sith_happened: (Anakin: seriously?!)
Anakin Skywalker ([personal profile] sith_happened) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2009-09-16 11:30 pm
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Ethics [Thursday, September 17, 1st period]

When the students came into the classroom, they found Anakin scrawling a quote on the board:

“In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.”--John Ruskin

He turned around with an eyebrow raised. "Is Master Ruskin correct? How about Master Lao Tzu? He said: 'Pride attaches undue importance to the superiority of one's status in the eyes of others; and shame is fear of humiliation at one's inferior status in the estimation of others. When one sets his heart on being highly esteemed, and achieves such rating, then he is automatically involved in fear of losing his status.'"

He began pacing around the room. "Does pride always go before a fall? Do we have to be humiliated before we can learn? How high do the stakes have to be before we'll admit we've made a mistake, or have been fooled?"

"In order to deal ethically with other people, we need to acknowledge this very human flaw in ourselves and others. We want to believe that we are different, better than everyone around us." His gaze sharpened. "We're not. Everything is connected. You, me, the desks, the rocks outside, the deer in the preserve, the annoying person in the dorm who plays their music too loudly. Take pride in being yourself, certainly," he concluded. "But don't for a moment believe that who you are makes you more than the person sitting next to you. Because that kind of pride is where you make your first mistake."
icecoldfrost: (black and white and shades of grey)

Re: Listen to the lecture [Ethics 9/17]

[personal profile] icecoldfrost 2009-09-17 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Was he serious? Emma was doing her best to keep her incredulity buried under her shields, the only outward sign of her annoyance was the tight grip on her pencil.

People were never going to be equals. Some were always going to be better, and some were worse, and Emma didn't see anything wrong in taking pride in that. False humility was a far more disgusting habit, as far as she was concerned.