Does the light side of the Force *really* use positive emotions?

[Beniboybling]

"There is no emotion, there is peace."

 

We all know how it goes, to use the light side of the Force you have to be calm and at peace without strong emotions clouding your vision etc. etc. And yet at the same time Wookieepedia at least seems to think:

 

The light side of the Force was aligned with happiness, joy, love, and benevolence, or alternatively simply calmness, which some believed nurtured the light side and provided insight into its ethical uses. It was generally concerned with the ideas of good, generosity, healing, and wisdom, as opposed to evil, harm, and hasty judgment.

 

And one could say that this is something of an undercurrent in the Star Wars universe, and as such a valid assertion to make (it is however, unsourced). But I bring it into question, partly because of that particular line in the Jedi Code and partly because the Jedi stress against strong emotions, seemingly of any kind, surely that rules out positive emotions as well? Really what is the difference? And likewise the Sith stress an embrace of passion, all passions.

 

So the question is, can you draw on the light side of the Force using positive emotions or not?

[Kaedusz]

So the question is, can you draw on the light side of the Force using positive emotions or not?

 

Only when the emotion is unconditional love towards all creation or something in particular,combined with a meditative state of mind.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Kaedusz

[ShadowMudkip]

Oh my gosh, Beni, philosophical threads about the force are my favorite!!!

 

Anyways, yes, I believe that the light side does use positive emotions. I believe that the Jedi have been, and still are, in the wrong for trying to suppress emotions. Many different catastrophes could have been avoided if emotions were allowed. (Anakin suppressing his marriage)

[sell-dog]

"There is no emotion, there is peace."

 

We all know how it goes, to use the light side of the Force you have to be calm and at peace without strong emotions clouding your vision etc. etc. And yet at the same time Wookieepedia at least seems to think:

 

The light side of the Force was aligned with happiness, joy, love, and benevolence, or alternatively simply calmness, which some believed nurtured the light side and provided insight into its ethical uses. It was generally concerned with the ideas of good, generosity, healing, and wisdom, as opposed to evil, harm, and hasty judgment.

 

And one could say that this is something of an undercurrent in the Star Wars universe, and as such a valid assertion to make (it is however, unsourced). But I bring it into question, partly because of that particular line in the Jedi Code and partly because the Jedi stress against strong emotions, seemingly of any kind, surely that rules out positive emotions as well? Really what is the difference? And likewise the Sith stress an embrace of passion, all passions.

 

So the question is, can you draw on the light side of the Force using positive emotions or not?

 

I think it is stated in the Revan novel that he has found/believed that positive emotions fuel the light side of the force just like negative emotions fuel the dark side of the force. When Revan tried to tell the counsel of his day of this it was immediately dismissed and the agreement between the two sides was Revan and Bastila could marry if he did not share his "radical" beliefs.

 

I thought I remember reading somewhere that NJO also used positive emotions but I'm not sure of that. In any case in my opinion (if this philosophy of positive emotions holds true) this makes powerful Jedi even more impressive as they are so powerful without having the added fuel of positive emotions to their fire.

[JagoPulastra]

This is all very easily understood when one looks at the FIRST Jedi Code, before this whole "No Emotion" nonsense.

 

Emotion, Yet Peace

Ignorance, Yet Knowledge

Passion, Yet Serenity

Chaos, Yet Harmony

Death, Yet The Force

 

 

Much more in line with Jedi Philosophy, if you ask me. Jedi are emotional creatures (they're alive, after all), but they need to be at peace with them. Not ignore or suppress them entirely, but understanding of and in balance with them. They must admit when they don't know things, but be open to learning. Passionate about what they do, but serene in the application. Recognizing of the chaos and entropy in life, and be able to flow and adapt with it. Understanding that all life ends, but aware that no one truly Dies.

 

That, to me, is the true "spirit" of The Jedi Code.

 

 

And slight Addendum: The Sith do not believe in all passions: Love is a poison to them, not matter how passionate, and is to be avoided or swiftly disposed of since love leads to compassion, and compassion tempers anger and hate. In that regards, love would very much be a Jedi Emotion ... if it is, again, a peaceful emotion, where one accepts that love and loss go hand in hand.

Edited April 8, 2014 by JagoPulastra

[Fangyman]

A loaded if interesting question. The Jedi Code and the tenants it represents has changed significantly in every era the Jedi Order has existed in. Love, familial bonds, relationships, and greater independence was allowed in the time of Nomi Sunrider and Ulic-Qel Droma.

 

A "mere" half century later or so in the time of Revan, Malak, and Bastilia Shan, romantic relationships were frowned upon because of their gateway connection the dark side. Love causing jealously, jealousy causing anger, anger causing hatred, hatred causing suffering.

 

And by the point of Yoda's time and the modern era of the Jedi Order, they were almost totally blinded by dogmatic belief and unbending inflexible perceptions that emotions must be detached. Jedi having families and children would be considered sacrilegious to their peers.

 

Thankfully by Luke's time, in his reformed New Jedi Order, this is swept away. Emotions can be controlled without being removed, love can defeat hatred. Compassion can redeem even the most vile figures and those seduced by the dark side and ways of the Sith. Luke himself proved this in his Jedi Trial, his final test being bringing back Anakin Skywalker to the light. Yoda and Obi-Wan, steeped and indoctrinated in those teachings contrary to what what would become the basis and foundation of Luke's Jedi Order would have never believed it.

 

So yes, while I'm slightly rambling, the light side of the Force does use emotions. But it varies between various time periods. The Jedi Order of old constantly becoming strict and dogmatic in the belief that emotions must be purged, attachments severed, and suppressed to properly use the Force.

[Zerex_Kildron]

The Light Side of the Force is a big complex mess.

Codes such as "There is no emotion, there is peace" and many others are false. Peace is a concept Jedi crave, now this could be without 'passion' as they would say. But their existence and, what they believe to be their purpose, is to maintain that peace. A simple straving for a society in where everybody supports and loves each other, is a passion.

 

Now this wouldn't be a problem, I mean they're the 'good' guys after all..

 

But, considering the Jedi are so reliant on their code, they have proven they are worshipping an unreachable concept, and following a false code.

When has peace lasted forever? The Jedi are individuals that claim to be servants of the Force, that are clear of strong emotions, which they abandon to maintain a non-corrupted mental state that grants them vision on what is right, and what is wrong. This idea of abandoning emotions is corrupted itself, because by ignoring good and bad emotions they reach what I believe to be a state of mind in where they are blinded by their unreachable concept of peace. So the straving TO this peace is a perfect example of what they consider to be 'The effect emotions can have on making the right, and the wrong decision.'. Replace emotion with straving for peace and the result is the dilemma the Jedi face with their Order, Code, and members.

 

This is my reply to the thread, I hope I did not bother anyone with it, and I eagerly await responses

Edited April 9, 2014 by Zerex_Kildron
Grammar

[JagoPulastra]

They do not abandon "good" emotions, though. Even Kenobi and Yoda said things along the lines of how compassion, a desire to protect, and the ability to love all living things selflessly and unconditionally are essential to being a Jedi: you cannot, after all, protect a Galaxy you care nothing about because you have no vested interest in it.

 

It is not that Jedi feel nothing: that would make them automatons we cannot relate to as people. Jedi Feel, and Express, but they do so in ways that are to keep them calm and centered. Jedi get upset and angry, they laugh and joke, they fall in love and cry, they ran the gamut of emotional energy. They merely take the extra step to ensure that those emotions do not dictate their actions; they make sure that the deeds they do are selfless and without personal desire.

 

Conversely, the Sith are all about letting their emotions dictate their actions. Their deeds are selfish and filled with their own personal desires. It's where the two philosophies split entirely: Sith are all about personal power and gain, about being selfish. Jedi are philanthropists and altruistic, shunning personal reward and satisfaction for the benefit of the Galaxy as a whole.

[Beniboybling]

Interesting thoughts from everyone. But might we consider that Jedi don't use emotions to draw on the Force, but simply to guide their ethical choices? I stress again the focus on calm, peace, serentity etc. these are the core tenets of the lights side of the Force. Emotion, by its very nature, is in opposition to this, because it controls you, it effects your judgement, whether benevolent or not emotions represent a shift in a certain direction away from the "norm" if you will.

 

But then we have these accounts of Jedi encouraging positive emotions, it seems to me that its possible that positive emotions can help you achieve calm. Compassion for example, is a universal and very measured emotion, and there is something decidedly serene about it. But its a means to an end, not an end in itself.

 

I can't really think of any other emotions that would not hinder use of the light side of the Force. I mean we have happiness and joy, but these are quite strong and in my opinion Sith related emotions. Darth Sidious for example fights his opponents in a constant state of euphoria. He is happy. Malicious yes, but still happy and joyous.

 

But anyway, what I find more interesting is what this means in regards to balance. People generally regard the dark side to be something "unnatural", but is an excessive of emotion any less natural than a lack of it?

 

Who really is more human? The one who embraces his emotions, or rejects them?

[Beniboybling]

The Light Side of the Force is a big complex mess.

Codes such as "There is no emotion, there is peace" and many others are false. Peace is a concept Jedi crave, now this could be without 'passion' as they would say. But their existence and, what they believe to be their purpose, is to maintain that peace. A simple straving for a society in where everybody supports and loves each other, is a passion.

 

Now this wouldn't be a problem, I mean they're the 'good' guys after all..

 

But, considering the Jedi are so reliant on their code, they have proven they are worshipping an unreachable concept, and following a false code.

When has peace lasted forever? The Jedi are individuals that claim to be servants of the Force, that are clear of strong emotions, which they abandon to maintain a non-corrupted mental state that grants them vision on what is right, and what is wrong. This idea of abandoning emotions is corrupted itself, because by ignoring good and bad emotions they reach what I believe to be a state of mind in where they are blinded by their unreachable concept of peace. So the straving TO this peace is a perfect example of what they consider to be 'The effect emotions can have on making the right, and the wrong decision.'. Replace emotion with straving for peace and the result is the dilemma the Jedi face with their Order, Code, and members.

 

This is my reply to the thread, I hope I did not bother anyone with it, and I eagerly await responses

I couldn't agree more, I think Jago has it right with the idea that the original code was far more realistic.

 

And a stricter code that doesn't allow for emotions at all - despite the possibility for emotion and serenity being able to coexist - creates a forbidden fruit that all too many Jedi try and pluck and in doing so fall to the dark side.

 

I also agree that Jedi need to be more independent, make more decisions for themselves using their own feelings and ethical values rather than becoming a conduit for the Force to be manipulated.

[JagoPulastra]

See, it's the "conduit" part that is so key as to how a Jedi uses The Force. Unlike a Sith, who believes she dominates The Force and makes it do her bidding, the Jedi sees The Force as a companion, a close friend: it is her ally, and a powerful ally it is. A Jedi allows The Force to flow through her, unsullied by her own emotions, so it resonates as a more "pure" energy, without the taint of The Dark Side, the taint of selfishness, strong emotion, and hunger.

 

The Jedi themselves actually, individually, seem to encourage emotion. Kenobi had loves, as did many other Jedi Knights and Masters during the time when many of us believe that the restrictions imposed on Jedi were near-tyrannical. In fact, one of the best examples comes from Kenobi watching one of his loves die, and then catching the murderer.

 

His Padawan was under the impression that if he truly loved her, he would kill her murderer and take vengeance on her behalf to prove his emotions. Instead, Kenobi does not give in to the desire of revenge, noting that he loved powerfully enough to be able to let her go with her passing. Death, Yet The Force.

 

In that small story, we see the two approaches. The Sith ideal of letting your emotions dictate your actions, and the Jedi ideal of accepting your emotions for what they are, but putting the greater good before them. Kenobi used Love to calm himself, to find that inner peace. That is how a Jedi uses Positive Emotions, like was said before.

[Beniboybling]

But did Kenobi not have to stifle and shut away his love to achieve this "greater good" - I agree that Jedi don't let emotions dictate their actions. But this doesn't seem to agree with the idea that Jedi use positive emotions.

 

Your perspective on the Force is interesting, but I would bring into question how much of an "ally" the Force in fact is for the Jedi. Perhaps a discussion for another day, but I think its telling that an entity that supports neither light nor dark but both cannot truly "ally" with any one side, and so the Jedi become misguided puppets, not allies.

[Hoech]

The hard part of these types of debates on the force, is the canon restrictions we have in place. GL at some time or another said absolutely that the Dark Side is with out a doubt evil, and that the light is with out a doubt good. Now having clear boundaries like that you might think it makes things easier, but the problem is that life isn't black and white.

 

 

Personally, given other things written and stated about the force, I tend to think of light side and dark side as not the force itself, but the lens through which the force is channeled. And that the force itself is in and of itself corrupting by nature. (After all "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.") So, yes, the dark side feeds on negative emotions, this is because harnessing strong emotions makes a much easier to use focal lens for channeling the force. It is quick access to power. That power is addictive and corrupting and in the end consumes you.

 

For this same reason though, I have to disagree that the 'light side harnesses positive. emotions.' As has already been pointed the Jedi code (which one can argue the jedi do not necessarily equal the light side, but the way they are presented we have to take them as at least being representative of the light) has changed over the ages and from order to order, but what seems to be the underlying theme of the code is objectivity. The order preaches using the force out of a rational calm state of mind, which would tend to mean that focusing the force out of any strong emotional response will lead you to the dark side. Which to me makes perfect sense. If the force is corrupting, no matter what cause you are using it towards, or no matter if you are happy or sad when channeling it, if you let your emotions form a stronger connection to the force, you will have effectively over flooded yourself in it and started yourself down the path to the Dark Side.

 

I know this might be a little vague so let me try to explain it with an analogy. Think of the Force as radiation. It can be used for good, (providing safe, mostly clean, cheap, sustainable energy to many.) It can also be evil. (Weapons of mass destruction.) Coming close to radiation without protection will certainly have detrimental effects on your body. In the case of radiation we contain it with lead, power plant workers follow strict procedures including limited exposure and specialized suits to prevent radiation sickness. With the force the protection comes from only using the force through a calm, objective and rational state of mind.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Hoech

[Beniboybling]

Agreed, nice analogy.

[Kaedusz]

All you need to do in order to understand how the Light Side works , is to look into Shaolin,Buddhism and partly Hinduism.

The state of mind needed to channel the Light Side and if there are any emotions in the equation , is similar to the state of mind during a buddhist meditation or during a training session of an advanced Shaolin Monk.

 

The Jedi Code is also very similar to those real world philosophies and religions.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Kaedusz

[JagoPulastra]

I Would not believe The Force is naturally corrupting. That seems to rail against the canonical idea that The Light Side is the "natural" state of The Force; it is intrinsically a peaceful and nurturing energy. After all, all living beings are touched by it; if it was, by its nature, corruptive and sinister, the SW Universe would probably be even more dystopian than some settings paint it in.

 

I feel more along the lines that the corruptive nature of The Dark Side is more like an addiction. I bring up before how Palpatine seemed manic in combat, and that's a good point: he was not just happy, he had ascended into mania, a dangerous mental state. It is the excess of emotion that feeds The Dark Side, and in return it feels good. Like a drug, it feels almost euphoric to be in the throes of utter anger or maniacal bliss. It's what makes it so hard to give up or walk away from.

 

The Light Side in return moderates those emotions, it does not give in to the addictive quality of The Dark Side because it never strays into the extremes of emotional energy. Jedi can be sad, but they do not fall into melancholia or severe depression. They get frustrated and angry, but don't boil over into murderous rage and unstoppable fury. They can be happy, but don't take it towards ecstasy-levels of bliss and mania that make them unawares of their current situation and status.

 

Positive Emotions fuel the Light Side immensely, but they must be tempered. They are used to keep calm and poised, to exhale fears and angers and breathing in serenity through compassion, understanding, and acceptance. Most sentient beings want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery, hence why I feel very strongly that The Light Side IS The Force, and The Dark Side is a twisted perversion of its ideals.

[ShadowMudkip]

I Would not believe The Force is naturally corrupting. That seems to rail against the canonical idea that The Light Side is the "natural" state of The Force; it is intrinsically a peaceful and nurturing energy. After all, all living beings are touched by it; if it was, by its nature, corruptive and sinister, the SW Universe would probably be even more dystopian than some settings paint it in.

 

I feel more along the lines that the corruptive nature of The Dark Side is more like an addiction. I bring up before how Palpatine seemed manic in combat, and that's a good point: he was not just happy, he had ascended into mania, a dangerous mental state. It is the excess of emotion that feeds The Dark Side, and in return it feels good. Like a drug, it feels almost euphoric to be in the throes of utter anger or maniacal bliss. It's what makes it so hard to give up or walk away from.

 

The Light Side in return moderates those emotions, it does not give in to the addictive quality of The Dark Side because it never strays into the extremes of emotional energy. Jedi can be sad, but they do not fall into melancholia or severe depression. They get frustrated and angry, but don't boil over into murderous rage and unstoppable fury. They can be happy, but don't take it towards ecstasy-levels of bliss and mania that make them unawares of their current situation and status.

 

Positive Emotions fuel the Light Side immensely, but they must be tempered. They are used to keep calm and poised, to exhale fears and angers and breathing in serenity through compassion, understanding, and acceptance. Most sentient beings want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery, hence why I feel very strongly that The Light Side IS The Force, and The Dark Side is a twisted perversion of its ideals.

 

The dark side is not like a drug, because the dark side does not act like one. When you take Heroin, you will be affected by what the drug does. It happens every time, you cannot take Heroin and not be affected by it. In order for the Dark Side to be a drug, as you say it is, it would have too affect ever practitioner in exactly the same way. A drug is constant, it will always have the same side effects and the same outcome every time its used. However, the Dark Side is not like a drug because it is not constant. Many times in Star Wars, we see Sith who use the Dark Side and are completely sane. Other times we see the completely psychotic power monsters many Sith are.

 

I believe that the Force, is in essence, a source of power. All force users are using the same Force that the others are, regardless of alignment or allegiance. However, when a force user actually uses the Force, it (the Force) is changed by the persons nature, their spirit. The Dark side is not necessarily bad, and the Light side is not necessarily good. They are simply a means to an end.

 

I don't believe that the Force "allies" itself with a particular party, Jedi or Sith. That would mean that its in a constant state of infighting, which wouldn't make sense.

[JagoPulastra]

Perhaps I should have excluded the reference to a drug, as I had meant to focus more on The Dark Side as an addiction. It has been stated many times over that using The Dark Side Of The Force makes it harder over time to break away from its influence. The negative emotions that fuel The Dark Side are, in their own ways, addictive by themselves. Abusing The Power of The Force, fueling anger and hatred, it can come in many different flavors. There is insane, unstoppable, unmitigated rage, just as there is quiet, subtle, seething hatred. You're right in that The Dark Side affects everyone differently. What I was trying go highlight was the idea that no matter how it affects you, how you use it, it is by its very nature corruptive, a toxin you need to take in more of because your body has become so accustomed to its presence that it starts to feel natural, normal.

[Beniboybling]

I Would not believe The Force is naturally corrupting. That seems to rail against the canonical idea that The Light Side is the "natural" state of The Force; it is intrinsically a peaceful and nurturing energy. After all, all living beings are touched by it; if it was, by its nature, corruptive and sinister, the SW Universe would probably be even more dystopian than some settings paint it in.

 

I feel more along the lines that the corruptive nature of The Dark Side is more like an addiction. I bring up before how Palpatine seemed manic in combat, and that's a good point: he was not just happy, he had ascended into mania, a dangerous mental state. It is the excess of emotion that feeds The Dark Side, and in return it feels good. Like a drug, it feels almost euphoric to be in the throes of utter anger or maniacal bliss. It's what makes it so hard to give up or walk away from.

 

The Light Side in return moderates those emotions, it does not give in to the addictive quality of The Dark Side because it never strays into the extremes of emotional energy. Jedi can be sad, but they do not fall into melancholia or severe depression. They get frustrated and angry, but don't boil over into murderous rage and unstoppable fury. They can be happy, but don't take it towards ecstasy-levels of bliss and mania that make them unawares of their current situation and status.

 

Positive Emotions fuel the Light Side immensely, but they must be tempered. They are used to keep calm and poised, to exhale fears and angers and breathing in serenity through compassion, understanding, and acceptance. Most sentient beings want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery, hence why I feel very strongly that The Light Side IS The Force, and The Dark Side is a twisted perversion of its ideals.

I think what he was saying is that the dark side is corrupting, not the Force itself. Nonetheless we shouldn't assume that corruption is somehow bad and unnatural. Corruption, decay etc. exist in the natural world and they are necessary for life to exist, you cannot have creation without destruction, just like negative emotions like hatred, anger etc. are natural and needed. Indeed we should consider light and dark in terms of ying and yan, both reliant on each other for existence. The galaxy isn't a happy place filled with flowers and daisies with everyone living in eternal bliss.

 

I'm not convinced however that the light side of the Force is empowered by emotions at all. Jedi can be sad, happy, angry etc. yes but these emotions have to be kept in check, and they don't help a Jedi draw on the Force. I suppose one can consider "emotions" like calm, serenity, compassion etc. to be positive. But all other emotions are essentially to be avoided, only not done away with completely to avoid become essentially an inhuman robot.

 

But always remember that a world filled only with peace, harmony, serenity etc. is a world that would fall apart. You need chaos, you need negative emotion and you need corruption and decay to fuel the cycle of life.

[Beniboybling]

Perhaps I should have excluded the reference to a drug, as I had meant to focus more on The Dark Side as an addiction. It has been stated many times over that using The Dark Side Of The Force makes it harder over time to break away from its influence. The negative emotions that fuel The Dark Side are, in their own ways, addictive by themselves. Abusing The Power of The Force, fueling anger and hatred, it can come in many different flavors. There is insane, unstoppable, unmitigated rage, just as there is quiet, subtle, seething hatred. You're right in that The Dark Side affects everyone differently. What I was trying go highlight was the idea that no matter how it affects you, how you use it, it is by its very nature corruptive, a toxin you need to take in more of because your body has become so accustomed to its presence that it starts to feel natural, normal.

Well ultimately its the difference between liberation and restraint. The dark side gives the user freedom to embrace their emotions, whereas the light demands they keep them in check. You can imagine how that would be "addictive."

 

And of course, once you feel liberated, you don't want to go back in the cage.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Beniboybling

[ShadowMudkip]

Personally I don't see why you cant follow both, why restrict yourself to just one? You shouldn't base your morals around the force. Instead base your use of the force around your morals.

[JagoPulastra]

Because canonically, you cannot use both at the same time. The mindset needed for the two sides conflicts too much, and the intent behind the powers is a key factor to using them.

 

I immediately declare that Game Mechanics do not count. They are solely there for the game.

 

That said, the Light Side is about helping, healing. Even Yoda says that you know you're using The Light Side when you are calm and at peace. Its powers focus on protection and healing, on beneficial interactions between land, person, and spirit.

 

Conversely, The Dark Side is aggressive and about exhibiting dominance through pain. Force Lightning, Force Fear, these powers are malicious in their application and intent. I know that there are many ways to use Light Side powers maliciously or selfishly, and ways to use Dark Side powers beneficially, but the mindset conflicts. Horribly. You cannot heal someone you see as a tool, like The Dark Side view demands, because you don't care for their life enough to be able to summon that power to do so. You cannot use The Force to murder if you don't truly have the intent to harm and kill, which The Light Side is vehemently opposed to.

 

Even if we are to draw on game mechanics, Dark powers are almost always weapons meant to cause harm. Light powers are those of protection or enhancing the body to exceed its limits by shielding yourself in the Force.

 

 

The Potentium Theory thought they could blend Dark and Light. They were wrong. The Dark Side is, again, addictive and corruptive by nature. The more you use it, the more your "choice" of morals becomes less and less of a thing. Eventually the morals are gone. Look at Yuthura Ban in KotOR: The Sith Academy instructor who turned to the Dark Side to save her people who had been taken as slaves. But in using The Dark Side, following the path of The Sith, she felt her compassion for the slaves was all that was holding her back from grabbing a saber and going to murder the slavers. But if she gave up her compassion, you as Revan can clearly (and correctly) point out that if she gives up her compassion, she won't care about the slaves anyway, and they will never be freed by her hand.

 

 

You get one side or the other, because you cannot have the mindset for both. You cannot at once be filled with serene calm and blinding rage, unconditional love and unabashed hatred. If you try both, you will eventually slide deeper and deeper to The Dark Side.

 

Or go the Potentium route and create a Force Vampire that eats you.

[Beniboybling]

Because canonically, you cannot use both at the same time. The mindset needed for the two sides conflicts too much, and the intent behind the powers is a key factor to using them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhnY8pU3rFc&t=0m21s

 

I kid, I kid. Seriously though the idea that a neutral spot does not exist is theoretical a best. For example we have Force Users like Revan, Bindo and Kreia using light and dark side powers and we have beings like the Father who seem to embody a balance between light and dark.

[ShadowMudkip]

Because canonically, you cannot use both at the same time. The mindset needed for the two sides conflicts too much, and the intent behind the powers is a key factor to using them.

 

I immediately declare that Game Mechanics do not count. They are solely there for the game.

 

That said, the Light Side is about helping, healing. Even Yoda says that you know you're using The Light Side when you are calm and at peace. Its powers focus on protection and healing, on beneficial interactions between land, person, and spirit.

 

Conversely, The Dark Side is aggressive and about exhibiting dominance through pain. Force Lightning, Force Fear, these powers are malicious in their application and intent. I know that there are many ways to use Light Side powers maliciously or selfishly, and ways to use Dark Side powers beneficially, but the mindset conflicts. Horribly. You cannot heal someone you see as a tool, like The Dark Side view demands, because you don't care for their life enough to be able to summon that power to do so. You cannot use The Force to murder if you don't truly have the intent to harm and kill, which The Light Side is vehemently opposed to.

 

Even if we are to draw on game mechanics, Dark powers are almost always weapons meant to cause harm. Light powers are those of protection or enhancing the body to exceed its limits by shielding yourself in the Force.

 

 

The Potentium Theory thought they could blend Dark and Light. They were wrong. The Dark Side is, again, addictive and corruptive by nature. The more you use it, the more your "choice" of morals becomes less and less of a thing. Eventually the morals are gone. Look at Yuthura Ban in KotOR: The Sith Academy instructor who turned to the Dark Side to save her people who had been taken as slaves. But in using The Dark Side, following the path of The Sith, she felt her compassion for the slaves was all that was holding her back from grabbing a saber and going to murder the slavers. But if she gave up her compassion, you as Revan can clearly (and correctly) point out that if she gives up her compassion, she won't care about the slaves anyway, and they will never be freed by her hand.

 

 

You get one side or the other, because you cannot have the mindset for both. You cannot at once be filled with serene calm and blinding rage, unconditional love and unabashed hatred. If you try both, you will eventually slide deeper and deeper to The Dark Side.

 

Or go the Potentium route and create a Force Vampire that eats you.

 

I challenge this, the old Je'Daii order of Tython was somehow able to do it, as Tython would violently respond when they didn't.

 

Then there are all the normal people of the galaxy. Its been stated that the force goes through all things. Does this mean that every person in the galaxy is either light or dark? No, almost all people are some type of gray. How come it doesn't apply to them? The force still runs through them.

[Aurbere]

I challenge this, the old Je'Daii order of Tython was somehow able to do it, as Tython would violently respond when they didn't.

 

*Looks at Tython*

 

Hmm. Looks fine to me. Yeah, there are a ton of dead Jedi and Sith, but nothing to get fussy over.