabetically listed.

Based on this definition and all its permutations, I am not a Warrior. An Advocate? yes. A Counsellor? yes. A Seeker? yes. An Alchemist? yes. A Warrior? no.

My take on the Jedi for sure includes the Knight and Warrior both, but I also see many more archetypes such as the Advocate and the Seeker, not to mention the Wiseman. These are not \"classes\", but rather simply other manifestations of the Force. Personally, I'm looking for the Wiseman. My concern, which prompted the statement, was that 99% of the focus seems to be on the expression of the Knight, Guardian, Warrior (etc) and leaves out the aspects that I personally am more in-tune with. Since there is nothing to contradict this idea anywhere, including the responses to my query, I must regretfully conclude I am in the wrong place.

Though I must say the introductory lessons were quite fun! Take care all!

MTFBWY

Uktena;

Well said.

I see *exactly* what you are saying.

I suspect that some of the rest of us must then agree to disagree, which is not surprising to me at all.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, and the Warriors know who they are.


Qorvas

Agreed And that is what makes this place such a nice and unique place. and i do find it interesting that you (Uktena) view this place as a much more warrior place then any of the other archetypes as i always thought it was a more philisophical place but i guess we sometimes see what we wish to see. IDK.

MTFBWY-A

Oh no Daniels about to Speak EVERY ONE RUN!

I can see what your trying to say how ever a warrior is in battle with some thing.As Jedi we dont have to be defined as a Warrior. We can be one if needed but its important to be more than just a force against another force.

We should be more like an observer that reacts to the situation at hand.

We can all be heros in our daily lives but we dont have to be a Warrior.Not everyone can be a warrior.I guess the the word warrior is a symbol of something that we dont ALWAYS have to be.

Yoda: “Ohhh. Great warrior.Wars not make one great.”

Yoda: \"Long is the war,only by surviving it will we win\"

Daniel:

VERY well said. Very well said indeed with regard to the Jedi mindset.



Qorvas