sith_happened: (Default)
Anakin Skywalker ([personal profile] sith_happened) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2010-09-23 09:10 am
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Ethics [Thursday, September 23, 2nd period]

Anakin scrawled Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.--TS Eliot on the board and then turned around to face his students. "Pride--or hubris, if you speak Latin--in the Catholic religious tradition of this planet, is considered the original and most serious of the deadly sins. 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 rocks outside, the deer in the preserve, the beings who live across the causeway, the trillions who make up the multiverse around us." He smiled a little ruefully. "The dozens of different versions of yourself others might have met before arriving on this island..."

He leaned back against his desk. "I grew up as a slave on a desolate planet beyond the normal reaches of the law in my society. When I was rescued by Jedi and told that with training, I could be like them, my pride in myself and my abilities quickly spiraled into arrogance and disdain for those who were teaching me. It took some very difficult lessons for me to realize that pride was probably my greatest fault."

Though there were arguments for most of the other Deadly Sins, too.

"So, learning to swallow our pride and admit we're not quite as special or brilliant as we thought we were is never a fun process," he continued. "How high do the stakes have to be before we'll admit we've made a mistake or have been fooled?"

Hopefully everyone else doesn't have to be limbless, on fire, evil and alone first...
wrongkindofsith: (Give me strength not to kill them all)

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[personal profile] wrongkindofsith 2010-09-23 01:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Cara

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[identity profile] didntchewgrass.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 01:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Elphaba Thropp

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[identity profile] give-areason.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 01:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Rosalind
wrongkindofsith: (Surrounded by idiots)

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/23]

[personal profile] wrongkindofsith 2010-09-23 01:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Midlands, one Richard Cypher had just been overcome with the impulse to start bashing his head against the nearest tree without really knowing why.

It was completely unconnected with Cara's current expression. Really.

Re: Answer the discussion question [9/23]

[identity profile] didntchewgrass.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 01:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Some of us aren't allowed to have pride in the first place," Elphaba said. "While I do believe in myself, I know that I am limited in what I can do in Oz. It is only here in Fandom that I find the possibilities... unlimited. But if you can't admit you're wrong on little things, you're probably going to need something very big to happen before you look past your own folly. Most people don't have the ability to look past themselves, really."

Oh so cynical.

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[identity profile] showmetheproof.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 02:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Dana Scully
nohaircutsplz: ([comic] haughtier than you)

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[personal profile] nohaircutsplz 2010-09-23 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Medusalith Amaquelin
nohaircutsplz: (human plz)

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/23]

[personal profile] nohaircutsplz 2010-09-23 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Anakin lost Medusa for a while at the part about how none of them were any better than the people around them. She was surrounded by humans, so obviously that did not apply.
nohaircutsplz: ((slightly) inhuman)

Re: Talk to Anakin [9/23]

[personal profile] nohaircutsplz 2010-09-23 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Professor," Medusalith said, the title still strange and alien in her mouth, "I would like to ask you a question, if it's not too forward."

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[identity profile] brat-intraining.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Kennedy (let's face it, this is most of her icons by default)

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/23]

[identity profile] brat-intraining.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 04:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Um. Not that Kennedy was slouching a little in her chair during the lecture or anything. Or looking just a little like it had touched a nerve.

Because neither of those things were on her current to-do list. At all.
nohaircutsplz: (chin up)

Re: Answer the discussion question [9/23]

[personal profile] nohaircutsplz 2010-09-23 04:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Medusalith was one of the prouder people in the Marvel universe, and would continue to be so even after she fell off the edge of a city. She didn't understand the question, so she said, quite honestly, "I don't know."

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[identity profile] squire-hand.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
James of Krondor

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/23]

[identity profile] squire-hand.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 04:11 pm (UTC)(link)
James sighed. He was no stranger to lectures--sometimes a mere tongue-lashing, othertimes a beating--about pride in his abilities. This would be a great lecture.

Re: Answer the discussion question [9/23]

[identity profile] squire-hand.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 04:14 pm (UTC)(link)
"Several. The worst was from four stories." The pain on his face was not from the fall itself, but knowing that by saving his prince, he caused the assassin to hit the princess with the poisoned bolt.

Re: Talk to the TAs [9/23]

[identity profile] brat-intraining.livejournal.com 2010-09-23 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, let's see, everyday reminders that most people here had wacky powers already, being outclassed a dozen different ways when it came to fighting skills, having an amazing track record of getting thrown into walls...

Why, no. Why would Kennedy know a thing about wounded pride?

She kept reaching into her pocket for her phone to cover that up-- she wasn't about to piss off Professor Skywalker by checking her email in class, but she had something from her Watcher that she really wanted to see. The upshot was that it made her look kind of twitchy, which was... not so flattering, but maybe vaguely better than the alternative? Maybe?
dontvotemeout: (ooc: tim didn't need that blood)

Re: Sign in [9/23]

[personal profile] dontvotemeout 2010-09-23 04:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Jason Todd
dontvotemeout: (happy: small smile)

Re: Answer the discussion question [9/23]

[personal profile] dontvotemeout 2010-09-23 04:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Jason wasn't sure why people seemed so antsy at today's topic. He was pretty calm when he said, "I don't know. I mean, really, 'cause being prideful of my abilities has only brought me good things."
wrongkindofsith: (Using the small words)

Re: Answer the discussion question [9/23]

[personal profile] wrongkindofsith 2010-09-23 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Pride gives you strength." No doubt Anakin would be deeply shocked to learn that Cara's inability to grovel helped to nearly get her executed once. "But if you'd like to talk arrogance, acting like covering yourself in false humility makes you a better person is one example that springs to mind."

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