Ways of the Sith
By Miles
July 2010    

There is always the talk about what those who choose to follow the "Dark Side" are all about. I thought I would take some time to express my opinion.

A Sith (for simplicity, the term I will use for us) is one who seeks to understand the self through the seeking out of what we hide from the self. With that knowledge and working in concert with all that he is, a Sith can manifest great influence upon his environment, and can bear the burden of responsibility for his impact. Through the application of his influence he completes the circuit of intent drawn from passion, forged by will, tempered by reason, to manifest right action. With this the Sith demonstrates his right to independence and demonstrates the strength required not only to propel himself actively into life, but also, if he should so choose, the strength to defend and care for others as well.

The dark that the Sith seeks out is no further than within his own being.  Jung referred to this as the shadow (early on in his career, the "shadow" changed meanings later on), those feelings and desires that we reject as wrong.  They get shoved into the darkness and over time begin to grow.  They begin to impact us through subtle ways if not acknowledged and accepted.  This doesn't require enacting every desire, but it does mean at least saying "yes, I have this desire."  When this is done, the Sith begins to see the world more clearly, and becomes less conflicted in his own intentions.  He walks away from a world of what he "should" do and to a world of what he "wants".  As this is done, empowerment begins to grow.

Knowing what one wants is actually fairly rare today.  Those who do are rarely conflicted and have no shortage of motivation and inspiration.  They seek it out tenaciously.  This is as it should be.  So the Sith must find what they want, including that which they found in the darkness.  This becomes the focus and drive for his intention.  With this knowledge he acts honestly with himself.  Without it he deceives himself.  No man can be honest with another before he is honest with himself.  Once he is honest with himself, he can choose whether or not to be honest with others.  Before then, he simply doesn't know.  By becoming honest with himself he becomes complete: all of his various pieces are unified into a single purpose. 

Once the purpose is understood, or decided, then there is the commitment, which is the very nature of the will.  It is the internal manifestation of the intent set in motion, the declaration of intent as a task or goal and that the needed resources (be them material, spiritual, emotional, energetic, whatever) will be committed.  It is a simple thing but essential. 

Once committed then we bring in reason, the intellect, our understanding and objective examination to ensure greatest success.  It is an internal second opinion.  If the will is to achieve something, then it will find ways to make the achievement work.  If the will is to not achieve something, it will find any way it can to thwart the effort.  This is the reason the Sith works with "Want" and not "Should". 

All of these pieces put together create the unstoppable force that is the power of the Sith.  Full commitment to task with the complete individual dedicated to it.  There are no dictates as to what the task is.  It comes from the self.  It builds from the heart.  It derives strategy from reason.  It succeeds.  From there, the burden of the Sith manifests.  That burden is the responsibility of the power used.  All that one impacts is partially theirs to own, to take responsibility for. The key to Sith morality is here: the Sith owns his responsibility, good or bad.  This is where the Sith of the fiction and their realist counterparts differ.  It is this that separates fact from fiction.  Without this, a Sith is but a spoiled child ranting in his tantrum. 

Once strong enough to bear their own responsibilities, and not before, the Sith can choose, as many do, to take responsibility for others.  Parents for children, Teachers for students, Bosses for employees, these are all shown in their highest form in the Sith who is strong enough to bear his own burden, and then shoulder the burden of others.  This is why we are dangerous.  It is those who shoulder responsibility who will lead, not the other way around.

These are the ways of a Sith. This is how the world is perceived, from the compete whole of the individual, to the exercising of the will, to the manifestation and price of realizing desires.  It can be a heavy burden, but we develop the strength to carry it.  There is even enough to carry for others that can not or will not shoulder their own loads.  Those who shoulder the burden mold the world as they will.  Pull your own weight, or we will pull it for you ... and decide where to pull it without you.

Humbly,
Miles