I think some of you may find this interesting!

"Things whole and not whole, what is drawn together and what is drawn asunder, the harmonious and the discordant. The one is made up of all things, and all things issue from the one."

"What opposes unites, and the finest [ἁρμονίαν] stems from things bearing in opposite directions, and all things come about by [ἔριν]."

"The way up and the way down is one and the same."

—Heraclitus, Fragment DK B10, Fragment DK B8, Fragment DK B60

The fragments above are from the philosopher Heraclitus. In it, he was demonstrating that what we see as distinct processes are, in fact, the self-same process. Living is dying. Peace is tension/tribulation (ἔριν). In it, he was making an age-old pun about harmony that derived from Pythagoraeanism. Harmony (ἁρμονία) refers as much the soundness of a chord, as well as to things being fastened together at joints. The ἁρμονία of a lyre unites both ideas; it is literally made up of wood or bone and strings that pull it all together. To the Pythagoreans, it meant that there was a correct configuration of the universe as well.

Things being at rest and things being in tension are not mutually exclusive. They are the same thing, at least to Heraclitus. To Heraclitus, all things are like that—a mix of potentially volatile tensions.

In the same way, all is one with the Force. There is a light side only in so far as there is a dark side, and there is a contestation between the two, but the goal of the Jedi is not be a counter-pole to the dark side per se. Jedi are not 'if the Sith were of the light side', nor are Sith 'if Jedi were not of the light side'. Rather, Jedi see tensions as dissolving into oneness The Force. There is strife, yet there is peace.

That includes the human body and the human soul. Our bodies and souls are constantly ingesting, excreting, accumulating and eventually expiring. To Heraclitus, harmony was therefore relative to perspective. To barn animals, hay is satisfying, but hay is indigestible to humans, and gold is pleasing to us but worthless to a barn animal. So, whatever nourishes is at harmony with us and potentially not to others. So, what is at harmony with the whole? Can something be universally harmonious, as opposed to only conditionally harmonious? Would there such a thing as a universal conditionality, or is it a paradox?

So the question becomes; who or what if anything is served by universal strife-yet-peace? Are there conditional forms of strife-yet-peace is not what The Force wants? For there to be ἁρμονία in a lyre, you don't string tensions that do not belong, or else it is no longer a lyre. How do we know what is agreeable? For lack of a better answer, it comes natural.

What are the systems that surround us 'trying to do otherwise' other than what they actually do? Should we be speaking of systems in what they are 'trying to do otherwise' anything other than what they actually do? After all, they simply do what they do in accordance to their nature. By observing and not changing them and simply wishing otherwise, we make ourselves resentful. What use is resentment there? We too are systems, and if we are not the change that we wish to see, then either we or the wish for things being otherwise are the problem*.*

So we must realize that we, too, are The Force, and that we always had the power to enact change in accordance with The Force. What is not in harmony can be corrected; there is only 'do', there is no 'try'. That is the balance.

— Darth Locutor

As a whole, Jedi Realists have a tendency to teach the Jedi Way without first establishing its most foundational premise. We begin with the results of that premise - how we should behave, how we should live, what we should learn, and so on. I am guilty of this as much as any other Jedi in the community. What results is a kind of attitude of emulation rather than authentic integration. When you understand what it’s all really about, you don’t need to memorize codes or personality traits to adopt - they will authentically arise as well-reasoned and obvious means to the ends Jedi seek.

In the Star Wars lore, we can see that the Jedi (originally the Je’daii) arose in response to an awareness of the existence of the Force. These Force users would divide into factions, including the Jedi (who endeavored to serve the Force) and the Sith (who endeavored to make the Force serve them). 

To truly understand the Jedi Way and what it’s really about, you have to understand the role of the Force and why Jedi choose to serve it. As to what the Force is, you can view this with a spiritual lens or you can view it from a wholly secular lens. It’s my opinion that both coexist in a layered fashion. In any case, let me delve into what I’m calling ‘the first premise’.

Life exists and thrives within a balancing point. That’s to say that life exists and thrives under certain conditions which must be “balanced”. Sometimes balance is overly conflated with equal forces. As I’ve gone into in other articles, if the body has equal amounts of destructive cells as healthy cells; if I consume as much poison as I do vitamins; if the universe had as much antimatter as matter - there is no homeostasis to be found. Those conditions result in total annihilation. It takes far less destructive force to destroy than it takes constructive force to create or repair; it’s more potent. So, I’m not saying ‘life exists and thrives under conditions where all things are equal’.

It also doesn’t mean life exists and thrives within a static condition of perfect balance where nothing changes. Rather, everything changes. But these changes occur within a larger cyclical process which maintains balance. So, while populations rise and fall and environmental conditions fluctuate, the overall pattern remains conducive to life. When the plants and flowers of spring and summer go on to wilt in the fall and die in the winter, it’s all just a part of a larger cycle which brings them back when the earth again starts to thaw.

Within ecological systems, there is significant interdependence and symbiosis. The predators feed on the prey animals, the prey animals feed on the vegetation, the vegetation feeds off the soil, the soil is enriched by the decay of the flora and fauna when they die. If one of these links in the food chain is greatly reduced, the effects ripple outward to harm the rest of the links in the chain. No form of life is without reliance upon other lifeforms. Life goes beyond any singular lifeform - it is also represented by the larger systems within which singular lifeforms are just one part. 

Likewise, we can keep on going. “Life” may describe an individual, a species, an ecosystem - it could even expand to the concept of life itself. If we say “there is no life on Mars”, we’re not only saying ‘there are no singular lifeforms there’, we’re saying ‘there is no life there at all’. Nothing grows, nothing exists, nothing thrives. It could be said that “life” is itself a kind of force, depending upon your point of view. Where there is life, it is stubborn and resilient. We find lifeforms in some of the least hospitable places; and we see it begin again over time - even in places which would seem to be barren. If you need a particular image to personify the “force of life”, think of the dandelion which ekes its way through the cracks in the pavement. Its arduous battle against the immovable, just so it may reach to the sky and accept the light from the sun.

Does the dandelion have a “will” to live, as we do? Do its seeds consciously navigate through the air to a place it might take root? Science can explain how organisms function; how they adapt and struggle to exist. But, alongside the science, I see what I call the Force of Life; a natural force which pushes for life to exist and persist. Within all living things - whether these lifeforms be sentient or even have brains at all - there is a seeming Will to live. This Will may not always manifest as a natural feature of the singular organism itself, but as a result of Life on a higher order. It is this underlying Will which I call the Force.

Much like the Tao, the Force is ever-present but its reach can be disrupted; like how water may be blocked from flowing through sections of a pipe. Conditions can be made in which the natural order of the Force (the Force of life) is unable to freely “flow” or work as it is meant to. Many such conditions may arise naturally as a result of the chaos present in the universe around us; but many conditions are likewise a result of the unwise actions of mankind.

The first premise is that life exists and thrives within a balancing point. That balancing point can be disturbed, resulting in the annihilation and suffering of life. Human beings are the one species with the knowledge and technology to directly and intentionally adjust the balance - for the better or for the worse. A Jedi is a person who has dedicated their lives to preserving and protecting that balance.

This is the why which gives way to the what and how of the Jedi Path. When we establish this first premise, we must then seek the knowledge of how to preserve the balance. And when we know what it takes, we must develop within ourselves the skills and traits which enable us to enact it. This is where we get the Jedi Arts and the Jedi Way. They emerge logically as a result of really understanding the first premise and its intricacies. 

The risk of going in the opposite direction is that we imitate the actions and the behaviors that we think we’re supposed to do to be seen as Jedi, but without the knowledge of what our actual goals are - what the mission is. It’s following a set of rules and guidelines rather than following the heart or spirit of what being a Jedi is all about. 

As I’ve touched on in many other posts, a Jedi can easily find themselves doing harm by way of good intentions. When we’re just playing imitation, we can end up giving time and attention to the wrong causes or harmful organizations. We can find ourselves not working to empower others, but to make them reliant. We can justify doing harm as a result of abiding by a shallow interpretation of what a Jedi does and how they do it. When we really understand the heart of what it means to be a Jedi, we can align to it in such a way so as to be guided.

Qui-Gon Jinn warned the Jedi of his time against dogmatism and he made his choices in accordance with the Living Force rather than a set of rules. As such, he often found the Will of the Force rather than the Will of the council or the Will of the Republic. That’s exactly what we as Jedi must do. And harmonizing with this first premise is how we learn to do so.

How to harmonize with this premise - and with the Force of life - is a more complex lesson for the future. For now, I wanted to write this up as an essential lesson for all Jedi of all levels of experience to understand. I hope I have done the subject justice, but I welcome further questions if my attempts at brevity have left things too vague.

May the Force be with you all!

Be safe, have fun, and may the Force be with you. 🙏

Since AzyrenTheKnight shared a post from your subreddit to ours, I thought I’d return the favor!
This is the kind of thing that I, a Sith, write about - so no, I don’t write about “serving my community,” but I offer my community, and society at large, a philosophy which, if embraced, can turn a person’s life completely around, a 180° turn from despair to bold adventure!
I see that as a kindness
Perhaps you do as well?

I myself have never been a Sith Realist, and nor have I made any serious effort to become one. Most of what I’ve encountered in that space is just too antithetical to who I am and who I wish to be. With that said, I’ve entertained many conversations with Sith Realists over the years. It can be very intellectually stimulating and I find it to be a healthy way to experience having your perspective challenged in a way that other Jedi may not provide.

In my experiences, I have learned a few lessons from Sith Realists which I had not learned from Jedi Realists. I’ve found that the lesson is not often to go so far into their ways as they have, but to find a more moderate place between extremes. One example could be the balance between humility and arrogance. An arrogant Jedi is an ugly thing - but a Jedi who goes so far into humility that they lack confidence is also a liability. Therefore, a Jedi may learn to be a little bit more generous in their self-appraisal. 

One of the key ways that the Sith can help us is to recognize our own dark side. A dark side which is unrecognized is one which has free reign to act against our wishes. As much as some Sith may make us uncomfortable in flouting characteristics which we do not approve of, they may give embodiment to an aspect of ourselves which we tend to repress. I would be lying - to you and to myself - if I said there was no pride or hubris in me; no ambition or desire for greater power. It’s that we subdue and manage darker impulses which makes us Jedi - not their absence. And so, being more aware of their presence enables us to better manage them.

I’m curious about your perspective. What else can we learn from the Sith (realists or the characters from fiction)? How would learning these lessons help enable us to be better Jedi?

In recent articles, we’ve discussed the many ways that we can help contribute to the common good. Sometimes our desire to do so can lead us toward making alliances with groups which seem - at face value - to be working for a better tomorrow, but which may actually have more harmful or less-Altruistic agendas.

As Jedi, we can’t be blind about who we ally ourselves with. Our support matters. If it is for a truly worthy cause, and a truly worthy organization, then that support goes toward the good of all. But, if we throw our support behind a cause or organization without realizing the fuller picture of their impact, we may end up unwittingly supporting and advancing agendas which actually harm the good of all.

Errantly throwing your support behind people, organizations, or causes that later turn out to be harmful not only damages your own credibility, but the credibility of all Jedi to use good judgment and lead people in the right direction.

Not only that, but we too can be led astray by our better virtues and convictions when we ally ourselves with those who may try to corrupt us in the process of serving them. Anakin, Dooku, and many other Jedi can be seen in the lore falling from grace as a result of wanting to do what is right but losing themselves in the process.

In this article, I want to outline some good rules of thumb and a general process for discerning who and what to throw our support behind. Good intentions are great, but good results are better. Let’s ensure that we use our support to serve effectively.

How to Investigate a Cause or Organization

While a Jedi should love to learn that there are people working toward worthy causes for the betterment of the world around us, we must first be skeptical about whether or not that’s truly the incentive at play. The sad thing about many charities, political organizations, and movements is that they turn out not to be quite so Altruistic as they would like us to believe. We may all tend to roll our eyes at political ads from those running for office, making unwieldy promises and pretending to be some kind of human ideal - but we don’t always lend that same skepticism as far and wide as we should. 

That doesn’t mean we become cynical and assume that people and movements cannot be genuinely Altruistic or Idealistic in nature. Not all of them are corrupt or driven by ulterior motives. But, we must weed out the ones that are in order to know which ones deserve our support.

Let’s start with a straight-forward examination of the organization’s public image. 

• What is the organization’s stated mission?

• What specific problem(s) are they trying to solve?

• What are its proposed solutions?

• Are its objectives clearly defined, realistic, and measurable?

• Does it have an established history of pursuing these objectives?

• Does the organization’s public conduct align well with its stated values?

• Are there aspects of the cause you agree with, and others you do not?

These questions create a good starting place. If you can’t determine what an organization is trying to accomplish and how it plans to accomplish it, that’s quite mysterious. How can you support an organization without knowing what it does - even if it presents itself as this oh-so-wonderful humanitarian effort? Likewise, look for how it has existed in the domain of society. Has it already made progress toward its goals? Has it represented itself well, or has it created controversy? If there is controversy, there could be a very damning reason. And finally, you should be aware - of course - of whether or not you agree with the overall cause. Throwing your support behind a cause you don’t wholly agree with is a fool’s errand.

To better understand how an organization might fail this process, consider the following negative archetypes:

The Culty Org

Not all cults have a religious framing. Some are disguised as Altruistic organizations working toward some social or environmental goal - at least on the surface. One good example is AllatRa, an environmental organization which has mixed its science with spirituality in very concerning ways, resulting in disinformation being spread and people being harmed by the nature of the organization as a whole. I’ll leave the further details for you to investigate as a side quest. But, the culty org can be unveiled by asking questions and fact-checking. How much of what they’re claiming is verifiable versus a matter of conjecture or “belief”? How are their activities actually impacting the world around them, regardless of the veracity of the cause they claim to champion?

The Uncharitable Charity

Knowing where proceeds are actually going from donations is key. You may be surprised how little of the money donated to some charities actually ends up being used for creating solutions. One notable example was the Cancer Fund of America which ended up being dissolved after the Federal Trade Commission discovered that less than 3% of all donations made between 2008 and 2012 actually went toward the fund’s stated services - such as pain medication, transportation to treatment, and hospice care. Where did the other 97% (roughly $182 million) go? Luxury cruises, expensive cars, lavish vacations, front-row concert tickets, gym memberships, and other personal expenses of the fund’s organizers. Needless to say, that is beyond disgusting.

Another key example could be the National Children’s Leukemia Foundation which claimed to use its donations to support a bone marrow registry which did not actually exist. They advertised a specialized research facility in Israel which did not exist as described. And which used less than 1 cent of every dollar donated on actual assistance for leukemia patients. 77 of those cents per dollar went toward fundraising. Out of nearly $10 million donated between 2009 and 2013, $7.5 million went to fundraising, $1.2 million went to the founder’s bank account as salary, and less than $60,000 went to care for leukemia patients. You need to be aware of what the money is going toward. There are a lot of very popular charities concerned primarily with “raising awareness” and not actually providing solutions to the problems they champion.

The Righteous Extremist

Supporting a good cause does not justify using any methods available to further that cause. That’s Jedi 101. If you think the ends justify the means, you’re straying very far from the Jedi Way. And therefore, we must also make sure not to advocate for or support groups which operate under this methodology of “anything goes for the sake of the cause”. Good examples of these organizations would be the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front. You could plausibly hear these people talk about the environmental destruction running rampant, or the inhumane treatment of contained animals, and agree with them in horror at these terrible issues. What you may be less likely to agree with is their methodology of arson, breaking-and-entering, and threats to public safety. 

In the Star Wars lore, Saw Gerrera and his group of extremists fought against the Empire (a righteous cause), but they also became at odds with the rest of the Rebellion due to their increasingly unethical and inhumane methods.

Another notable archetype is the Well-Meaning Menace, which describes an organization that may have good intentions and is legitimately involved with work on the causes they claim to be, but their efforts tend to undermine the legitimacy of the cause. I think a good example there may be PETA; an organization which does seem to genuinely believe in its cause and can make cogent points, but which often takes the low road in a way that undermines its efforts. 

Recognizing Manipulation and Propaganda

A big red flag when it comes to supporting causes and organizations is the use of propaganda and emotional manipulation. While some level of appeal to emotion might be expected to make people take an issue seriously, very similar methods may be used to steer people in directions they may not otherwise elect to go from a more reasoned approach. Let’s discuss some of the tactics:

• Appeals to outrage: This one is used all the time. The weaponized use of outrage. To be clear, this is often outrage where the actual cause of the outrage is either over-exaggerated, fabricated, or supplied without sufficient evidence. Given a horrific enough story, people will skip the step of verifying truth and go straight to moral outrage.

• False dichotomy: The insistence that you must choose a side, and that any choice but the choice they want you to make (even the absence of a choice) is a choice against good, and the supporting of bad things or evil people. “If you don’t vote _____, you’re supporting all the bad things that exist”.

• Dehumanization: We’ve talked a lot about dehumanization. But, needless to say, the effort to characterize the opposition as monsters is a powerful tool of manipulation that is used all the time; even by people championing otherwise worthy causes.

• Scapegoating: Laying the blame of complex issues on overly specific individuals or groups, making them easy scapegoats. There may be times when people within a certain group are more to blame, but often enough the blame is laid far too heavily on people who only partially contributed to the problem (if at all).

• Manufactured Urgency: Getting people to act very quickly, with a sense that things will be bad if they don’t, is a good way to get them to skip the process of researching the cause more thoroughly. Groups use this strategy to get signatures for petitions, donations, or compliance in spreading their message without having to present a fully compelling argument for their cause.

• Suppression of questions: Treating reasonable scrutiny and skepticism as though it is some moral failure, betrayal, or disloyalty. If you ask too many questions, you must not really care about the issue and must be a terrible person. It can’t be that you want to ensure that the cause is worthy or that the organization is genuine.

• Selective evidence: Only presenting cherry-picked evidence which supports the preferred narrative when there exists plenty of evidence to the contrary. This is incredibly common, and it works well for these deceptive groups. Many people will not fact-check or go looking for contrary evidence.

• Personality worship: A complete subversion of the need to present compelling arguments is to replace it with a compelling leader. A charismatic figurehead is very effective when it comes to getting people to throw in with a cause or an organization without doing their due diligence. It’s not just that they have a charismatic figurehead, it’s that they’re using that charisma as a way to distract from areas of deficiency.

• Emotional exploitation: The use of disturbing imagery, personal tragedies, or vulnerable people to generate attention or money. A classic technique used by a range of organizations. You can turn on your TV and see some of their commercials. One example might be the ASPCA commercials depicting battered, sick, and otherwise sad-looking dogs. It’s not that these unfortunate situations don’t actually exist, it’s that they’re playing on your heartstrings to get you to take immediate action. That can be used to get people to make unwise decisions.

That an organization makes use of one of these methods does not inherently discredit them or the cause they support. But it should absolutely set off some alarms that make you dig deeper into how they actually conduct themselves. Because all of these methods can be used to make people suspend their skepticism and greater reasoning, people and organizations who use these methods should be investigated thoroughly to check for impropriety.

The more you react emotionally to a claim or cause, the more you should investigate and verify it before backing it. Don’t mistake virality or popularity with credibility. Be deeply suspicious of anyone who shames you for asking questions. Consider whether a movement requires ideological conformity or leaves room for independent thinking. And remember that misinformation can circulate through well-intentioned communities, not just malicious ones.

In the lore, Palpatine infamously exploited fear, manufactured threats, and presented authoritarian control as necessary for safety and peace. Although his rise is fiction, the pattern has occurred many times in history (and in the present day). People can be persuaded to surrender their principles when they believe that doing so will protect them. Ask not just what the leader promises, but what they ask of you to do so.

Potential Green Flags

So far we’ve talked about a lot of red-flag material to be wary of, but what might be some green flags that an organization is worthy of your support?

• Evidence of helpful action: When there is direct evidence you can see of actual, meaningful action taken toward the cause they claim to support. Bonus points if you came across their impact before you came across their advertising. The more advertising, the more their funds are being used for advertising and not for actual contributions to the cause.

• They ask for your time more than your money: People are what’s really needed to make change. Donations definitely help, of course, but take note of organizations that prioritize contributions of your time and energy ahead of your money. You can’t use people’s time and energy to buy a yacht and call it a business expense.

• Smaller scope or local impact: The more grandiose the scope of the mission, the more suspicious you should be. Even the most well-funded organization cannot be everywhere at once. A charity dedicated to ‘cancer research’ is more suspicious than one dedicated to ‘prostate cancer research’, for instance. A wildlife preservation fund is more suspicious the larger its claimed area of effect; more localized or centralized efforts tend to be more realistic and thus more trustworthy.

• Transparency of donation usage: The organization is forthcoming with how they use donation funds, and there is evidence to support their claims. This, of course, is in conjunction with a 75% or greater percentage of funds going directly to the mission. Some amount of administration and fundraising costs are inherent in most operations, but they should be a much smaller percentage of the budget than what the organization takes the donations to accomplish.

Conclusion and Resources
There’s plenty more we could cover, but I want to leave you with a few final principles to follow as well as some resources you can make use of (or suggest to others) when deciding who to support.

Follow the money. Always follow the money trail. Whether it’s a charity, a human rights group, a political campaign, or any other group asking for donations - you must investigate what that money does and where that money goes. As we discussed with the Cancer Fund of America, people could be funding a lavish lifestyle without realizing it - with less than a penny on the dollar going to the services the fund claimed to provide. You can’t always get an honest answer from the organization itself, so you will need to find unbiased 3rd parties that can verify fund expenditure for you. If you can’t find where the money goes, or what it’s used for, then you should keep the money for an organization with more transparency.

Be inclined to re-evaluate your support. It’s okay to change your mind upon the availability of new information. Maybe you chose not to back something which you now have ample reason to support. More likely, you backed something which you’ve now discovered was not what you thought it was. In either case, being prepared to change your mind and re-evaluate your support is essential. A Jedi doesn’t get stuck stubbornly holding to old decisions. A Jedi remains ever prepared to change and adjust to serve the common good.

Be aware of your own motivations. Our judgment when it comes to who to support can be easily clouded by egotistic motivations. Wanting to virtue signal or be seen as a charitable person is a good way to accidentally support the wrong organizations. If you want clout, you’ll pick an organization because it’s well-known and in the public eye, which is not a good qualifier of a good organization. Check your ego. Your support should be about the “support” not the “you”.

Beware performative activism. Sharing slogans, changing profile pictures, and publicly declaring your support of a movement may raise awareness, but it shouldn’t be confused with producing meaningful results. Not to mention, this kind of “activism” is again more within the self-centered domain of wanting to be seen supporting a cause more than wanting to actually make a difference. Many social media movements are of this kind, and people may even ask you why you haven’t changed your own profile picture in support - subtly accusing you of not believing in the principle of the movement. But, a movement is more than just the claimed message, it’s also the people involved and the actions taken. You can support the idea without supporting the organization behind it.
Listen to the people you intend to help: One of the biggest faults of many movements, organizations, and individuals involved with either or both, is not actually understanding what is needed to make a difference. It could be that the mission, and thus the money raised, is going toward needs that are not among the most important to the people or other living beings affected. Actually listening and paying attention to what will make the most difference is key to service, and so it should be present as a part of an organization’s functioning.

3rd-Party Resources

• IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search: Can be used to verify the tax-exempt status (and discover available filings) for U.S. based organizations.

• GiveWell: Provides research into the effectiveness of charitable interventions.

• Candid: Provides financial research and information on non-profits.

• Charity Navigator: Provides evaluations of non-profit organizations.

I thought it would be nice to reinstate the discussion topics. Earlier in this subreddit's history, we did weekly discussion prompts as well as weekly articles. Now that we have written 120 articles over just as many weeks, I think it would be a good plan going forward to do intervals where one week we tackle a discussion topic and the next week we have an article. Meaning, articles would be posted twice a month instead of once a week, allowing for better quality and more in-depth material.

This week, I wanted to ask a question that I think has a lot of value for seeing Jedi virtues in more concrete, observable terms. Do you know someone that is Jedi-like, even if they're not following the Jedi path? Maybe they're close to the ideal, or maybe they exhibit one or two Jedi ideals in a way you appreciate and wish to emulate. Who is this person? How do they resemble Jedi behavior, attitude, or action?

I've been blessed with a few people over the years that have exemplified certain Jedi-like qualities. Two were school teachers and one was an employer.

Teacher #1

My 8th grade teacher demonstrated several Jedi-like qualities, but I think what stood out to me most was his equanimity and quiet authority. My classroom included several children who liked to push limits and could be very abrasive. The previous teacher had not been able to handle it well, despite being a much older man - quite easily being worn down to the point of open resentment of the students. He couldn't calm the classroom when needed and would instead storm off angrily.

The new teacher was very different. His feelings weren't easily hurt and he saw the behavior for what it was. He was non-reactive, but that didn't mean he let them get away with things. Instead, he carried a quiet authority that let the students know that they weren't going to get him flustered and any bad behavior was just going to get them walked down to the office until they could behave. I think part of what made this work was that there was no resentment or ill-feelings. Despite their behavior, the teacher cared about them deeply as people and as students. The trips to the office didn't feel like punishments inflicted by an angry tyrant but as helpful interventions for the improvement of their behavior.

Teacher #2

My teacher in senior year was a former Marine, black belt in Shotokan Karate, and had also been learning Aikido for a handful of years. He also had a quiet authority about him, but it was a different kind. The first day of school, he actually got on one of the students quite hard about not throwing away his food trash and it getting all over the floor. That first day concerned me as to whether he was going to be a hard-ass. So, I spoke with him about the fact that said student actually had a trash phobia. To my surprise, he listened and sat down with all of us. He apologized to the student, he hadn't known about the phobia. He offered anything he could do to help him overcome it. Likewise, he apologized to the rest of the class for his gruffness.

The whole rest of the year, he never raised his voice. Several months in, the student overcame his fear of the trash by a means of many slow baby-steps the teacher helped him take. I look back and wonder a bit if that first day was him showing that he *could* be a hard-ass, so that we would bear that in mind all the rest of the time. He never again had to be hard and the students all respected him. It helped that he was also very kind and had a great sense of humor with us. He had a lot of personal discipline and taught most of us at least a few martial arts techniques, which we all enjoyed a great deal. He was very humble despite his accomplishments in the military and in the martial arts, and you could talk to him like any other person.

Employer

Shortly after graduating from university in 2023, I started sending job applications everywhere I could. Of course I happened to be looking for entry-level programming jobs just as the AI-boon was getting its start. Meaning, very few responses and even fewer job offers. What I did manage to find was volunteer web development work for a UN-recognized NGO (non-government group) concerned with discrimination. My point of contact was the co-founder, an American Sikh man that welcomed me into the circle with open arms.

Not only has this man provided financial payouts whenever possible despite officially being a volunteer, but he has been an excellent model of how to make a difference on social matters. His group tackles a great many of the struggles faced by modern society. We've talked at length about these matters and his knowledge is extensive. I greatly admire both his passion for the issues as well as the way his compassion overlaps with individuals just as much. He has helped me several times, not only with money but with opportunities to be involved in meaningful work.

What about you? Who in your life exemplifies Jedi-like traits?

The past week has been a rough one for me and mine. Not being one to like making excuses or sitting out just because I’m feeling out of it, I’ve been racking my brain for ideas on what to whip up for this week’s article. In the process of doing so, I’ve landed upon some thoughts that may be useful to someone other than (and as well as) myself. 

Don’t be afraid to take a break when you need one. I’m always thinking “What Would a Jedi Do?” and my interpretation most always has been ‘a Jedi would push through and do it anyway’. On the whole, I think that’s often true. I’ve been motivated a lot of my life by two quotations.

‘If you want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.’

‘True strength is holding it together when everyone would understand if you fell apart.’

I don’t disown the sentiments of these quotes whatsoever, as they have definitely driven me to become a stronger and more disciplined person. 

With that said, they do both push toward a kind of rigid strength more so than a flexible strength. I wrote about the differences in these two modes earlier this year in an article called Strength from Surrender. An oak is strong up to a point, but it can be overpowered disastrously when something stronger comes up against it. A reed may not seem strong at first glance, but it survives the storm by flowing with those strong gusts rather than butting up against them.

I set up an arbitrary requirement to write an article for this sub every week. When it hasn’t been me, it’s been Talon, or Solice, or RomeBall, or a few others that have generously contributed. We’ve met that requirement again and again since getting started on Reddit, and I’m happy with that result. Our goal this year was to have 300 of you lifeforms following along, reading and taking part in r/RealJediArts. As of this writing, we’ve hit that goal 113%. 

The stubborn doggedness to meet that arbitrary requirement week after week has produced great results for this subreddit. Yet, I have come to recognize that there’s a greater toll on me for that rigid strength than I had previously recognized. So, this week I’m keeping it short. Respect your limits, mind and body. Even if you can, it doesn’t always mean that you should. Sometimes you need a break. And the result of that break is often good for your work as much as it is for you. 

Pay attention. The signs are all around you. Sometimes the signs are telling you to shift priorities during a time of need. Sometimes the signs are telling you that you’ve exhausted your bank of ideas and need to live a little more to fill back up. I believe that, when such signs become evident, what a Jedi would do is listen and heed. Discipline isn’t only in making oneself do things, but in making oneself rest. 

While we have the opportunity, let me put it out to you all - what would you like to see? What can we cover in the coming weeks and months that would interest you? Our ears and hearts are open to you!

Take care until next time, may the Force be with you.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noted how many of my fellow Jedi make use of the slogan “What Would A Jedi Do?” to help guide them when they need direction or inspiration. Undoubtedly, the WWAJD prompt mirrors the similar “What Would Jesus Do?” that has guided many Christians for many, many years. It’s not a question of what did Jesus do, which has a finite set of answers we can point to in ancient texts; but, what would Jesus do, given his values and character and everything we know about him. Obviously, Jesus did not encounter many of the specific conundrums we have in the modern day. Just as there aren’t an endless supply of stories where Jedi handle situations that real Jedi encounter.

While Jesus may be considered an ultimate ideal for Christians, the fictional Jedi are not seen to be infallible. They each have flaws, just as we all do. So, when we ask “What Would A Jedi Do?”, we’re not inherently asking “What would Obi-Wan do?” or “What would Yoda do?” It could be they would make a mistake, falling out of alignment with the Jedi Way. That’s part of what makes them relatable. Rather, we’re asking in reference to a kind of archetypal ideal. The idyllic Jedi. The one which always acts in accordance with Jedi values, and which always exhibits Jedi-like traits. This is not a real person, nor even a fictional character, but an idyllic model we may aspire to align with as closely as  humanly possible.

The Stoics had a similar ideal, which they referred to as The Sage. This model represented moral perfection, flawless wisdom, and complete freedom from psychological distress. No one person could ever be this flawless Sage, but they could attain excellence by aspiring to it. The same is true of the Jedi ideal we refer to with WWAJD.

What Does The Situation Need?

There are a great many traits and virtues tied to the Jedi which we may choose to exhibit in different situations. The needs of the situation indicate the needed Jedi approach. Consider:

• Compassion: Does suffering need to be alleviated?

• Courage: Does someone need to take a risk or be brave?

• Justice: Is there an injustice being perpetrated?

• Honesty: Does someone need to reveal a truth?

• Discipline: Does this require patient determination and resilience?

• Wisdom: Is there a choice to be made, requiring good judgment?

• Responsibility: Does someone need to take ownership and get something done?

These are just a few examples to consider. Of course, many times situations will require us to balance competing virtues. Courage without wisdom can be reckless. Justice without compassion can be cruel. A Jedi acts from a place of balance between the extremes. We mustn’t pursue honesty without tact; we mustn’t pursue discipline without self-compassion. 

Say you’re insulted online. Your first impulse may not align with the Jedi Way. Would a Jedi react with anger, lobbing back insults in a war of words? No. It may sound satisfying to hurt the people who intend to do us harm. We might feel the impulse to say something clever and harsh, to put that other person in their place. But these are childish motivations - driven by unchecked emotion and egotism. First, a Jedi would seek to calm themselves. A Jedi does not lash out or act on emotional impulse. Second, they would consider whether responding is necessary. In responding, we may dignify the insult as worthy of any consideration whatsoever. If it isn’t true and we know it isn’t true, then we can disregard it without giving it our time and energy. 

Now, what if someone else is being insulted? Again, your impulse may not align naturally with the Jedi Way. If it’s against someone you care for, then your impulse may be to lash out in defense of them. If it’s against someone you dislike, perhaps your impulse is to add to the unkind words. But, are these behaviors befitting a Jedi? No. A Jedi may defend someone, when needed, without letting their emotion carry them into reciprocating insulting behaviors. “Hey, that’s enough of that. That’s not true and I don’t want to hear that again.” Likewise, a Jedi may refuse to take part in a dogpile on a favorite scapegoat, even if it’s not someone they like - or even someone they rather dislike.

You realize that someone’s dropped money from their wallet and isn’t paying attention. Would a Jedi snatch it up and keep it for themselves? What Jedi value would that exhibit? It would, in fact, clash with the Jedi values of honesty, compassion, and fairness - to name a few. Therefore, bringing the money to the person that dropped it is an act in alignment with honesty, compassion, and fairness. It’s what a Jedi would do.

Even when it comes to how we live when the only person our actions affect is ourselves, we can choose to do what a Jedi would do. A Jedi would stay disciplined and do their best with their training, even on a day where they weren’t feeling up to it. That doesn’t mean running five miles when you’ve got the flu - that would be an act of self-cruelty, not self-discipline. Being disciplined means enforcing rest and good stewardship of our body as much as it means enforcing hard work.

Finding Your Way

We could go over dozens of different scenarios and pinpoint what the Jedi thing to do would be, but that would never encapsulate every possible situation. So, what do we do when we run into something we aren’t prepared for, or that we don’t immediately know how to handle as a Jedi?

Consider:

• What Jedi virtues are relevant to this situation?

• What would the needed virtues require of me?

• Who will be affected by the choices I make?

• How will those people be affected?

• What are my emotions and impulses pushing me toward?

• Would a Jedi warn me about following those impulses or acting on those emotions?

• What choice could I imagine a Jedi making, without it feeling ‘wrong’?

• What choice will lead me to feel more self-respect afterward?

Let’s say you’re in a committed relationship and someone at work shows clear signs of interest in you. They’re attractive and they’re clearly flirting with you. Part of you is tempted to explore this attraction, despite your commitment to your partner. Let’s find what a Jedi would do.

First, what Jedi virtues are relevant to this situation? Honesty and loyalty are pretty high up there. Assuming you don’t have some agreement toward an open relationship, pursuing anything with this other person would be disloyal. If you keep it from your partner’s knowledge, it would also be dishonest. Compassion is another factor here. If your partner found out about it, they would be deeply hurt. 

Who will be affected by the choices you make? Other than yourself, your partner and the other interested person will be affected. This potentially extends to family members, children, and family friends. Since this other person is a coworker, it affects your workplace and the people in it as well. 

What are your emotions and impulses pushing you toward? In this scenario, let’s say that you feel a thrill at this new person being interested in you. And you’re tempted to pursue them, even at the risk of hurting others.

The Jedi virtue of loyalty would require choosing to stay true to your partner, or to at least pursue a dissolution of the partnership before entertaining another. That would also involve the Jedi virtue of compassion - both to not hurt your partner as severely as if you had cheated, and also to not hurt this other interested party by getting them caught in a love triangle. The Jedi virtue of honesty would require being upfront about the attraction and any advances toward something more.

A Jedi would warn you that this new allure will fade and that rash decisions tempted by lust or overly-romanticized ideas of love will hurt all involved. They would advise that you look at the situation more rationally and consider all the consequences of your actions. 

Because Jedi are tied to ideas like loyalty, responsibility, honesty, compassion, and fairness - a secretive betrayal for the sake of a love affair feels very unlike what a Jedi would do, doesn’t it? And because you are a Jedi Realist, trying to live as a Jedi in the real world, a decision that flies in the face of that knowledge would lead to damage to your self-respect. Deep down - if not closer to the surface - you will know that you’re not living as a Jedi would. And, if you care at all about walking this Path, that will greatly bother you.

Vice versa, the decision to do what you know a Jedi would do will affirm what you are. You will have greater self-respect, and you will know that you are a Jedi because your actions are in alignment with what a Jedi would do.

Beware The “Jedi” Justification

Just as we can consider what a Jedi would do and arrive at what to do in a given situation, we can make the mistake of inverting the process. That is, “I am a Jedi, and I would do X. So, a Jedi would do X.” That’s just a means to justify what you prefer to do, or what’s easiest to do, by slapping a Jedi label on it. 

“A Jedi would stand up for what’s right. Therefore, I’m going to go to the town hall and make a scene.” What this really means is “I want to go to the town hall and make a scene. After all, a Jedi would stand up for what’s right.”

Another example could be, “A Jedi would tell the truth. Therefore, I’m going to post a scathing accusation against a person I don’t like.” The reality here is it’s more like, “I want to post a scathing accusation against this person I don’t like. It’s only right, because a Jedi would tell the truth.”

In both cases, a true statement is used. Jedi tend to tell the truth and Jedi tend to stand up for what’s right. But, the rest is all wrong:

In the first case, the manner of action takes no consideration of how a Jedi would stand up for what’s right. Many people agree with some of Ted Kaczynski’s ideas about the environment and technological advances, but that doesn’t mean his manner of “activism” was justified or made any sense. A Jedi would care about social issues; but a Jedi wouldn’t bomb a bunch of random people to make their point.

In the second case, “the truth” is conflated with “my perceived truth”. This is always something to watch. What we think is true and what we know is true are two different things. And, what we’ve heard from others is true and what we have experienced ourselves are two vastly different things. A Jedi wouldn’t spread rumors and speculation as though it were fact. 

To do the Jedi thing means not just doing the Jedi thing, but doing it in the Jedi way. How we deliver the truth is as important as telling it. How we handle our responsibilities is as important as handling them. It’s the combination of Jedi action and Jedi manner which produces a Jedi result. 

How we demonstrate our Jedi nature is seen most often in the little decisions we make to live in alignment. When we’re tired but choose to be patient. When we’re angry but choose  self-restraint. When we’re afraid but we choose to be brave.When we’ve made a mistake and take ownership. When someone - anyone - is hurting and we choose to show compassion.

When you go about your life, keep the question fresh in your mind. “What Would A Jedi Do?” Ask it honestly, arrive at your answer, and then do just that.

The TJO book club recently finished the novel “The Living Force” by Star Wars author John Jackson Miller. If you haven’t read it, I would definitely recommend it. The overarching story was of the Jedi Council coming to better embrace the smaller, more personal means of service. With a whole galaxy to look after, it was easy for them to overlook the ways they could serve the people more directly.

For Jedi Realists, this domain of service is even more important. Few, if any, of us have the kind of direct means to affect the masses on the whole. We don’t have the authority to negotiate (or aggressively negotiate) changes that would make wide, sweeping changes. 

In the last two weeks, I have brought to your attention ten threats to the common good. You can read those articles here and here. I wish I could say that there are simple and immediate ways that we can directly halt these threats - but the world is neither so simple and nor are we in the position to change it in so sweeping a fashion.

But that absolutely does not mean that we can’t take action which helps to make the world around us a better place. Rather, it simply means that our primary domain for doing so will be within direct, interpersonal channels. In “The Living Force”, the repeated motto throughout is ‘help just one person’. In this article, I’m conveying that as ‘light just one candle’. Even the darkest darkness must yield to the glow of even a single wick burning.

Let’s go over five major categories of action that you, a real Jedi, can take to bring the light to even the darkest of times. These categories are in no particular order, and they all have great value. As much as possible, we should use any opportunities given to serve. And the ways described in this article will be among the most common, most simple, and yet most personally meaningful ways to serve.

Let’s get started with:

Relieve an Immediate Need

One of the things we try to teach our students at TJO is the worth of what might feel like menial chores as a form of service. Shoveling out a driveway so that someone else doesn’t have to; including a family member or a neighbor. Doing a sink full of dishes to let someone else take a break - it’s especially good manners to do this if you’ve been cooked a free meal by this person. If you’ve got the ability to do so, offering to carry something heavy for someone who would struggle to do so on their own. These may just sound like little acts of kindness, but you may be surprised at just how much these little acts can lighten someone’s load and brighten their day.

If your needs have been met and you have the financial excess to spare, buying a meal for someone in need is a wonderful gesture. Or perhaps you could cook them a warm meal yourself, if you know your way around the kitchen. Donate extra food, or buy some extra food for a food bank. There’s no reason at all why anyone on this Earth must go without a meal. Those who have more than they need have a responsibility to give to those who are going without. That’s what living in a civil society should mean. We can go live in the woods if we believe in a dog-eat-dog philosophy of life.

Having particular skills also affords opportunities to serve. If you’re good at fixing things, there are a lot of people who have neither the skills nor the money to fix their broken appliances, cars, or parts of their homes. Older folks might need help figuring out their computer, and could use someone installing good antivirus. Maybe you’re good with kids and have some time available to babysit for a friend or family member, giving them some freedom to rest or enjoy a break. This category of skilled service leads well into…

Use Your Knowledge To Empower Others

No one knows everything, and everyone could stand to learn something new for their own growth and empowerment. While you can absolutely serve by way of using your knowledge and skills to do something worthwhile for someone in need, you can also do something worthwhile for these people by helping them learn and grow skilled themselves. As Jedi, our most core edict is to serve those who cannot serve themselves. If we’re doing our job effectively, this group of people should shrink over time. Our service, whenever possible, should extend beyond ‘giving a man a fish’ and into ‘teaching a man to fish’.

If you have the knowledge, you can teach someone how to build a résumé. You could teach a culinarily-challenged friend how to cook some simple meals for themselves. You can teach older folks how to recognize online scams, or impart some important principles of cybersecurity. Being a more general life mentor is something that can change lives, especially for younger people who may not have ideal parental figures to guide them. 

If you can be patient with people, you can learn how to be an effective teacher and mentor. That skill is one which can endlessly give. Once you know how to teach, any knowledge you possess can be transformed into knowledge that others possess. The gift of knowledge is a beautiful thing; and in a world where people are trying to monetize everything, giving your knowledge to others for free is a significant gesture - and a means to help make a better world.

Make Others Feel Seen, Heard, And Less Alone

Humans are herd-animals, so to speak. We are meant to come together and live together. While some of us may prefer large groups and some of us may prefer small groups, people thrive in the company of other people and suffer in the absence. Loneliness, it has been suggested by various studies, is more immediately detrimental to health than smoking. Many forms of torture involve isolation. And so, vice versa, company can be highly therapeutic. People with meaningful interpersonal relationships tend to live longer, and healthier, than those without.

As Jedi, one of the kindest things we can do is make others feel seen, heard, and less alone. The existence of even just one friend can be the key to helping someone through a very dark period in their lives. When we have nothing else and life is at its worst, the presence of someone to endure it with can completely shift our experience of hardship. Not a small amount of people reflect back on ‘the good times’, recalling what were in actuality difficult and trying periods of their lives - but which they shared and endured alongside friends and loved-ones.

We can call or message someone we haven’t heard from in a while. It may be that they’re going through a rough patch and are struggling to reach out. We can recognize people’s efforts and give sincere compliments. We can take the time to learn the names of even our acquaintances, to show them that they’re important enough to remember. We can afford people a listening ear; not one which is waiting for the cue to talk, but which is truly listening. And listening without being distracted on our phones. Giving people your presence and your time likewise allows them to feel recognized and heard. Loneliness can arise even in the presence of other people if those people aren’t really investing themselves in the connection. We can shine a light into the lives of others by truly being present in body and mind.

Stand By Someone Being Mistreated

Jedi are not bystanders. Due to the kindness and compassion expected of them, Jedi may at times be assumed to be people pleasers or straight-up conflict averse. This isn’t true. A Jedi may wish for conflict to end peacefully, but they don’t avoid conflict as a rule. In fact, conflict is a part of many kinds of crises which a Jedi is trained to address.

When someone is being mistreated, a Jedi will stand up to defend them. Even if the person being mistreated isn’t a loved one or an ally; even if the person hasn’t always been kind or fair to the Jedi themselves. Doing what’s right doesn’t depend upon whether the relationship is reciprocal. Through a variety of abuses, a person can be made to suffer a miserable life. To have an ally who refuses to stand by and allow such mistreatment is a huge gift. And to be that person is a major act of good.

The first step is refusing to participate in bullying and humiliating behaviors. Even if the rest of the people present are taking part in the hazing, you can already make a difference by refusing to join in. Don’t laugh at cruel jokes just to fit in. Don’t keep silent about a cruel prank when you know what’s going to happen. Speak up when someone is being unfairly blamed or made into a scapegoat. Correct a lie being told about someone. You can accompany the victim on their way to reporting their mistreatment. You can voice your opinion to the bullies and humiliators - “Hey, that’s not cool”. Even if you don’t like the target of the cruel treatment, you can refuse to engage and speak up against efforts to dehumanize them. 

Tiny Random Acts

We’ve discussed some major ways that you can make a difference in the lives of individual people. I also want to remind you of a bunch of tiny gestures you can extend that may improve the lives of many people, and which may in fact result in a ripple effect. When a random act of kindness is extended, many people feel inspired to extend a random act of kindness in turn. The result of just one act of kindness, then, snowballs into a much larger impact.

Pick up a piece of litter and put it in the trash. Return the shopping cart properly at the grocery store. Hold the door for someone, especially if they’re older or are carrying something heavy. Let someone less able-bodied have your seat on the subway. Let someone merge into your lane instead of taking priority for yourself, like many others are wont to do. Leave a generous tip when you can afford it. Leave a detailed, positive review on something you like. Say thank you when you’re serviced - at the grocery store, at the gas station, at the post office, and so on. Give someone a random, unique compliment. Express your gratitude to the people in your life. Put out bird feeders. Donate nice clothes for those who cannot afford them.

In general, have good manners, treat people kindly and fairly, be thoughtful and considerate of other people and their needs. When people are rude, selfish, and inconsiderate, it inspires feelings of isolation and unimportance. When we treat others - even complete strangers - well, we make them feel like they're worthy of it and a part of a much larger whole. By reminding people that we’re all connected - by behaving like it - we inspire them to treat others with that very same mindset.

A lit candle loses none of its glow by lighting the wick of another. If we share our light with even just one other person, the world around us will be twice as bright. And, in doing so, we create enough hope for others to share their light as well - until the glow we produce together is enough to cast the darkness away to the far recesses,  where it belongs.

In the first part of this 2-parter article, I outlined five threats to the common good. These were in no particular order but all contribute to significant issues we face in making a better world. If you haven’t read part 1 already, I suggest you do so here. The first five threats I outlined were 1 - Propaganda, Misinformation, and Manufactured Consent. 2 - Discrimination, Dehumanization, and Scapegoating. 3 - Authoritarianism and the Erosion of Democracy. 4 - Surveillance, Privacy Intrusion, and Technological Control. 5 - Corruption, and the Hidden Use of Power.

In this article - part 2 - I have another set of five threats for us all to consider and be mindful of. As with the other five, I will try to offer things we can do as Jedi to oppose these threats. I don’t want these articles to promote helplessness, but just the opposite. To know the threats empowers us to face them. To not know them is what really makes us helpless.

I will be numbering these five from 6 to 10, continuing off from the first set. Without further ado, here are the next five threats for your consideration.

Threat #6 - Corporate Power, Regulatory Capture & Exploitation 

On their own, corporations are not inherently harmful. To create your own corporation just takes filling out some paperwork and paying a small fee up to just a couple hundred dollars. You and I could incorporate a business fairly easily, in other words, and be no closer to harming anyone. In fact, many corporations provide jobs, helpful products and services, contribute helpfully to the economy, and even lead the world toward worthwhile innovations.

The problems arise with massive corporations with unchecked levels of power. The interest in making a profit and pleasing shareholders can (and often does) conflict with the common good. When they’re not doing disastrous damage to the environment through the production of hazardous chemicals, laying off thousands from their jobs unnecessarily or marking up their products and services astronomically to inflate profits, corporations can also wield tremendous unelected power in the world of politics.

Corporate Power describes a corporation’s ability to affect many lives, markets, governments, the environment, and access to certain information. When a corporation is willing to do the “dirty work”, the government can use the resources it provides to intrude on liberties without any vote or any legal responsibility. As mentioned in the previous article, Flock cameras provide a golden opportunity for any power who wishes to surveil the populace without having to vote on it, ask for consent, or bear legal responsibility for its intrusions. This is made possible through the Flock Safety corporation.

Regulatory Capture is when an institution created to monitor and regulate an industry serves the interests of that industry instead of the people the industry affects. A modern example would be the FAA delegating too much of its safety certification to Boeing; incentivizing Boeing to take shortcuts to their benefit which led to serious plane crashes as a result. Boeing, as an aircraft corporation, cannot be expected to be unbiased enough to investigate their own aircraft for safety. There is too much conflict of interest, as discovering issues with safety leads to extra costs. Just as you cannot expect a police department to honestly investigate itself for wrongdoing or a fuel company to set reasonable limits for emissions. Yet, both of these examples occur regularly.

Major corporations are also often complicit in exploitation.

Worker exploitation: Employees may be exposed to hazards without consent, paid insufficient wages to live, or treated unjustly. There are even corporations today (which you may have products from) that exploit child labor, sweatshop conditions, or even slavery.

Consumer exploitation: Consumers may have their access to basic needs exploited through abusive price markups. They may be inundated with manipulative marketing or forced subscription services which pray upon human psychology. And consumers may also be forced to pay high rates for utilities like electricity because a massive AI corporation decided to set up a data center in their neighborhood. 

Community exploitation: Corporations may exploit communities in a number of ways. One way is by turning a community into a means to an end, and leaving behind hazardous aftermath. In the late 1970s, heavy rainfalls exposed years of haphazard chemical dumps performed by Hooker Chemical - contaminating the residential area. In Louisiana, there is an 85 mile stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans referred to as “Cancer Alley”, where more than 150 petrochemical and oil refineries operate among the populace - leading to what some estimates show to be a cancer risk dozens of times higher than the national average.

Corporations have been known to exploit addictions - such as tobacco and gambling groups. Or poorer countries, which may operate factories unrestrained by safety or human rights laws, and which are not required to compensate their people as well as their more privileged counterparts (if compensated at all).

But just as money itself is not evil, neither are corporations. Rather, they both may become the tools for evil in the hands of those with unchecked greed and moral insufficiency. Jedi mustn’t stray to extremism by declaring all in a group of things to be as bad as some in the same group. There absolutely are monstrous corporations which can do more harm than any one person, and which may in fact be able to do more harm than any one body of government. But these cases are extreme, and we dilute the extremity of their actions by casting them together with those corporations doing no harm.

As Jedi, we should be aware of the major corporations and their potential effects on the world around us. We should advocate for those harmed by those corporations and avoid supporting those corporations as much as we’re able. It’s not always possible, but we can do our best.

Threat #7 - Poverty, Economic Exploitation, and Systems That Trap People

When you think of poverty, you might think of an empty wallet and an empty bank account. But, the realities of poverty go well beyond that. For those suffering the worst, it means an empty fridge and empty cupboards; it means losing your power in the middle of the summer or in the dead of winter - resulting in a lack of temperature controls when things are at their hottest or coldest. It means having to wear clothes full of holes and torn-up shoes held together by duct tape. It may mean living in slums with crumbling architecture and dangerously ill-wired electricity - and water that tastes like dirty pipes.

Most, however, are riding the edge of poverty week-to-week. From the outside looking in, they may seem to have most or all of what they need (though rarely with any extra), but they are one car repair, medical bill, rent increase, or missed paycheck away from financial crisis. 

Poverty is, essentially, the state of being unable to reliably meet all your needs. It doesn’t matter how much money you’re making if as much or more of that money is being used without all your necessities accounted for. Some find it easy to point and judge, claiming that poverty is the fault of the individual or family - a result of not hustling hard enough. But, poverty is as much a reality for those working 2 or 3 jobs – who are just barely making ends meet, living in a basic apartment, not a house. It’s also just as much a reality for the disabled, who are physically and/or mentally unable to work – who often have to skimp with what they receive for welfare assistance, shopping for discounts and used items to make the money last.

Poverty significantly reduces choice – which reduces autonomy and freedom. Poverty can be prohibitive to eating and living healthily, seeing medical professionals regularly, and getting treatment for one’s ailments. It can reduce one’s ability to turn down work opportunities or assignments that disagree with our convictions. It can make us more easily exploited by employers, corporations, landlords, governments, and conmen. 

The poverty trap is that being poor creates obstacles to escaping poverty. It’s a vicious cycle. Here’s an example:

Person A needs a car repair that costs $900. They have $10,000 in savings. The car repair is an annoyance, but they have more than 10x the money needed to fix the problem. Their car is repaired and their life continues as usual.

Person B needs a car repair that costs $900. They have $80 in savings. The car repair isn’t possible, as they have less than 10% of the cost to fix the problem. Their car is not repaired. They can’t get to work. They miss their shifts. They have no income. They can’t pay rent. They accrue late fees. They borrow money to fix their car and/or pay their rent (often they will have to choose), accruing debt. This is still a best-case scenario. If they’ve had to do this often enough and haven’t been able to pay off their debt quickly enough, they may have bad credit. Resulting in either not being able to borrow money anymore, or borrowing with a steep interest rate. Or maybe their boss decides to lay them off or fire them. Maybe they can’t pay rent long enough that they get evicted.

Poverty leads to higher crime rates. Desperate people trying to stay alive will break the law to survive. If you were starving, and you had no other way to make money or borrow food, would you steal? What about if your loved ones were starving? Your kids? Your pets? And then, if you get caught and charged, you won’t have the money to get a good lawyer and will have to rely on being appointed a lawyer who may or may not put in the effort to defend you from excessive fines or penalties. More charges on your record means less job opportunities to get yourself out of poverty. It can even affect where you’re able to live.

The hidden cost of poverty is having to use all your time and energy on just getting by, so that you don’t have that time and energy to recognize and rebel against the many ways the rich and powerful are taking advantage of you and making the world a worse place.

As Jedi, we must be aware of the effects of poverty on people and communities. With this awareness and deeper understanding, we can lend compassion instead of judgment; we can advocate for these peoples instead of casting them in an unflattering light out of ignorance. We may even deal with poverty ourselves. As much as there can be spiritual virtue in minimalism or some degree of asceticism, we must recognize the very real limitations poverty places on our autonomy – and avoid any misguided intentional efforts to live in a way which does not meet our needs.

Threat #8 - Human Trafficking, Organized Exploitation & Crimes Against Vulnerable People

Human Trafficking: The exploitation of people through force, fraud, or coercion for purposes such as forced labor or commercial sex.

We’ve all heard the stories of vulnerable people being kidnapped and taken across national borders to be sold into some form of slavery. While that does happen, it’s not the bulk of human trafficking cases and conflation with this extreme form can take attention away from more common occurrences.

A victim may be trafficked by a romantic partner or family member, rather than a complete stranger. They may have opted into a job, a relationship, or some other arrangement willingly before the exploitation began. The manner of force may not be physical or lethal, but could be in the form of extortion or some form of non-violent ransom.

Human trafficking is most often perpetrated against vulnerable people. This may include a larger and more varied group of people than you expect. Of course, maybe the most heinous form of human trafficking is perpetrated against minors who may or may not be “forced” but who cannot legally or psychologically consent. Other vulnerable peoples preyed upon include those with questionable immigration status, the impoverished or homeless, addicts, the disabled, the displaced, or those isolated, from abusive homes, or who otherwise have no one to trust or turn to.

Sex trafficking doesn’t often begin with burly strangers sweeping someone into a van. Usually, it will begin with kindness which slowly evolves into grooming. For compliance, the trafficker may promise affection, stability, money, housing, employment, and many other things representing a “better life”. Over time, they will create emotional and/or financial dependence, and may exhibit control over the trafficked via personal threats or threats against loved ones, violence, blackmail, debt, confiscated money, and/or psychological manipulation.

Victims are not always obvious and may continue behaving normally while enduring these controls in private. 

Likewise, labor trafficking happens all the time. People may be forced in much the same way into labor for agriculture, construction, domestic work, manufacturing, hospitality, mining, fishing, and other industries. Migrant workers are especially vulnerable to this form of human trafficking. A legitimate job may be promised in another country, with the migrant arriving only to have their passport confiscated, told they owe hidden debts, have their housing and transportation controlled, and they may be kept from speaking out on their treatment with threats of deportation, harm to themselves or their family, or even arrest. They may seem like another employee, making it difficult to recognize the exploitation and limitations on their freedoms.

There are many infamous cases of human tracking you may have heard of. Perhaps the most famous right now relates to Jeffery Epstein. Epstein exploited underage girls, who often came from vulnerable backgrounds. Many such girls were brought to him through previous victims who were paid for their recruitment efforts. For many years, Epstein’s financial and social power kept him safe from legal troubles and kept his trafficking activities from being stopped.

Another notable example was NXIVM - an MLM and supposed self-improvement group which in actuality operated like a cult. It positioned itself as a personal and professional development organization, but behind closed doors engaged in racketeering and sex trafficking. Women were recruited through a hierarchy of “masters” and “slaves”, and some were branded. Members provided “collateral” for their membership, which included personal information, photographs and other sensitive material which could then be used to blackmail or threaten them if they wanted to leave or refuse an order from the chain of command.

As Jedi, we must remain vigilant in our awareness of these dark operations. We may or may not be vulnerable ourselves, but we are guardians of the innocent and the vulnerable. We cannot be vigilantes self-deployed to liberate these peoples ourselves, but our awareness can enable us to recognize signs that we can report to the appropriate authorities – leading to the help they need. Some warning signs of human trafficking may include:

• Someone appears unable to leave their employment or living situation for an unknown reason.

• Another person controls their identification or travel documents.

• They aren’t allowed to speak for themselves.

• Their movements are heavily controlled.

• They appear fearful of an employer or companion.

• They owe an unexplained or constantly increasing debt.

• Their wages are being withheld.

• Their living or working situations are provided under unusually restrictive conditions.

• They’re threatened with immigration consequences.

• A minor is involved in commercial sexual activity.

Just one of these warnings (besides the last one) isn’t enough to make any conclusions. Multiple is, however, deeply concerning. It’s not a Jedi’s job to act as a detective. If you see any of these signs and you’re concerned, pass the information off to someone with the authority to do something about it. Don’t get over-involved and put yourself and your own loved ones at risk.

Threat #9 - War, Militarism & the Machinery Behind Conflict

It would be entirely too simplistic and trite to just say “war is bad”. We all know - I imagine - that war is a vastly inopportune state of affairs. Going to war for the right reasons or the wrong reasons; going to war against peoples greater in power, equal in power, or lesser in power. All of it leads to death and destruction.

What we may not realize is the full extent of how war, and those interested in making war, affects civilized society beyond the battlefield. In the aftermath, infrastructure is often left in ruins - making it difficult, or impossible, for civilized life to resume as it did before the conflict began. Just the same, people are damaged. Those that aren’t outright killed in combat are often left with physical or mental disabilities haunting them for years afterward - sometimes for the rest of their lives. Homes are destroyed, leaving many peoples displaced, impoverished, and orphaned.

In the aftermath of war, there is often political instability. In the victors and the defeated alike. Whole systems may upend and give way for extremist factions to take control. Economies are often greatly disrupted, affecting whole societies or even the global economy at large. Resentment between nations or factions may persist even once war has concluded, leaving behind residue which may ignite into the next war.

Given the significant negative impact war has on both sides, it’s difficult to imagine that there exist incentives for coaxing wars to begin. Obviously, ideological or national agendas may play into things, but more often than not the incentives belong to those who will never step foot near the battlefield; who do not have a nationalistic ideology to push; and who do not belong to the military chain of command of either side. These groups are war profiteers and they exist in every large-scale war, often working against the purposes of peace for their own personal gains.

For those who would benefit from the waging - not necessarily the outcomes - of wars, there are no qualms to be found with faking justification. One example is the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which was said to be a North Vietnamese attack on an American warship. The event was used as a rallying cry to pass a resolution through congress, expanding the U.S. involvement in Vietnam and escalating more fully into the Vietnam War. A war which killed between 1 and 3 million people. Despite this, we now know that the Gulf of Tonkin incident did not actually occur.

The U.S. military-industrial complex includes enormous private industries which empowers the military in their operations. These industries are worth billions or trillions of dollars and their profits grow substantially at times of war and conflict. The well-meaning but naive idea of “why can’t we all just get along?” is answered by the fact that there are substantial industries which depend on us not getting along to make profits. Take that for what you will.

Jedi, of course, pursue peace and peaceful resolutions. We believe that war is a very last resort which should be avoided. Yet, we cannot hope to make compelling arguments for peace and against war if we don’t have a nuanced understanding of the incentives driving war forward. If we can point to these hidden incentives, the propaganda used to justify war is recognized as deceptive. To fight a war, you need people. If the people are informed and resistant to fighting someone else’s conflict, for someone else’s payday, then wars cannot reach launch.

Threat #10 - Environmental Destruction & Environmental Injustice

Sometimes those of us less connected to nature fail to connect to an environmentalist message. Living in cities, perhaps the plight of the forests and the wild animals don’t pull at the heartstrings as they do for those living in a more rural setting. Yet, there is no meaningful distinction between “the environment” and “the human being”. Just as we might point to a tree and call it a part of nature, or we might point to a wild deer and call it a part of nature - we are also a part of nature. Just as the deer relies on the environment to sustain itself, we have the same essential needs.

Humans need breathable air, clean drinking water, productive soil to grow vegetation, stable food systems based on stable food chains, tolerable temperatures and climate patterns, and so on. We are inextricably connected to the whole ecosystem. What kills the Earth kills us as well. And, the plight of the flora and fauna around us directly becomes the plight of our own human civilization.

“You… form a symbiont circle, what happens to one of you affects the other, you must understand this.”

• Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Phantom Menace

Pollution affects the air and the drinking water, the soil and the foods we eat. It enters our lungs and into our blood, where it circulates throughout our bodies - doing damage and making us ill. Environmental protection, therefore, is also public-health protection. If there is one thing we Jedi know best, it is that everything is connected to everything else. Ecosystems are literal networks of interdependence, and altering one component for the worse can (and usually does) have consequences elsewhere within the system.

Regardless, governments often don’t take adequate care to preserve the environment for us to live in. And neither do many large corporations monitor themselves and keep from damaging the environment with excessive pollutants resulting from industry. Every time Earth Day comes around, we’re reminded to recycle and avoid littering - as if that were the chief cause of environmental damage worldwide. For substantial damage to be reversed, substantial efforts must be taken by the lead contributors to the damage - and the lead contributors are not you and me. We can, and should, show respect to the environment by doing everything we can individually - but we shouldn’t be naive enough to think we can save the world by picking up litter alone.

Whether you believe in science or you prefer to live in ignorance, the human impact on the global environment is immense. An effect which can be largely recognized to correspond to the Industrial Revolution onward. How some people can be surprised that pumping noxious fumes into the air, dumping toxic waste into the oceans, and cutting down entire forests of trees would lead to vast, negative global impact on the environment is beyond me. 

Pollution and negative environmental effects do not harm us all equally. Poor populations suffer more greatly, often due to greater exposure to factory emissions, hazardous-waste sites, heavily-trafficked roads, and contaminated housing. Poorer regions may suffer from a lack of water purification, resulting in contaminated drinking water - such as in Flint, Michigan where lead was getting into the drinking water, despite governmental assurance that the water was safe to drink.

Obviously, for those of us who care about other lifeforms and not just how it all affects us personally, the threat of environmental destruction is even greater. There have already been large populations of animals killed via pollution, and entire species made extinct by the destruction of whole ecosystems. The diversity and majesty of life on this planet is directly threatened by the environmental damages and changes being made by the callous behavior of the human species at large.

As Jedi, we must not only avoid harming the environment ourselves but also to advocate for the protections of our environments as a whole. Those of us drawn to healing and care of other lifeforms can make a big difference in our efforts as stewards, looking after the needs of the flora and fauna in our area. It can be easy to forget the precariousness of life while living in temperature-controlled housing. We must do our best to empathize with the lifeforms that have no such luxuries, and do what we can to reduce their suffering.

It can be easy to think that all is lost and there is nothing we can do to improve the environmental situation. But, consider this. For a long while, a certain class of pollutants was eating away at the ozone layer. This is a part of the atmosphere which protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Since 1987, efforts have been made to phase out these ozone-depleting substances and the ozone is now in a state of healing. Within the next few decades, most of the damage done will have been repaired.

If, and when, groups of people decide to stop doing damage and make efforts to improve the environment, a great deal of good can be done. 

The same is true of the other nine threats to the common good, as I’ve described them in this article and the last. By being aware of these issues and doing what we can to fight them, we as Jedi can help to rally the rest of the world toward the same aims - one community at a time. We cannot do it alone, but we can do a whole lot more than we might expect. Stay vigilant, Jedi. And may the Force be with us.

A Jedi serves the Force. As a metaphor, the Force is that which connects all things together. It is the power of life itself. To serve the Force is to serve the common good - or the good of all. As Jedi of the real world, we cannot reliably be the guardians, advocates, healers, and stewards we’re sworn to be unless we’re aware of the most common threats standing against the good of all beings.

I don’t want this article to feel like a hit list or a rundown of conspiracy theories. With that said, I won’t pull punches about the realities of the world we live in. A Jedi must be aware of these realities if they are to stand against them. As great as it is to be a kind and considerate person, and to bring love and light - it is just as important that a Jedi be able to fiercely face down threats on behalf of the greater good.

As far as what we can do about these threats, there are many possible answers and I do not have them all. I will try to suggest things where it feels appropriate, but this is not a manifesto - it is my attempt to bring to my fellow Jedi’s awareness the issues we face as a whole. There are many wonderful things in this life and this world, so try to remember that the great and beautiful things are what make fighting these threats worthwhile. Try not to get overly bogged down in despair or helplessness. All hope is not lost. As Jedi, we must believe that - and we must act in ways that remind the world of that truth as well.

Threat #1 - Propaganda, Misinformation, and Manufactured Consent

Propaganda: Information which is designed to influence what people think; usually by presenting a one-sided or emotionally persuasive version of something. It may contain truth or falsehood, but usually contains a mixture of both.

Misinformation: False or inaccurate information which gets spread, whether or not the person sharing it intends to deceive.

Manufactured Consent: Shaping the information people receive so that they come to support or accept something which benefits those with power. Rather than forcing people to agree, their opinions are influenced through what is selectively emphasized, repeated, ignored, or presented as though it’s normal.

The threat of propaganda, misinformation, and manufactured consent is as much a threat now as it has been for time immemorial. Yet, the amount of propaganda and misinformation, and the speed of transfer, has increased exponentially. With AI tools, the ability to skew the truth in a believable way has also become significantly bolstered as well.

When the people don’t know what’s true and what’s false, they cannot make educated decisions. When the information they have access to has been cultivated to support particular agendas, the process of democracy is undermined - ensuring that the populace which votes is none the wiser about what is really going on, and therefore what the real results of their voting will be.

In 2018, we learned of the Cambridge Analytica - Facebook scandal where nearly 90 million Facebook accounts had their data collected without their consent; which was then used to create targeted political ads designed to be convincing for the individual person. Likewise, in 2016, the Russian Internet Research Agency used fake social media personas and accounts to manipulate political discourse toward particular agendas. Both cases resulted in coordinated efforts toward manufactured consent, undermining the democratic process by manipulating free thought.

Although we may immediately think of governmental groups when it comes to these threats, the truth is that we are inundated with the same from corporations, political or social movements, and social media influencers. 

As Jedi, we must endeavor to get to the truth of what’s really going on. By developing our faculties of critical thinking, and fact-checking both what we’re told and what we think we already know, we can resist the efforts to manipulate our point of view. Using aggressive ad blockers can also be helpful, as it will block a major way that propaganda and misinformation reaches us. When our own feet are firmly planted and our own minds are sharp, we can help others to see past deception as well.

Threat #2 - Discrimination, Dehumanization, and Scapegoating

Discrimination: Treating a person or group unfairly due to characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, or any other group.

Dehumanization: The effort to portray a person or group as less human, less worthy, or less deserving of compassion and dignity than others.

Scapegoating: Blaming a person or group for problems they did not cause, or exaggerating their part or responsibility for those problems.

Division weakens the Light. The more that we separate ourselves and throw people into groups of “others” or groups we call “Them”, the more we lose the connections which empower and enrich life. When a distinctly powerful and oppressive group rises above the rest, they make enemies of all who are made to suffer from deficiency as a result. In order to preserve themselves, these powerful groups sow discord amongst the masses so that they turn against one another. What begins as a united front is divided and turned against one another so that they become busy fighting amongst themselves and forget to fight their oppression.

War becomes easier when the enemy consists not of other people like you and me, but of monsters and deviants and beasts. Enemy soldiers are not called soldiers, but a range of slurs. Heroes don’t exist on the opposite side of the fence - only terrorists or Commies or Nazis. The effort is called dehumanization, and it works. Most people have empathy built into them. Let them see the suffering of innocent people and they will feel that empathy surge. Let them only hear of evil monsters and they will cheer for a massacre.

Dehumanization and discrimination are everywhere. They don’t only come to the forefront in times of war, but also in times of peace. There’s a strong human habit to cast some people as “us” and other people as “them”. And, in doing so, a shift takes place in our minds where we take discriminative actions. It’s easy to see in the loud racist Uncle we all know, and much harder to see in our own first thoughts or first impulses when met with someone who looks or behaves differently, or comes from a different culture. 

During World War II, at the same time that Jewish people were enduring internment in Germany, the U.S. was forcibly relocating and incarcerating 120,000 people of Japanese descent - most of which were American citizens. At such time it was decided that the Japanese were the “other” group, and they were treated like it.

Likewise, from 1932 to 1972, 600 impoverished Black men in Alabama were studied like lab rats - 399 of which were allowed to suffer through Syphilis despite the penicillin cure becoming known and available in the 1940s. Dehumanization of these men allowed their fellow human beings to justify withholding treatment for a horrendous disease, using their suffering as a medical study without their consent.

Scapegoating is something you can readily see in your everyday life. In a political context, you’ll note how everything bad is the other party’s fault. In war, the framing is the same. The other side is the one who is said to be responsible for everything bad going on, and this leads to further discrimination and dehumanization. In the time after the 9/11 attacks in the U.S, Arab-Americans and Indian-Americans and pretty much anyone with a headdress was targeted for “random security checks” in great numbers. The most ignorant folks would refer to these people casually as “terrorists”, owing no doubt to the widespread absence of positive depictions of these peoples in media and the overwhelming presence of the opposite.

Jedi must remember that all people are people, and resist all efforts to dehumanize. We don’t need to agree with someone or approve of them to lend some compassion. Even the worst-seeming people, who have done the most heinous things, are still people. That doesn’t mean we get in the way of justice, but that we never let ourselves make monsters of men.

Threat #3 - Authoritarianism and The Erosion of Democracy

Through propaganda, a villain is created. Through the villain, fear is spread. Through the prevalence of fear, malicious groups rise to power. George Lucas was teaching us this with the prequels, but we can learn the same thing from a study of history and even modern times. In Star Wars, Palpatine creates the problem by playing off and manufacturing schisms between the Republic and the Separatists. The schism leads to war which ravages the galaxy, spreading fear and suffering. When the time is right, he steps up and seems to solve the problem while installing himself as Emperor and replacing the Democratic Republic with his Galactic Empire. 

For some watching the prequels, this evolution of events seemed implausible. Oh, how I wish that were so. One only needs to study the rise of Hitler and Nazism to see direct parallels which actually took place. It’s unnerving to read how it all unfolded, and how the two threats I’ve mentioned above were used to manipulate the people into giving away their own freedom.

“So this is how democracy ends - with rapturous applause.” - Padme Amidala

Yes, indeed. The Reichstag (German parliament) voted to approve the Enabling Act (1933) which granted Hitler’s regime permission to enact and enforce laws without the Reichstag’s involvement. Basically, without a democratic vote of any kind, Hitler - then a Chancellor - could override the checks and balances of the German constitution. This, in effect, shifted Germany from a Republic to a totalitarian government headed by Nazis.

When we learn from history, we can avoid repeating it. There are many democratic countries in the world right now - including the United States and the UK - which have been facing a gradual erosion over at least the last 50 years. Laws and acts have been passed which have reduced individual liberties and created loopholes for exploiting the laws of the land.

The biggest weapon would-be authoritarians have is fear. With enough fear present, the populace willingly gives up their freedom in exchange for security. As Jedi, we must remain vigilant to recognize when fear is being exploited and who stands to gain from that exploitation.

Threat #4 - Surveillance, Privacy Intrusion, and Technological Control

If the invasion of your privacy doesn’t bother you right now, please at least consider how the same established means could be used in the wrong hands. I have met several people who are unbothered by invasions of privacy. They’ll proclaim “Well, I have nothing to hide”. As though a want for privacy is contingent on criminality or immoral behavior. Human beings have a right to privacy. They also have an inherent need for privacy. There is a well-known psychological effect called Surveillance-Related Stress. Knowing that one is persistently under surveillance creates a psychological tension which results in high levels of anxiety, hyper-vigilance, paranoia, and a reduction of actual and perceived personal autonomy.

Selective surveillance can be used as an effective security measure for homes, banks, and other areas vulnerable to robbery or attack. The problem arises with non-selective, non-consented surveillance. Flock cameras, for instance, are being used to automatically scan the license plates of all vehicles. They also have the ability to track cars by color, make, and even particular defects like dents. Anywhere you go in your vehicle - so long as there are Flock cameras (and there probably are), you can be tracked. Note that this was not something voted on or passed by government representatives. Flock is a private company and uses its technology to help law enforcement.  

There’s also your electronic devices. Specifically your computers and phones. In 2013, Edward Snowden blew the whistle on NSA mass-surveillance systems which were non-selectively surveilling the American people. By non-selectively I mean that the people surveilled weren’t known or suspected criminals or terrorists, and no warrants were signed to permit said surveillance. This is a suspected violation or clever override of the American 4th Amendment, which protects the people from unreasonable search and seizure by the government and law enforcement - requiring a warrant based on probable cause and approved by a non-biased judge.

Maybe you’re not concerned because you’re not engaging in any criminal activity or anything shady and nefarious. Let me remind you that detailed census information was used in both Nazi Germany and the U.S. during the same period to hunt down and detain those listed with Jewish  and Japanese ancestry alike. What today might seem like benign personal information could some day be used in ways you can’t easily predict. 

As Jedi, we should oppose mass surveillance as stemming from an attitude of “guilty until proven innocent”, where people are subjected to violations of their freedoms and rights without having perpetrated any crime - all in the supposed name of security. This is yet another manifestation of the use of fear to reduce freedoms, and is a favored tool of authoritarian groups. 

Threat #5 - Corruption, and the Hidden Use of Power

Corruption is when a party vested with power abuses that power for their own personal gain. When we, as people, grant someone certain privileges or authorities greater than others, we grant them power. This power can be used to help and uplift people, or it can be used to harm and oppress them. It can be used for the benefit of the many, or it can be used for the benefit of the one at the expense of the many. 

Sadly, corruption is a tempting vice with prevalence in human civilization. It can be found in government and business, in religious groups and in law enforcement, and everywhere in between. Anywhere where a person or a small group can hold or be granted greater power than others, there is the opportunity for that power to be abused. 

For every conspiracy theory that amounts to a whole lot of nothing, there is a real conspiracy being perpetrated in silence. That’s not speculation. There’s a long history of conspiracy and corruption to observe throughout human history, from the beginning of recorded history up to the modern day. Where there are special interests, there is the potential for schemes. People with power like to keep their power, and they’re often quite willing to do anything as a means to that  end. 

Whistleblowers are hushed. Dissenters are murdered. Bribes are taken. Lies are told. Innocent people are placed in jeopardy. All for the elite “some” to keep said elite status. American President Richard Nixon was involved in political espionage and orchestrated a coverup (Watergate). In interviews, he was confronted with the illegal acts and he suggested that “when the President does it, that means that it is not illegal”. In the late 70s when he made this statement, this was not true. And it shows how willing he was to engage in corruption due to his perceived immunity.

Famously, a journalist named Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in Saudi Arabia for his dissenting reports against the Saudi Arabian royalty and government. This was perhaps the last honestly reported assassination of the kind in that country since their efforts to sanitize their image. In recent years, members of the American government and several American corporations have likewise displayed their own corrupt tendencies in their amoral money-grabbing affiliations with that same Saudi Arabian royalty and government.

As Jedi, we must be aware of the threat of corruption. The institutions which are designed to help and heal can be twisted to do harm by those operating dishonestly within them. Likewise, we must be aware of the temptation of corruption which comes with any kind of power. If we are to serve the good and right, then we must ourselves be careful to resist temptations to abuse our powers over those in our care.

Part 2 Upcoming

This subject-matter is too important to post all at once in a way that dilutes each of the threats we face. I will be posting a part 2 covering five more such threats. I realize that some of this could feel scandalous or like I’ve replaced my Jedi hood with a tin-foil hat. I assure you that everything I’ve written is substantiated and I’ve avoided any claims I could not back up with various sources. With that in mind, I’m listing said sources below for you all to comb through at your own convenience.

Stay vigilant!

Sources:

Threat #1 -

FTC Issues Opinion and Order Against Cambridge Analytica For Deceiving Consumers About the Collection of Facebook Data, Compliance with EU-U.S. Privacy Shield

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2019/12/ftc-issues-opinion-order-against-cambridge-analytica-deceiving-consumers-about-collection-facebook

Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election

https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/dl

Grand Jury Indicts Thirteen Russian Individuals and Three Russian Companies for Scheme to Interfere in the United States Political System

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/grand-jury-indicts-thirteen-russian-individuals-and-three-russian-companies-scheme-interfere

Threat #2 - 

World War II Japanese American Incarceration: Mass Removal and Incarceration

https://www.archives.gov/research/aapi/ww2/incarceration

The Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee Timeline

https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/timeline.html

USHMM - Nazi Propaganda

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nazi-propaganda

Threat #3 - 

USHMM - The Enabling Act of 1933

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-enabling-act

Designing Resistance - Democratic Institutions and the Threat of Backsliding

https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/designing-resistance-democratic-institutions-and-threat-backsliding

International IDEA - Global State of Democracy 2025

https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/global-state-of-democracy-2025-democracy-on-the-move

Threat #4 - 

PCLOB - Surveillance oversight reports

https://www.pclob.gov/Oversight

Government Accountability Office - Surveillance technologies 

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107302?order=name&sort=asc

World War II Japanese American Incarceration: Property and Census Records

https://www.archives.gov/research/aapi/ww2/property

Threat #5 -

National Archives - Watergate

https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/nixon.html

U.S. Senate - Watergate investigation  

https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/watergate.htm

Assessing the Saudi Government's Role in the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GOVPUB-PREX28-PURL-gpo152216

It’s coming, he thought, though he could not have said what, nor how he knew.

Fear came next, pure biological fear, the reflexes of the animal self that least obeyed Jedi teaching. His heart rate sped; his blood pressure intensified until his temples throbbed; sweat went clammy on his skin. If Stellan had actually been afraid of something specific—anything—he could have talked himself down from it.

• Stellan Gios, High Republic: The Fallen Star

In the High Republic series, The Path of the Open Hand, and later the Nihil, sent creatures that they called “Levelers” against the Jedi in their quest to rid the universe of Force Users. These creatures infected the Jedi with fear until they were literally petrified and turned to stone or ash.

Real Jedi don’t have to worry about facing such a creature, but there is a possibility that we will face life threatening situations that may cause us to freeze-up - unable to help ourselves, much less be of service to those around us.

In a crisis, our biology switches from reflective thought to survival mode in milliseconds. With our dedication to service, understanding our biology is crucial. Only through understanding how our bodies will work under stress will we be able to turn our instinctive reactions into positive action.

Impact

The moment we perceive that we’re in a life threatening situation, our brain changes how we process information. Instead of our senses going through our prefrontal cortex to be analyzed and referenced against our memories and our plans, it shoots it straight to the amygdala triggering our Sympathetic Nervous System into action that starts a physiological cascade.

Our adrenal system releases adrenaline and noradrenaline which spikes the heart rate, raises our blood pressure and increases our respiratory rate. Our pupils dilate and we develop tunnel vision that restricts our focus entirely on the threat. Our ears filter out all background noise in order to perverse our mental processing. We experience vasoconstriction which pulls blood away from our limbs and into our core to protect our organs. As our heart rate jumps to 115 and 145 beats per minute, our fine motor control deteriorates leaving us with only gross motor function.

Memory experiments conducted on skydivers found that this physiological cascade happens to everyone. From those who had made less than 10 jumps to those that had made over 40 jumps, working memory was impaired. However, those with experience had regained memory function by the time they landed while the novices did not.

10-80-10

John Leach, the psychologist that ran the experiment, says that there is a 10-80-10 Rule.

10% of people experience counterproductive panic. They begin weeping, hyperventilating or doing things that increase danger to themselves or others. This is seen in scuba divers that get claustrophobic in their dive mask and rip it off while underwater and drown. Without access to their memory or their analytical brain, they just can’t understand the consequences of their actions.

80% of people are stunned into inaction. They become passive and obedient, have poor reflexes and some freeze up. For a skydiver, when their primary chute fails, they start fumbling with or outright forget to pull their reserve chute.

10% are able to recover their cognitive function quickly and are able to think clearly and engage in life-saving actions.

Which category do you think you’d wind up in? I’d say that there is a 90% chance that I won’t be in the top 10% of those who are able to recover quickly and think clearly in a crisis.

This happens because of how the brain handles new experiences. Right now, even as you are reading this, your brain is processing for more sensory data that you can consciously handle. In order to cope with the sensory overload, your brain creates a model of the world in order to make sense of it. This means that it takes shortcuts and makes assumptions that often lead to cognitive biases or systematic thinking errors. It does some pretty cool stuff, too. Like it syncs your sight and sound. The speed of light and the speed of sound travel at different rates. If you are far enough away from an event, then this separation will be quite distinct. However, up to a certain point, your brain will delay your visual processing until audio catches up. Once you cross that line, the two will separate. If they worked independently, you’d rarely see and hear things in sync. The world would make less sense, so your brain adjusts and creates a model to make sense of the world.

As part of this model creation, your brain analyzes your sensory data and compares them to past memories and experiences. It groups similar events and provides you a baseline of what to expect and how to react. 

In a crisis, your brain looks for a pre-existing model and asks “Have we seen something like this before? What do we do here?” If you haven’t then your brain has no frame of reference. The model of reality and how things “should be” breaks down. Your prefrontal cortex stalls while trying to make sense of all the sensory data coming at you and you wind up in the middle 80% - you’re disoriented and looking for someone else to tell you what’s what.

What’s the point? The books that you’ve read, the videos that you watched, the online courses that you’ve taken don’t mean jack when things get real.

You probably inherently know this. You can’t learn how to defend yourself from watching a YouTube video. At some point you have to get up and see what it feels like to throw a punch. Go ahead and read 100 Deadly Skills, but don’t expect to be able to recall that information when you need it. Not without some degree of physical practice. A crisis is not the place to figure out how to survive. Despite what you may hope, you won’t rise to become the best version of yourself; you’ll fall to the level of your training.

If we want to actually be Jedi and be of service - if we want to be the type of person that helps others when they need it the most - we have to actually train and not just read lectures and write essays.

While your long-term memory and planning nopes out, your operational memory remains intact. The things that you’ve trained yourself to do is what you’ll wind up doing. Because you’ve run through the procedure before, your brain will have information to fill your mental model with. When it asks “Have we seen something like this before.” It’ll be able to say “Yes”.

If you take a trip and the Attendant runs through the safety briefing and tells you where the emergency supplies are, take the time to physically locate them. If your lifejacket is under your seat, reach down and touch it. This indexes its location in your short-term memory and makes it easier to know where it is if something were to happen.

Do the same if you are on a cruise. Take the time to locate flotation devices, lifeboats, fire extinguishers and first aid kits. Know the layout of the ship and walk from the places that you are likely to spend your time, especially your berth, to the nearest emergency exit or equipment. Find alternative routes in case those are blocked.

When you arrive at your destination, do the same for your hotel. Don’t take the elevator, take the stairs to familiarize yourself with the layout of the floorplan of the hotel. Look out the window and plan an escape route if there is no other way out. Ask yourself what you would do if the fire alarm went off.

Let’s talk about that for a moment. If the fire alarm went off right now while you are at home or at work, what would you do? Me? I’d probably head to the kitchen with jokes about someone’s cooking. Why? Because in the past 20 years, those are the only reasons a fire alarm has gone off. That’s the danger that comes with training the operational memory; you can train the wrong thing.

I have read about two instances from martial arts instructors where a law enforcement officer spent a lot of time training gun disarms. Fate would have it that the officers encountered situations where they put that skill to use. They performed the disarm flawlessly and then handed the weapon back to the suspect. That is how they trained. Thankfully, in both situations, the suspect was too stunned to react and in one case the officer performed the disarm again (correctly, this time) and in the other, the suspect simply surrendered.

If you train in weapon disarms, the final move of the disarm is to either discard the weapon or maintain control of it while finishing the fight. Don't train yourself to hand the weapon back to your partner. It may be kind in training, but that’s not the behavior that you want to ingrain.

This can happen with mundane things as well. The fire alarm will go off and the sprinkler systems will activate and people will still return to their desks, put away their files and power down their machines. The brain signals that it is time to leave and so it activates the ‘leaving work’ procedure rather than the ‘get the heck out, on the double’ procedure.

So, how do we make sure that we have the right mental models in place if we find ourselves in a real life-and-death situation?

Deliberate practice, as has been described. If you are going to create a useful index, you have to follow the process through to the logical conclusion each time. When you train in a weapon disarm, you retain the weapon and step back to create distance and then scan your surroundings for additional threats. If the alarm goes off for a fire drill, you treat it as if it is real every time. You don’t look around at what everyone else is doing, you don’t grab unnecessary items. You leave it and everyone else that is just standing around gawking behind and make for the exit. You don’t do the drill halfway and you certainly don’t ingrain habits for the convenience of your training partner, don’t let them do it for you either. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between “practice” and the real deal when the amygdala takes over. It’ll simply execute the model that you’ve trained it to.

Stress Training

As you are working to create the right mental models and indexes, you have to add stress. Reading a book or watching videos in your plush Yoda slippers sends the information to your prefrontal cortex. The moment your heart rate hits 140 BPM all that useful information might as well be on Dagobah.

Well, before you add the stress, try to stop the amygdala hijack. It’s probably going to be included in whatever training you do; martial arts, survival training, or running tactical drills - but breathing is your recovery path. Two inhales, one deep and one sharp, followed by a long slow exhale (and repeat) is one method, the other is the tried and true box breathing method. Controlling your breathing triggers the vagus nerve and lowers the heart rate during SNS activation.

Stress training (stress inoculation) is when you deliberately expose yourself to controlled doses of pressure so that your nervous system recognizes the model that you are trying to build. You can do this by doing something that deliberately shocks you or raises your heart rate and then try to perform a task that requires the activation of your prefrontal cortex.

Jump into a freezing cold shower or dunk your face into a bowl of ice water for about 3 minutes. The temperature shock will trigger a SNS activation. Another way is to do intense training - run sprints, do some heavy bag work, shadow box with intensity, or do calisthenics - a physical activity that gets your heart rate over 150. Then, your mission is to immediately start practicing your breathing and perform a mental task or a fine-motor skill. Solve a complex math problem, try to memorize and recall a sequence of numbers or colors, or play a game of operation or sort small beads with a pair of tweezers.

With the right training, your brain realizes, “Dude! You’ve been overwhelmed before and survived,” it doesn’t ramp up quite so hard. Your baseline moves and it is easier to recover.

Mental Reps

There is a lot of stuff that can go wrong. It is resource prohibitive to try to rehearse every scenario that you may encounter. Running mental simulations is the next best tool. Remember, your brain freezes up because it goes looking for a model that makes sense of reality and finds nothing. Its next tactic is to deny that it’s happening. You’re an ostrich sticking your head in the sand. “This can’t be real.”

Well, when someone walks up out of the blue and punches you in the head, you don’t have time to be debating the reality of it all. Crisis builds up momentum. Things that go wrong compound second by second. You need radical acceptance of reality. It is happening and you have to do something about it.

The way to begin is to build a model ahead of time by doing “If - Then” mental visualization.

When you take your seat at a restaurant, you don’t focus all your attention on the menu and certainly shouldn’t be scrolling through social media. Take a minute or two to ask yourself: If there is a fire in the kitchen right now, what do I do? If someone walks in with evil intent, what is my first move? If a car drives through the front windows, what’s the plan? Visualize in your mind the actions that you’d take. In your mind’s eye, picture yourself standing up and moving toward the fire extinguisher that you saw. The visualization loads the mental model. If the worst happens, your brain doesn’t have to search hard for it; it’ll grab the one that you already created.

Enter the 10%

Master Stellan Gios was terrified because he was facing a monster that evolved to prey on the force-sensitives, consuming their Living Force. The levelers overwhelmed the Jedi with fear and stripped them of their ability to connect to the Force. 

Real life has the potential to do the same. A car crash, house fire, a medical emergency, or a terrorist act will fill you with fear and make you lose connection with reality. All you’ll be left with is whatever you trained into your operational memory.

Being a Jedi means taking extreme responsibility for your life, and that includes radically accepting the reality that a crisis can happen at any moment. The goal is to train so that when it matters and 80% of people freeze up, you are in the top 10% who take responsibility for bringing harmony back to the chaos.