fandomhigh | Ethics [Monday, March 19, 5th period]

Anakin, wearing his best "don't screw with me today" expression, came into the classroom a few minutes late and slammed the door shut behind him.

His eyes moved immediately towards the area of the classroom where John Crichton normally sat.

The desk was empty.

The look in Anakin's eyes hardened more. "Today we begin our discussion about the seven deadly sins," he said, cloak sweeping out behind him as he paced. "Specifically, wrath, envy and pride."

If Anakin looked like the poster child for wrath at the moment, it had entirely escaped his attention. So had the blood that had dried on his shoulder.

"Pride is traditionally considered the original and most serious of the sins--the one that everything else can be traced back to. Dante--a famous writer on this world--described it as 'love of self perverted to hatred and contempt for one's neighbor.'"

"It's a very common human failing," Anakin continued. "Have you ever fallen for it--considered yourself to be so much smarter or better than your classmates? Or your teachers?" He shrugged. "Or are wrath or envy more your speed? Can you see how pride could lead to the other two vices we're discussing today?"

He waved a hand. "Pair up and talk about it."

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"Pride isn't thinking that you're the best at something. It's thinking that you're a better person because you're the best." Blair said, finally getting the briefcase open and taking out a notebook. "Just because you can knit faster than me doesn't mean you're a better person. Just like it doesn't mean that I'm a better person because I can jump higher than you."

Turtle eyed him carefully as she considered this. "But what if the situation calls for better knitter, or a better jumper? Then, technically, you are the better person. Is it really too far fetched to suggest that, maybe, really, some people are better than others?"

Turtle just realized she was making this debate with a hippie. In sheep's clothing. Curses.

"I mean, it's nice to think that everyone's equal and all that, but, in reality? Come on."

"I don't think that people are equal." Blair shook his head. "Some people have talents in areas that others don't. I don't believe that makes them better people."

"If the situation calls for a good jumper and we both show up, I wouldn't think you were a bad person or a worse person for not being able to jump like me. I would just think that jumping isn't your strong suit. That doesn't make me better than you, just more jumpy."

"So, is it prideful," Turtle asked, after a moment, "if I would think of the other person as less of one if they couldn't jump? Because, if the situation called for it, and the other couldn't hold their own..."

"Why would you think less of them?" Blair asked. "Just because they couldn't jump doesn't mean they don't have other skills."

"They might have other skills," Turtle agreed with that much, "but they wouldn't have the skill at hand. If something was expected of me and I couldn't do it, I'd expect to be thought less of, too. I'd think less of myself."

"Maybe you have a pride issue and a self-esteem issue as well." Blair said with a teasing grin. "Your ability to jump and your worth as a person aren't the same thing in my opinion."

"Maybe," Turtle said, matching his grin despite herself. "Not the same thing at all, but they are related. In my opinion."

The emphasis on the 'my' suggested that it meant it was the only opinion that really mattered. Pride issue indeed.

Ethics [Monday, March 19, 5th period]

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