The Ideals of the Sith and the Real World

I've always been one of the rare individuals who genuinely embrace the philosophy and teachings of Star Wars, to a certain degree. The words make sense, and not as a religion, that's an hour lecture. No, the philosophy of the concept of the Dark Side makes a lot of sense to me. I have some genuine thoughts I've been meaning to write down, and I figured that here was as good a place as any to begin.

First things first: The Code of the Sith.

Peace is a Lie there is only Passion.
Through Passion I gain Strength.
Through Strength I gain Power.
Through Power I gain Victory.
Through Victory my chains are broken.

This is going to be my own interpretation, and I wrote that down from memory.

First off: Peace is a Lie there is only Passion.

This is something I fundamentally believe to be true. There is no such thing as true peace, no true serenity. While complete serenity is something that all people strive for, I don't believe it can ever be reached. Not truly. There is always some kind of conflict, even at the smallest level going on in the human mind. Even for the most advanced peaceful mind, there are conflicts, there is pain, there is a lack of peace, because one person cannot control everything, and to truly be at peace, all must be perfect. We are inherently in a state of perpetual conflict, either internally or externally. All cannot be perfect. Therefore reaching peace is impossible, and peace in of itself is a lie.

But there are plenty of other ways to look at that statement as well. Look at any major conflict you could possibly have. There is never a truly peaceful way to end a conflict. There are always sacrifices, and these sacrifices destroy any peace that may have existed. To achieve anything in life, you must fight and struggle to get what you want. This by default eliminates any possibility of peace.

Another perspective on the concept of peace is inner peace. How can you achieve inner peace without indulging your desires and wants and needs? You cannot. Being content is something that is rare, and when it happens it does not last for long. Being content and being in a state of peace are two different things.

Peace is a total and complete lie. This is not negative per se, it just is. But the Code continues. Peace is a lie yes, and in it's place there is only passion.

Embracing your passions are the only way to truly achieve your goals. Have you ever heard the phrase, "your heart isn't in it?" That is your passion. When you are not passionate about something, you can never expect to reach anything. Without lighting the fires of passion inside yourself you cannot hope to achieve what you really want in life. Not really. Your passion is a tool, and this tool is what you use to move on to your goals. Controlling your passion is helpful in ways, and allowing it to grow uncontrollably is also a strength sometimes. Controlling your passions, controlling your emotions, can be for obvious reasons, a positive attribute. But allowing your passions to burn like a fire can give you the extra boost to achieve what you need, to fight for what you need, your passions give you the strength to do the things you need to do. Or simply want to do. Having clear and powerful passions makes you strong, it gives you conviction.

Through Passion I gain Strength.

This line is again, obvious to me. Your passions and convictions are what give you strength, they give you the power to achieve what you need, and while your passions do not give you power by themselves, they give you the strength you need to get power. Which is the next line of the Code.

Through Strength I gain Power.

This can be seen in both the world of man and in the world of nature. The person with the strength to force their will on others has power over those who cannot defend themselves, and this is not only in a physical manner, but also in every manner. Look at it from a nature perspective; predator with the most strength gets the most prey, lives the best, and lives a better life than those that are weaker than they are. It can be seen throughout all facets of nature.

Through Power I gain Victory.

Again, this is very, very simple to me. Those who have power are victorious. The lion with the most strength gets the kill, gets the mate, and those who do not have the strength to best the lion with the most strength lose. The lion with the most strength is victorious. This applies to man and man's world as well.

Through Victory my chains are broken.

Once a person is victorious, there is nothing to hold them back. There are no shackles to hold them down, there are no chains binding them; they are free to do as they please, because they have broken the shackles of the weak and proved victorious. If you have the strength to do something, and you can break the shackles that hold you back, then you have the right to do it. The weak serve the strong.

Essentially, if you can ignite the fires of passion within yourself, and then allow those passions to grow at the rate you choose, and your potential in unlimited. These are the tenets I believe in. It is not a religion. It is a life philosophy. And in accordance with nature, it fits.

"Equality is a lie…A myth to appease the masses. Simply look around and you will see the lie for what it is! There are those with power, those with the strength and will to lead. And there are those meant to follow—those incapable of anything but servitude." - Darth Bane