Everybody knows that there are negative consequences to using the dark side of the Force. (At least I HOPE we all know that) But...have you ever wondered if there are negative consequences to using the Light side too much as well? I know that relying too much on the Force could make you weak and lazy, but are there any other physical/mental consequences, too? I was just wondering.

On a more personal note, I think it makes ya fat and lazy and insipid... but then hey! I'm Sith! hehehe...

Strength rises up against insipid balance. Strength creates. Strength fights against the final degredation: entropy. Strength gives life.

And according to Lucas, this strength, this fighter against the "flow of normalcy," is the Dark Side.

Give me it's strength any day....

I agree with Rogue that overuse of the Force will gain you nothing but laziness. The Force is there to help you in times of need and for KNOWLEDGE .

As to there has to be the dark side...well that doesn't mean there has to be a Sith to have darkside. Say Han got all badass and started killing people...he would be part of the darkside. So...there is always those damn darkside people around for our heroes to kill...

Hope this made sense...I'm at home sick and need to do something desperatly...

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[monger=ff0000,ffff00]I got the rap industry clock clock on lock![/monger]

The Force is the Force. Period. It is the nature of the beast that uses it that determines if it is Light or Dark. The Force is merely Power, energy; it is how it is put to use that makes it "Light" or Dark."

So in this regard, I agree with Bob.

To go on further: I think that the Dark side is supposed to be inherently "weaker" than the Light side because it encompasses one's inner fear. Fear is of the Dark side, whether it is blatant and understood, or deeply hidden away within one's subconscious.

And fear weakens. Fear disillusions, fear masks reality, distorts it. Fear disrupts clear thinking. Fear can actually be said to be the Light Side's greatest ally!

I don't think there is a single Dark User who doesn't harbor a modicum of fear within him/herself. For it is this that motivates him/her to seek power, to gain assets, to attack. It is the fear of loss, of having nothing, of BEING nothing that does it.

So this is what I think Lucas means when he says the Dark Side, though easier, is weaker.

(Even though I still think the Light Side makes ya fat and lazy! )

Boy howdy, was this hard for the Chosen Daughter to admit to!

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Anakin
[monger=ff0000,ffffff]Holonet Jedi Master[/monger]
Forum Administrator

I don't necessarily have to adhere to my opinions of certain matters, hehehe...

*works on gaining total control over any leftover inner weaknesses, so as to enjoy being evil all that much more....*

As for overuse of the lightside making one fat and lazy, I think it is the overuse of the force in general. It could also be a side effect of overuse of the internet. Does that make the internet light or dark side?

Now onto my question, if you harness both the light and the dark side of the Force, what negative effects are there? You have anger, hate, fear, agression, all of the from the Dark Side. But you can soothe all of that with the Light to be rational, so you can accomplish your goal of destruction or whatever it may be. So, what negative side effects are there for that one?

Society's norms. The mores of the majority we live with.

With this in mind, is the taking of a life in defense of one's family then truly evil? What about the charity in a coup de grace? Putting our beloved pets to sleep out of mercy?

Again, the intention determines the origin. I think these matters spring from what Lucas would call the Light Side, as they are motivated by "good," even though they represent a rather extreme action on the part of that "good."

As for rationality: this is not a trait monopolized by the Light Side. Some of the most successful evil-doers throughout history have possessed a cool rationality regarding their beliefs and actions; we would call this "deviousness."

I would think that to truly "harness" both the Light and the Dark (using Lucas' definitions of these terms)would result in a balance that would just negate: positive meeting negative results in steady state, or nullification. There would be NO "use of the Force," as the Dark would hold back the Light and vice versa.

(And on this note, with my character, the "all" of the Force she holds is more along the lines of what exists in nature already: the four known forces of nature, and Time. That's the angle I am coming from, rather than her harboring both "good" and "evil" within her. She's just baa-aa-ad.)

What I meant was, someone who loves their family and would die for them, but has, and could kill someone just for looking at them wrong.

And I have to disagree with you on the, negate "no use of the Force" thing, cause think about it, Lucas himself created Uber Jedi. Those who walk the thin line between Light and Dark, Love and Hate, Agression and Peace, etc. etc. And that is what brought up my question, they have yet to kill off the Uber Jedi, and so what negative effects are there? Wouldn't you just become a complete "God" and I use that term referring to the Titans and greek mythology. Unbeatable as you could fight a Sith, and use the Light to counteract and the Dark to kill. And vice versa for a Jedi. So by the Star Wars, not society and "real world" meanings, what negative effects are there?

Quite possibly an Uber Jedi might go kinda insane; you know, split personality and so on. One instant Light; the next, Dark. I would think that would drive anyone nuts.

Think about it: to be operating constantly from a self-centered, fearful and hating mode, then switching to a truly loving and calm one, all negative emotions gone (possibly deeply repressed)~ this see-sawing would eventually result in an emotional breakdown. At least that's my humble opinion.

And since you state that Lucas himself hasn't figured out how to kill them off yet... well, then there is no way yet. But in my humble opinion (speculative, of course) they would eventually just self-destruct.

In being seen as "omnipotent," as you say, it would also seem that the only thing that could kill (defeat, eliminate, get rid of, whatever) a god would be another god. And what's the old saying? ~

"Those whom gods destroy they first make mad..."

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I suppose determining whether overuse of the internet as being "good" or "evil" again depends on how one is using it. Is it being used as a tool, to gain knowledge to be then put forth to assist others? (Or in the line of work, which supports family.) Or, is one using it just to benefit oneself, removing oneself from friends, family ("reality," so to speak) and so on. Does the "overuse" impinge upon others or not? (And define the term, "overuse," please!)

Self-gratification... or seeking answers to questions... and then not doing anything much with those answers. Here I suppose you could call "overuse of the internet 'evil.'" (And at this, before anyone jumps on me, let me say this: I believe that Knowledge gained for Knowledge's sake is neutral at best. Knowledge is meant to be shared, to help others improve themselves and such.)

Which brings me full circle again to the entire "good/evil" thing: I think a good definition of the term "good" would be actions or statements, etc. that benefit others. "Evil" would then be actions or statements that benefit self. I think this because Man is a social creature; removing one'self from the social herd is not good for the herd as an entirety, and frowned upon. (Please, keep in mind the terms "good" and "evil" are not black and white, either. There is an entire huge range of "grayish" subtleties here.)

This relates nicely to Lucas Dark Side/Light Side schism. Look how Darksiders use the Force vs. Lightsiders. Self-aggrandizement vs. utilization of Knowledge to assist the Galaxy.

Which again brings me to the Uber Jedi thing. They'd have to go nuts, for they would be experiencing way too much inner emotional contradiction. One minute a "me, me, me" mentality; the complete reverse the next.

Maybe you're on to something. Maybe "good" is allowing the status quo to continue on it's own? As long as that status quo is a situation promoting growth of it's parts, and thus growth of itself. Ie: nature runs things well, each being in it operating in its own way toward the continuation of the whole, no event occurring that does not in some way impact parts, if not eventually all, of that smoothly running cycle. Read here "balance."

Some little insignificant bit within that great Circle, if viewing something as being detrimental to that operation, and "blazing in" as you say, on its own to adjust the balance, may in the long run only be feeding into a downward spiral. Hence Light Jedi don't do so.

Real life example: over the years Man rushes in against the perceived evil of many a forest fire. Consistently battles to extinguish these, patting himself on the back for his efforts to "protect the natural beauty" of our land. Does a great job quelling myriad smaller fires over the years.

The result of this? The uncontrollable burning of hundreds of millions of forests in the United States this year. Man thought he was "bringing balance;" he indeed was NOT. He was not "called" to do so (being called could be loosely interpreted as truly understanding the Big Picture, I suppose, and seeing where he might indeed be needed to step in). He responded to his own belief in what was "evil" in this lengthy scenario: justifying himself, patting himself on the back, upholding his own opinions about what was "right" and what was "wrong" about the initial, smaller fires.

Basically butted his snoot where it wasn't wanted, where it didn't belong (as far as Nature was concerned), and in the name of a thinly disguised self-glory ("I'll stop these fires, by golly!") he screwed with the system but royally.

Same thing with Hitler. True evil, yes. His beliefs thinly disguised by a patina of "for the good of the whole" mentality. It was NOT the whole he meant to uphold, merely HIS OWN perceptions of what portions were worthy. Thus, again, his actions resulted from self-aggrandizement once again.

So perhaps I should amend my "good/evil" definition to where "good" can be viewed as actions or statements benefitting others when requested by "others." Otherwise, by stepping in on one's own, one would in effect be shellacking one's own belief system ("geez, things are really bad here; gotta 'help!'") where it probably wasn't needed.

And as for "Uber Jedi?" Actually, these are new to me, but then, I freely admit I haven't read all the SW books!

Still wanna play with me?

Hehehe...

Somebody close this thread, quick!

I always looked at the Force using the Oriental concept of Yin and Yang, a necessary balance that exists in the universe. Without evil, we wouldn't know what good was. So in a strange way, we wouldn't have the Light Side if we didn't have the Dark Side. Funny, huh?