You and Me!!

[Xhaiden]

Many people try to compare themselves to someone else no matter if they know them or not. Some people will compare themselves to someone to determine how much they know, are they stronger than you, and for a whole many other reasons. Many people want to also see through comparison if they are better then person X. What needs to be remembered is within the Force, we are all equal. It is useless to compare yourself to anyone else because there are no two people who come from the same life, experiences, education, and etc. True comparisons if you really wanted can only be done when everything is equal as to what makes it up, two people can never be equal in their background. We are all different. We all have different upbringings, we come from different cultures, we have different levels of education, and there is no way you can accurately compare yourself to someone else. So why the point of doing it then? Do you want to feel good about yourself? Do you want to show someone you are superior? In the long run all of that means absolutely nothing. If you want to compare yourself, compare yourself in the now to yourself from 5 minutes ago, 1 year ago, 10 years ago, and etc. The major part of being a Jedi is to improve yourself. Don't try to compare yourselves to others when determining to find out if you have improved because you can't. We all have different abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and skills. Just because we are all different does not mean we are not all equal. We are all just as important as the person next to us, 5 miles, away, or on the other side of the planet. But what makes us all unique and different is our skills, abilities, education, life experiences, upbringing, and many other individualistic qualities that make us who we are and define who we are. So don't compare yourself against others because you will just settle into a false security as whatever you learn from that comparison will not be true and will not be accurate. As I have been saying as of late, look within and not outside of yourself. In the Force, we are all equal but it is who we are that makes us unique and an individual.

[Draco]

So a Brain surgeon is equal to a crackhead alley bum.....do you have any real proof of this or is just a theory that makes you feel good to repeat?

xhaiden said:

Many people try to compare themselves to someone else no matter if they know them or not. Some people will compare themselves to someone to determine how much they know, are they stronger than you, and for a whole many other reasons. Many people want to also see through comparison if they are better then person X. What needs to be remembered is within the Force, we are all equal. It is useless to compare yourself to anyone else because there are no two people who come from the same life, experiences, education, and etc. True comparisons if you really wanted can only be done when everything is equal as to what makes it up, two people can never be equal in their background. We are all different. We all have different upbringings, we come from different cultures, we have different levels of education, and there is no way you can accurately compare yourself to someone else. So why the point of doing it then? Do you want to feel good about yourself? Do you want to show someone you are superior? In the long run all of that means absolutely nothing. If you want to compare yourself, compare yourself in the now to yourself from 5 minutes ago, 1 year ago, 10 years ago, and etc. The major part of being a Jedi is to improve yourself. Don't try to compare yourselves to others when determining to find out if you have improved because you can't. We all have different abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and skills. Just because we are all different does not mean we are not all equal. We are all just as important as the person next to us, 5 miles, away, or on the other side of the planet. But what makes us all unique and different is our skills, abilities, education, life experiences, upbringing, and many other individualistic qualities that make us who we are and define who we are. So don't compare yourself against others because you will just settle into a false security as whatever you learn from that comparison will not be true and will not be accurate. As I have been saying as of late, look within and not outside of yourself. In the Force, we are all equal but it is who we are that makes us unique and an individual.

[Xhaiden]

As far as their importance in society, no. There are obviously skills and abilities that put someone higher in society that makes someone more important as far as their skills and abilities. But as a human being, yes, they are equal. We are all equal in the Force. You are energy at your most simplest form and so am I. That energy is no different in you then it is in me, it is equal. Why do you seem to feel the need to make someone not an equal and have superiority? What is so wrong about everyone being equal within the Force?

[Draco]

So basically you have no real evidence just a egalitarian theory.

xhaiden said:

As far as their importance in society, no. There are obviously skills and abilities that put someone higher in society that makes someone more important as far as their skills and abilities. But as a human being, yes, they are equal. We are all equal in the Force. You are energy at your most simplest form and so am I. That energy is no different in you then it is in me, it is equal. Why do you seem to feel the need to make someone not an equal and have superiority? What is so wrong about everyone being equal within the Force?

[Darth Necrom]

Hahaha very true Draco. I must say, in this day and age too many people have this "Well everyone's equal" attitude. Its all BS. If everyone was equal then there would be no reason to compete for supremacy. And us humans need to have some superiority over something in our lives. It adds purpose. Hence the reason we compare ourselves to others (to show we are superior). I agree we must advance on our own and not think about others superiority (or lack of), but we still need to have something to ratify our advancement. The point is this: Without unequality there is nothing to struggle for, and without anything to struggle for there is no room to grow stronger through the struggle. And that is the reason there must always be some sort of inequality.

But I am Sith so what do I know?

[Xhaiden]

Yes, for me I just know that's how it is. Is it an opinion, yes, is it shared by many, yes, is it shared by all, no. This is something I have come to realize through observation and meditation.

And that it is all BS is your opinion which your are totally welcome too. This is my opinion and what I have come to realize in my life. I don't compete for supremacy and I know plenty of people who also don't and do just fine for themselves in life. What I am saying is there is no need to compare yourself against someone else.

You know plenty, you just have a different point of view on things than I do!!

[Jedi Archivist Kethrim]

xhaiden said:

If you want to compare yourself, compare yourself in the now to yourself from 5 minutes ago, 1 year ago, 10 years ago, and etc. The major part of being a Jedi is to improve yourself.

I'm pulling out this part because I think it's the most important part of what you said here.

It's not about the beggar and the surgeon being the same so much as it is about each of us asking ourselves, "Am I a better person than I used to be? Have I grown in the past year, the past month? Am I actively striving to become a better person?"

Many people make New Year's Resolutions each year, seeking to do something better in the past year. At the New Year every year, I look back on my life throughout the past year, comparing myself to the person I was at that time a year ago, seeing how I've grown, and how I can continue to grow in the year to come.

As for all people being equal, remember that no matter who you are and no matter who the other person is, we all have something that we can learn from everyone.

[Xhaiden]

Thanks for bringing this back around as what you said was the core of what I was saying. The equal part was not the purpose of this and was just another example that I used. Just as I tell my students at school, "just because I am the teacher does not mean I am not learning anything from you."

[Darth Necrom]

I meant no offense by it Xhaiden. As you said I was merely stating my opinion. I do so hate using derrogatory statements (or their abreviations) and I only use them to make a statement.

[Xhaiden]

No offense taken, trust me, it's near impossible to offend me or rub me wrong...now..don't take that as a challenge either..LOLOL. When in a place like this forum with the intent of this forum there are many different beliefs and many of them can be quite different you are going to come across things others just don't agree with at all. Nothing wrong with talking out what we believe on a given topic. Just because you or someone else doesn't agree with me doesn't mean we can't get along and be civil like it has been. I don't expect everyone to agree with me just like I know you don't.

[Darth Draconis]

The problem of equality with Sith in the fictional world can be seen in Darth Bane:Path of Destruction. I thought it was interesting that you brought this up, I just re-read the book a few days ago.

[Xhaiden]

I haven't read it yet. I always wait till they come out in paperback, cheaper..lol. The local library stinks but I have other books I'm still catching up on so I'll get to it sooner or later.

[tzaphoni]

I would like to say a few things:

1). I believe it is futile to ask another to give evidence of what he/she has perceived intuitively. Evidence is evaluated with logic, and intuition is not bound by logic.

2). A certain amount of comparing oneself to others definitely has its uses. A job interview, for example, would require pitting one's strengths against that of all the other applicants. But, for spiritual goals, I prefer a different means of assessing my success. Did I do the very best that I was capable of doing? If not, I know I have things to work on. Take patience for example. My goal is to be as patient as I can be. Just being more patient than other people isn't really a good indication of success. I guess what I'm trying to say is that both ways have their value according to circumstance.

[Darth Necrom]

I have to agree with you Draconis. Darth Bane is an excellent book. I was weary about the rule of two until I read the book (but now I'm a true believer in it). I love of how Bane transforns the Sith from being an unwieldy war hammer to an intricate and sharp dagger.

ps- very nice addition tzaphoni.

[Volund Starfire]

I have not yet read the book, but it is on my list of acquisitions (I hate the whole not having money thing). I do look forward to reading it, though. Just from what was mentioned here, it sounds interesting.

[Aeon]

In my opinion the problem with equality is that it depends on values the mind attaches to whatever is being compared. Are we comparing who has more money, charisma, physical stength, beauty, social status, will power, supernatural power? Each value, whatever IT is, has varying degrees of importance to different people. But the mere concept of equality implies inequality exists, which means that everything cannot be equal. An apple is not orange, but we may attached a psychological value to it, which would be a preference, dislike, or indifference about each one. The senses use values, like submodalities, to define information so that we can gain knowledge about what is going on around us. I think this is the purpose of values. It isn't imortant if they're equal. The Force is universal as is so eloquently descibed in the 34th chapter of the Tao Te Ching titled The Great Way Is Universal(Thomas Cleary translation).