Ethics [Wednesday, November 13, 2019]

[sith_happened]

"Regardless of what universe, time or dimension you are from," Anakin began, "sentient beings tend to make the same sort of mistakes over and over again. On this planet, those common failings are organized by major religions as the 'seven deadly sins': pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed, and sloth."

He smiled a little ruefully. "If you're honest with yourself, there are probably a few in the last you recognize as characteristics you recognize in yourself. Pride--or vanity--for instance, is the excessive belief in your own abilities and rightness and can blind you to many, many other flaws. 'Pride goes before a fall' is an extremely unhelpful thing people will tell you after you've made a huge ass of yourself." He began pacing the room. "Envy is the desire for traits, status, abilities, or situations that other beings have. Gluttony is the desire to consume more than what you require. It doesn't have to be food related--it can be resources, or money, or someone else's time. Lust...well, you're teenagers. I don't have to explain lust to you. Anger...well, you're teenagers. I probably don't have to explain anger to you, either, but it become dangerous when it is how you channel your envy, lust, or gluttony."

Anakin Skywalker: galaxy's leading expert on wrath.

"Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain and also goes by avarice or covetousness, if you speak Old Testament religion and all of the 'thou shall not covet's. Finally, there's sloth or the avoidance of work, either physical or mental--the paralyzing 'whatever, not my problem' that can be so insidious in a society."

He stopped back at the front of the class. "And because it can be hard to see our own flaws and very easy to see other, let's start out by thinking of an adult in your lives--either a parent, a guardian, or a teacher--and decide which of these seven flaws you think they have and what you can learn from not emulating that."

Bitching about authority figures: always a winner!

Comments

Sign in 11/13

[sith_happened]

With your favorite sin.

Re: Sign in 11/13

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina Argentum, envy

Re: Sign in 11/13

[lilac_eyed_lieutenant]

Tisarwat, pride

Re: Sign in 11/13

[grandpoobah]

Grog Strongjaw, lust

Re: Sign in 11/13

[unusual_sith]

Lana Beniko

Re: Sign in 11/13

[goldfishontherocks]

Keyleth, envy

Re: Sign in 11/13

[mylandmyrules]

Nell Ingram - wrath

Listen to the lecture!

[sith_happened]

Or don't, if you're embracing sloth today.

Discuss!

[sith_happened]

Drag your favorite adult's flaws out into the open for everyone to judge! Much easier than thinking about your own!

Re: Discuss!

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina had thought and thought and thought about it.

But, like...

"What if my favourite adults don't have any flaws???????????????" she asked earnestly.

She was going to be so disappointed next year in them but, right now, she didn't know that.

Re: Discuss!

[sith_happened]

"None at all?" Anakin replied with a small smile. "Very well. Tell me what sort of flaws are in the adults you avoid."

Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

He's taken probably six of the seven deadly sins out for a spin.

Not that he'll tell you that.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

Rey had gotten back yesterday and spent most of her time since arriving as a low key bundle of nerves. It wasn't so much that she thought this conversation would go badly, but it was the third time in as many months that she had to ask what she had to ask, and that felt... not great.

She came by after class with a knock at the door, even if he'd know she was there. "Are you busy?"

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"Not at all," Anakin said. "Welcome back."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"Thanks. I'll probably have to go back in a bit, but it was good to get back to things finally," she said. "Kind of a good reminder to keep going forward."

Which was the most daunting thing ever.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded with a tiny smile. "It's that or stay stuck and wallowing, and I don't recommend that."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"Me, either," Rey said, serious. "So there's something I need to talk to you about."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"Sure," Anakin said, leaning up against his desk. "Have a seat."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

Rey half-sat against one of the desks, figuring she wouldn't do very good at actually sitting.

"When I came back here," she said, "it was because Kanan had offered before to train me, so I'mnof just trying to figure this all out myself. Only now he's on some extended mission, and I've gone almost a month without any training, and I don't know when he's coming back."

She wasn't dealing with the possibility that he wasn't. She'd dealt with too damn much lately to tackle that, too.

"If I'm not training, then there's no reason for me to be here. And you've offered to help, and..." She took a deep breath. "Would you take me on?"

She didn't think he'd say no. But if he did, she honestly didn't know what her next step would be here.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

Anakin set out a pulse of reassurance through the Force. "Of course I will."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

She still felt like that should be harder.

"I've only had probably less than ten lessons," she warned, because she had a bad habit of talking herself down on this subject.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"That's fine," Anakin said, smiling. "Have you gotten very far in lightsaber combat aside from 'glowy side away from you'?"

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"I've used it to fight twice." And won both times. "One of those was the first time I ever picked it up. Kanan was showing me forms, but it's harder when I'm using a staff."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"The balance is different," Anakin agreed, nodding. "That'll just take some time and dovetails nicely with finding inner stillness."

Which he'd always found easier while wielding a lightsaber.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"Inner stillness? Like meditation?" she asked.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"It starts through meditation and then permeates into everything a Jedi does," Anakin said. "I found it especially helpful in flying and lightsaber combat. It's that niggling bad feeling that you can actually channel."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

Rey paused. "I think I've done that."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"Really?" Anakin said, sounding encouraged. "How?"

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't know." He'd find that was her answer to a lot of things. "When I fought Kylo, there was this moment where I could... focus, I guess? And then I could use that to stop him."

She'd kicked his ass. Sure, he'd already been injured. But she really had him beat.

"I don't know if that's the same thing."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"It sounds familiar," Anakin said, "but we won't know for sure until you replicate it."

He smiled. "What days are good for you to train?"

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"I work with Duke on Tuesdays and I work Sundays," Rey said, and it felt so much better to even talk about a regular day. "Kanan's and I did Fridays, but I'm pretty free."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

"Let's stick to Fridays, then, since you're sort of used to them," Anakin said. "I teach on Wednesday and avoid getting crushed to death by paperwork most Tuesdays."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"Friday works," Rey said, smiling. "Starting this week?"

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded, smiling back. "Bring my lightsaber with you?"

That was still weird.

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[thatwaslucky]

"I will," she promised. "It won't work, but it'll be there."

Re: Talk to Anakin!

[sith_happened]

Anakin laughed. "I was thought of as a pretty fair mechanic," he said, "and I went through a lot of lightsabers. Maybe I can figure out what's wrong with it."

And maybe not!

OOC

[sith_happened]

Yay, Wednesday!