Ethics [Thursday, January 20th, 1st period]

[sith_happened]

Anakin had sighed a little heavily when he'd realized what the class topic today was: misplaced pride in his ability to save Raven from his father had led to absolute disaster that weekend. None of that showed in his expression, which was slightly severe than usual as he walked into the classroom and wrote 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, passing out a sheet of paper. "Today we begin our discussion of the seven deadly sins. While the 'if you indulge in these vices, you're doomed for eternal damnation' religious dogma seems a bit dramatic to me, I believe there is something universal in the call of the vices they chose to highlight: wrath, pride, gluttony, sloth, greed, lust and envy. Pride--or hubris, if you speak Latin--is considered the original and most serious of the deadly sins. We want to believe that we are different, better than everyone around us. And in a school where most of you have extraordinary powers, titles or both, many of you have been told for years how special you are." His gaze sharpened. "But 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. Those who hold themselves to be better than all of the rest of us generally learn the hard way how untrue that is."

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--is-- probably my greatest fault."

He glanced into the distance for a moment, stuck in memories of the weekend before shaking his head and continuing. "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. "Have you met someone here who is better than you at something you'd always taken for granted you were superior?" He smiled a little ruefully. "I am the fulfillment of prophecy and the most powerful Jedi in terms of raw power in the history of my Order. And then I met a god."

Comments

Sign in [1/20]

[sith_happened]

Full of misplaced pride!

Re: Sign in [1/20]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

Dolf Wega

Re: Sign in [1/20]

[theotherpeter.livejournal.com]

Peter Bishop

Re: Sign in [1/20]

[thegirl-onfire.livejournal.com]

Katniss Everdeen

Listen to the lecture [1/20]

[sith_happened]

Read about the seven deadly sins! Decide if you think some need to be taken off and replaced with other things! Take a nap!

...wouldn't recommend taking a nap.

Re: Listen to the lecture [1/20]

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

See, and Dolf was almost feeling relieved that the question was 'have you met someone who turned out to be better than you' rather than 'has your pride ever gotten a sizable amount of children killed'.

The 'almost' was mostly because the discussion topic itself made him think of the latter event, and now he was poking listlessly at his notepad.

Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[sith_happened]

"Have you met someone here who is better than you at something you'd always taken for granted you were superior?"

Anakin still resents Hades for being so...godlike. Bastard.

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[theotherpeter.livejournal.com]

"Honestly, not yet," Peter said, smug bastard. "And the key there is remembering that even if there's one or two people smarter than me around here, I'm still smarter than the rest of everyone."

Oh, Peter. While he'd said it partially as a joke against his ego... he kind of meant it, too.

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[thegirl-onfire.livejournal.com]

"Depends on the kind of 'smart' you mean," Katniss said, immediately wary of Peter's attitude. "Being able to do complicated math problems isn't very useful if someone's a better strategist than you. What's the phrase? 'Street smarts'?"

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[theotherpeter.livejournal.com]

"It's not like I plan to be pitted against anyone in a duel of wits to the death," Peter said, chuckling. "But I definitely get what you're saying. I mean, people can beat me at chess, people can solve complex maths faster than I can. But I'm pretty sure, pit me against any non-telepath and I'll come out on top in a poker game. Especially if I'm dealing."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[sith_happened]

Anakin waited until Peter's conversation with Katniss had wrapped up before offering his own opinion.

"It seems to me that you set very specific parameters in order to remain superior," he offered. "Perhaps those who are smarter than you are being wise and avoiding you."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[theotherpeter.livejournal.com]

"Always possible," Peter admitted. "After all, the only way to make sure you always win is to change the rules if you're about to lose."

Peter shrugged. "I'm just not too interested in being 'The Best' at anything, really. I want to make sure I can do things, do them well, and move on to something new. Some might say I'm impatient. I just think all that work at being the best isn't well invested."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[thegirl-onfire.livejournal.com]

"I haven't," Katniss said carefully. "I really haven't. It doesn't mean they aren't here, and I try not to let myself be cocky about that. Getting smug about your own abilities makes you blind to what other people can do, until they've bested you with something else."

That was how she'd lost Rue, after all. She'd been so sure of their own cleverness and her ability to protect Rue in time.

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "Quite true," he agreed. "I thought I was quite adept with a lightsaber until my son came along and showed me how much I still needed to learn. It was a rather painful experience."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[thegirl-onfire.livejournal.com]

"There's always someone better. The trick is staying out of their sights," Katniss replied thoughtfully.

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[chief-cheerio.livejournal.com]

"No," Quinn said honestly. "Most of the things people here are good at are things I don't really compete in. I've met people smarter than I am, but we have nerds at my old school too."

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[sith_happened]

"What do you compete in, then?" Anakin asked.

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[heromaniac]

"Since coming here, I've met a lot of people who are better at me at things." Momoko had to think about this. What did she feel superior about? Her cake-sense, fashion, cute boys, sentai, comics, being a superhero... But she'd met people who were totally... well, just as good as her in any of those!

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[sith_happened]

"How have you reacted?" Anakin asked.

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[angelo_wings]

"I was a strategist, for a resistance group," she said. "We hired a number of mercenaries to help us carry out our plans. And ... they told us how ridiculous most of our plans were, and that we were only really playing at it. We were serious; we just weren't all that good at it."

That seemed a safer angle to discuss than her power. There was no one living, in her world, who had the abilities she did, but that was not something she was happy about, or proud of.

... was she?

Re: Answer the discussion question [1/20]

[sith_happened]

"Did you learn from them?" Anakin asked. "Or resent what they said instead?"

Talk to the TA [1/20]

[sith_happened]

While he stares at you and maybe lifts his eyebrows.

Re: Talk to the TA [1/20]

[hotmugofstfu.livejournal.com]

He was totally more emotive than that! If you're Medusa, at least.

Shut up.

Talk to Anakin [1/20]

[sith_happened]

Who isn't brooding broodily. Really!

OOC

[sith_happened]

Many, many thanks to the fake Germans for taking over my class last week. Stupid computer...