Jedi vs. Sith Commentary

For this weeks Commentary Friday post, I asked my Followers to give their opinions on the Jedi and the Sith. I was very pleased with the turnout for this, and I would love to do something like this again!

So, without further ado, let the the Jedi vs. Sith Commentary begin!

1. Jedi philosophy is one of peace. Sith philosophy is one of power. Which side has the better philosophy and why?

Captain Crispus: The Jedi have a better philosophy.  When there is peace, fighting is mostly eradicated.  However, when there is fighting for power, it just ends up that other people want more power, so they will kill the person with more power to get their power (if you get what I am saying).

Darth Talon: you shouldn't rely solely on power. it won't really get you anywhere. i think that the Jedi might have the better philosophy on that one.

Helen: The Jedi philosophy is definitely the morally right one, so I would say that the Jedi philosophy is the right one.  The Sith philosophy, however, is very thrilling and dark, and I think that even though it really doesn’t make any sense, it is the most exciting one.

Jacob: The Jedi have the better philosophy, because the galaxy operates better when at peace than when everyone is struggling for power.

Buruk: The Jedi have the better philosophy, but I think they could do with a dash of “peace through superior firepower” in their code.

Solace Utara: Jedi, of course. The Sith philosophy is about gaining power and excercising control over a yourself, then a group of beings, then a planet, then eventually the whole galaxy. But this comes at a terrible cost. As Obi-Wan says, you cease to be oneself and you become a unspeakably evil monster. It is not worth it to embrace the Sith philosophy. The Jedi philosophy, meanwhile, leads you to become a better person and help everyone's lives. The Galaxy becomes a better place if the Sith are just wiped out and the Jedi continue to be guardians.

Aayla Rain: Jedi because is the better one for many reasons. Like in the books The Jedi Path it teaches the concepts of the light side of the force to the new beginning Jedi. Peace is better than the greed of power. Power only gets so far and then begins to create a never ending war. With peace we are able to live amongst one another without the worry of a war tearing our families apart. Therefore, the Jedi philosophy is the better one.

Arda: I would say Jedi philosophy. With peace, one can find contentment, but if someone wants power, they likely won't be satisfied and just want more and more power.

Arya: The Jedi philosophy is better because The Jedi care about other beings besides just themselves. They are open to others and respect them, while the Sith destroy anything they don't like.

helpusobi1: The Sith harness power. The Sith always have a raging war inside of them, and they fuel that. The Jedi also have such a war raging inside of them, though they try to suppress it. This only leads to unstable Jedi.

Stilwater/Cad Bane: Power is the better philosophy by far.  Peace is never a permanent state; even if there is no wars or battles, external or internal conflict still remains.  It is impossible to ever find true peace.  Power, however, can be achieved.  Power is limitless but attainable.  Thus, it's better to have a philosophy around a goal you can actually grab rather than one that will never truly be.

Darth Nil: jedi. 'cause, if there wasn't a war, some of the jedi wouldn't have died.


2. The Jedi Code suppresses emotion and encourages peace. The Sith Code elevates anger and hate and encourages a consistent hunger for power. Which side has the better Code and why?

Captain Crispus: The Jedi have a better Code.  The peace/power dispute gets the same answer as above.  As for the emotions part, having anger and hate means people will not like you as much, because you always seem dissatisfied.

Darth Talon: between the two options i would be inclined to say that peace is the way to go. you shouldn't be promoting anger and hatred .however you should still make use of your emotions.
Helen: The Jedi win again! It really isn’t that bright to let yourself be guided by your emotions. Think of how many wars, murders, and such would have never have existed if people hadn’t let themselves be guided by their emotions!

Jacob: In general, I would say the Jedi has the better code because, as I said above, the galaxy operates better when it is at peace.  Though I do disagree with the idea of suppressing all emotion.  But overall, the Jedi code is much better than the Sith code.

Buruk: Well, it’s complicated.  The original Jedi Code says: "Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force." This means that Jedi can have emotions yet still have peace.  Unfortunately, then there came the sith spawn of a Jedi Odan Urr.  He mauled the Jedi Code into its well known version: "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." Most Jedi think that you must suppress emotion to encourage peace.  But actually, the original code allows emotion and claims that you can still have peace with emotion.  Thus, the original Jedi Code is far better than the Sith’s code.  I highly dislike Odan Urr’s version of the code, but that too, is better than the Sith’s code.  The Sith order is a self-destructive order, based on betrayal and chaos.  In the end, it will be the Jedi that survive because they are on the side of peace and mutual cooperation.  Nobody likes the sith, not even other sith.  Thus, they will eventually die.

Solace Utara: The Jedi Code. I would like to point out that "Suppresses" is a Sith view. The Jedi, in fact, do not suppress their emotions. They feel it, then they let it go without using it. It is important to be honest with your feelings, as Master Bondara stated in Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. A peaceful mind, guided by the Force, and without any conscious thought, wins most of the times. Some people misinterpret or don't understand it completely this, like Anakin Skywalker, for example. Anger and hate can make you powerful, but it eventually leads to destruction. Only fools take the easy path. As I said, it is not worth it. The Sith Code leads people to be ensnared by the trap of the dark side. It may seem like freedom, but it is only an illusion. The Jedi may live a life with the sacrifice of personal freedom, but they are not blinded and can choose to leave. The Sith  hardly have any thought of that since their minds are pretty much bounded to serve the dark side.

Aayla Rain: The Jedi Code symbolizes the ideas that war is not the option for the greater good of the people who live within our world. Kind of like I said before hunger for power always leads to hurting of many by a war that constantly goes on for years. I do think that the Jedi Code needs to be fine-tuned in some places when it comes to love and emotion.

Arda: Leaning Jedi here - anger and hate can be destructive so I am definitely against that, but suppressing emotion isn't the greatest. Putting it aside to make rational decisions is good, just as long as it doesn't build up inside.

Arya: Peace is the better way. Peace creates good relationships with other beings in the galaxy.

helpusobi1: The Jedi code denies passion, ignorance, emotion, death, and chaos. The Sith code embraces these things. The Force serves to free the Sith, to “break the chains.” By manipulating the Force, Sith can thereby empower themselves way beyond the limits of the Jedi.

Stilwater/Cad Bane: Again, power is attainable, so it's a good thing that the Sith Code encourages the hunger for it.  The human nature is very emotional and wants to run on emotion.  Resisting those emotions and drives numbs down one's full potential.  The Jedi Code is about control and the Sith Code about unleashing one's self.  So, to answer the question, I'd say their codes are equal because both of them compliment their own philosophies the best.

Darth Nil: jedi, again. They are the good guys ya know.


3. The Jedi work through peaceful negotiation. The Sith work through ware. Which side is more effective (generally speaking, no specific situation in mind) and why?

Captain Crispus: Peaceful negotiation is better.  If the negotiations don’t work, then no one died in the process.  However, when using war, many innocent people die and both side suffers loss.

Darth Talon: negotiation should be your first attempt. all out war should be avoided but there comes a time when you should stand up for what you believe in and fight back. don't just sit there while the evil forces of this galaxy take over.

Helen: Hmmm…that’s a hard question. I think it really matters on the situation and who you are dealing with. In some situations, war is definitely more effective, but in others, peaceful negotiations would be much wiser and safer.

Jacob: Generally, the Jedi method is more effective because it generally produces trust and friendship, instead of hate and fear.
Buruk: In general, peaceful negotiation is better.  War is a gambit based on whether or not you can win.  Usually, since the Sith are so anti-social, they have the most enemies.  Since the Jedi help a lot of people, they usually have a lot of allies.  I would say peaceful negotiation is more effective, and when negotiation fails, they can easily turn to…aggressive negotiation, with the added benefit of having lots of friends.

Solace Utara: Both are effective, and mostly the situation determines the answer, so I can't answer this question really well. As much as I hate to say it, I think action speaks louder than words most of the cases in Star Wars history. I know a couple of Jedi in the council agrees with me, and Even Obi-Wan "The Negotiator" feels that way...

Aayla Rain: Honestly, sometimes neither of them are effective but for this questions purpose I would the Jedi way is better. If we sit down together and discuss the issues at hand we might be able to stop suffering and war in this world. The Sith way of thinking is through war which just creates more and problems from there. People suffer in order to protect their families because peacekeepers did not get there in time. Thus the Sith have a plentiful playground. With peaceful negotiations in this world we would just have one war after another.

Arda: If you win someone's mind through, they will stay with you longer than if you win them by force, so I'm with negotiation.

Arya: Peace is always better than war. War creates enemies, peaceful negotiations gain allies.

helpusobi1: Peaceful negotiation rarely works. We see time and time again how often the Jedi resort to war and give into their anger. Only then do they get things done.

Stilwater/Cad Bane: I'd actually have to side with the Jedi on this one because war is all about conflict and violence, which is not the right state to find the most cooperation and progress.  But if a Sith strives to create destruction and chaos, by all means, war is the perfect solution.  I would say both are effective, but the Jedi form in a way that is more positive and beneficial.

Darth Nil: jedi. less bloodshed.



4. Could a Jedi and a Sith ever work productively together, and why or why not?

Captain Crispus: I think the Jedi and Sith would probably end up killing each other.  Their idea of the world and entire mindset are complete opposites, and it wouldn’t work out very well.

Darth Talon: it is possible that when times are desperate, two vastly different groups can join together for a short time to destroy a common enemy. like in sean william's book fatal alliance. of course i think that that only really works in a galaxy far far away. good can't stand evil. evil can't stand good.

Helen: Yes, I think they would if there was a danger far greater than they could withstand alone. Kind of like the Avengers in a way…these people probably never would have joined together if there hadn’t been a threat so great that it was almost critical for them to team together.

Jacob: No, they could not, because they have such extremely different ideals.

Buruk: Yes.  I could easily see Jedi and Sith working together.  Why?  Because the Sith are motivated for selfish reasons.  I just have to imagine a situation where what the Jedi wants (the general good of the galaxy) is vital to the Sith’s self interest.  Such an instance might occur in a situation where both the Jedi and Sith were in danger from some other threat.  Maybe an alien invasion?  I haven’t read anything about the Yuzuahn Vong, but something like that might trigger Jedi and Sith working together. 

Solace Utara: If they have the same goal and put aside their differences, then I guess so. They both have the same BASIC understanding of the Force. Like Obi-Wan and Anakin with Dooku. They almost escaped then. But I think they would end up fighting each other in the end anyway.

Aayla Rain: I believe that in the old texts the Jedi and the Sith did work together at some point in time. But, unfortunately they always turn on each other. One not trusting the other so they’re better off apart. So no I don’t think they could work well together at all.

Arda: Possibly, in a rare situation if they realize they can't solve a mutual problem by themselves. But it would take a lot of humility, wisdom, and control so they don't kill each other right off the bat.

Arya: A true Sith would never be able to work with a true Jedi. The Sith would only be increasing his/her power, and the Jedi would never knowingly assist them. If the Sith were to hide their true intentions from the Jedi, they might be able to work together for what seems to the Jedi to be "good", but in the end, it would not be produtive for the Jedi. If the Sith was not a "true Sith" (not completely following the Sith code, just a "Dark Jedi" or a "fallen Jedi", then they may be able to work together for a good cause. Like wise, if the Jedi was not truly following the Jedi code, they might work together with a Sith. (Take Anakin Skywalker in ROTS for example)

helpusobi1: Only until the Jedi is no longer useful.

Stilwater/Cad Bane: I think it definitely could happen if they were each willing to understand and cooperate with the other.  Why not combine the strives for power and peace?  I doubt such a partnership would be permanent at all.  But hey, anything can happen.

Darth Nil: yes. because once obiwan was helping assaj ventress when darth maul and his brother were attacking them in the Clone Wars.



5. Do you prefer Dark Side Cookies or Light Side Brownies?

Captain Crispus: Light Side brownies, because butterscotch brownies are the best brownies.  Ever.  Period.  Exclamation point.

Darth Talon: I  <3 COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! snickerdoodles, peanut butter, and the lemon ones with icing are probably some of the best.

Helen: Dark Side cookies!!

Jacob: Most positively Light Side brownies.

Buruk: Dark Side cookies.  They taste better.  Nuff said.

Solace Utara: Seriously? This made me smile. Thanks! Cookies are awesome! Oh, and yes, the Dark Side lies about this cookies... There are no cookies in the Dark Side...

Aayla Rain: I love them both! =D

Arda: I'm a Jedi through and through, but I must say I prefer cookies!

Arya: Not sure what you're trying to ask. If you mean for dessert, I like cookies better than brownies, but if you're wondering which side of the force is better, than it's the Light Side.

helpusobi1: Cookies. Totally.

Stilwater/Cad Bane: Hmm...brownies have a lot more chocolate in them.  But I adore raw cookie dough...O.o Probably cookies.

Darth Nil: COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

THE JEDI:

What is wrong with the Sith? What gives a Jedi an advantage and a Sith a disadvantage?

Captain Crispus: The Sith are power-hungry and malicious.  They don’t care how their actions will affect other people or even entire civilizations and planets.  They only want their way and will stop at nothing to get it. The Jedi have an advantage because their side has many more people.  Plus, the Jedi can use mind tricks, while the Sith can’t.  The Sith have a disadvantage because their hate and anger sometimes blinds them to the truth.

Helen: Even though I love the Sith, they are the bad guys, and they are confused, twisted, and powerful people who accomplish their goals through lies, threats, and murder. Even though this can look really epic with people like Darth Vader and Palpatine, it is really ugly when you take away the cool mask and evil cackle. The Jedi don’t use the Force to get what they want like the Sith, instead they let themselves be led by the Force. I think this gives the Sith a disadvantage.  The Jedi help others, and this makes the universe look at them as people to be relied on…which is exactly what they are! :D

Jacob: They are power-hungry, treacherous, and use hate and fear to accomplish their goals. When they fight, Jedi are usually a lot more clear-headed than Sith, because they aren't (or aren't supposed to be at least) clouding their judgment with their hatred for their enemy.  On the flip side, a Sith's judgment is clouded when they fight because the are filling themselves with anger and hatred for their enemy.

Buruk: Do you want the synopsis or the list?  =P hahaha

1.      They’re evil

2.      They’re self-destructive

3.      They’re selfish

4.      Face tattoos hurt.
5.      They take everything about peace and turn it into hatred.  I believe in emotion and maybe some forms of attachment, but the Sith take it to the overkill level.  This makes all the Jedi paranoid and preventing all emotion and attachment, making it less fun to be a Jedi.
6.      By succumbing to hatred and other emotions, they forfeit the ability to think logically.  Often, they kill people who might be an asset to them in the future just because they’re angry.

7.      They cheat at Sabaac.  This, above all else, ticks me off.  If you have to cheat to win at Sabaac, why do you play at all?  =P

(Jedi advantages)

1.      Jedi have friends.  A lot of them.

2.      Jedi have resources and access to more stuff than the Sith.  You can build more lightsabers by being friendly than you can by sitting off alone in a dark corner of the galaxy.

3.      In general, there are more Jedi than Sith.  More on this in a moment.

4.      Jedi don’t get distracted by the pain from Sith face tattoos.  Which hurt.

5.      Sith were unfortunate enough to get Darth Bane, aka “The Stupidest Sith Ever.”  He effectively crippled the order and limited their numbers.  This makes them always outnumbered.

6.      The Sith get battle droids.  Jedi get clones.  Nuff said.  And not a WORD about how the clones betrayed the Jedi and how the droids would never betray the sith.  NOT.  A.  WORD.  =P

Solace Utara: Many endless things. Put simply, they care only for themselves and they're willing to destroy the galaxy to do what they want. They are cruel, cold, merciless, and and evil monster. They think the galaxy is there only to be used. That's just... wrong. Not really anything, but they have an unshakable faith in the light, loyalty to the Order, belief that they will prevail. They don't waste time fighting each other like the Sith do- and that's why they were pretty much destroyed.

Aayla Rain: All the Sith do is create havoc wherever they go. Twisting truths into lies in order to gain access to the things they need. Many people suffer because of their fearful ways of treating the people around them. Having others fear them in order to reign supreme over them. Whenever they want control over a planet they either start a war or block the trade routes until the people give in to their demands. The Jedi have the skill many of the Sith don’t have when it comes to hand to hand combat. The Jedi can sense their opponents presence a lot clearer than a Sith could. The Sith have a disadvantage as they are careless when they fight. It’s very sloppy I think anyway. They tend to fight in anger without a clear head on their shoulders.  When they fight their judgment is clouded thus giving the Jedi an advantage in combat.

Arda: Because Jedi are others-centered, they are more likely to have people on their side than the self-centered Sith. Also, since Jedi do not use passion, they can see things clearly and rationally, while a Sith could be distracted and blinded.

Arya: The Sith only care about themselves. They view the galaxy as something they have the right to control if they can achieve their goals. They ruthlessly  use any means possible to accoplish their goals and don't care about the other beings in the galaxy. Not only is this wrong, but it's illogical. Think about it; of you destroy everyone in the galaxy just because they oppose ytou or you don't like them, once you have finally conquered, you'll heve nothing to rule! What's the point? Peace and harmony is the better solution. As Jedi, we want to protect the helpless and less fortunate, not destroy them because they don't like our ideas. The Jedi have calm, in the worst situations. We also have the support of many. THe Sith make enemies everywhere they go, and even in places they don't. Most of their supporters are with them because of fear, not true loyalty.

Darth Nil: sith are crazy. let's just leave it at that. the jedi are doing the right thing by defending people who are weaker than themselves. but a sith's judgements can sometimes be clouded because of their anger, hatred, and need for revenge.

THE SITH:

What is wrong with the Jedi? What gives a Sith an advantage and the Jedi a disadvantage?

helpusobi1: The Jedi view things as indispensible. That is where they are wrong. If something gets in their way, they go around it. This only slows them down. Both the Jedi and the Sith have unlimited power at their fingertips. The Sith harness that power, and the Jedi reject it. And why, with so many Jedi, is there always some sort of Sith threat?

Stilwater/Cad Bane: The Jedi appear to either dodge or neglect the fact that the inner spirit is driven by emotion, and resisting that is a resistance on your inner potential. The Sith have the advantage that they are allowed to explore their own emotions, drives, and desires.  In that way they know themselves better than the Jedi; they can identify what they feel and how they feel.  Because of that they have a strong advantage against the Jedi by more easily coming to terms with themselves and their own potential.  The Jedi have the disadvantage because they represent the whole Order, not themselves, so when all they have left to defend is themselves they basically have nothing to fight for.

I hope you guys enjoyed this! I know I did! And thank you so much to all of those who were involved in this! I loved all of your answers, and I hope we can do this again soon! =D

And a special thanks to my sister, Ahsoka Tano, for drawing that awesome picture for this post! I love it! =D

 - Edessa, signing off