"Trust your feelings."

[MonMartha]

This is a reply to Terrence Mattingly's article (linked to the news page) and an attempt to clarify something that GL deliberately leaves vague. *"Feelings" in SW can mean either emotions or instincts, depending on context.

What Palpatine wants is for Anakin to be swayed by his emotions, i.e., his desire for power and for "control". *This path will isolate him from friends and loved ones -- try being married to Gordon Gecko! -- and make him vulnerable. *Watching the scene in EP II in which Palpy compliments Anakin is like watching a spider prepare a sticky web for an enticing victim.

Obi-Wan remarks on Anakin's agitated state in the elevator, remonstrates with Anakin when he "oversteps" the limited mandate, and reminds Anakin that intimate relationships are forbidden. *This leaves something unspoken. *A Jedi must remain alert and "clear-headed" at all times: his instincts are bolstered by the Force, the Light Side of which has a hard time getting through anger / rage and jealous / obesseive emoitions -- or getting our attention when our minds are "elsewhere." style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif *Anakin could renounce his membership in the Order: twelve former pupils did. *However, Anakin is a special student: he could shift the balance in favor of the Sith. *As he says, Obi-Wan has been like a father to him, a disciplinarian. *Whereas Palpy is mild, patient and good for the ego.

TO give Mr. Mattingly credit, what SW is communicating is important, because it is very influential. Anakin and Luke demonstrate two different ethical codes of behavior based on two very different sets of moral values. *"Star Wars'" mythology works on an individual level, yet, it reminds us of our responsibilities to the larger "galaxy," be it family, community, or temple-church-mosque-ashram-etc.. How should we live? is an important question, no matter where you come from, what you look like, and what religious creed you follow.

Feelings and instincts are a part of healthy human life. They must be acknowledged, but not always followed.

MM

[Polunis]

You must remember that Obi-Wan exhorted Luke to trust his feelings when he was blocking the bolts from the remote; I think that the Jedi and Sith refer to different feelings as I gathered from your post. Emotions are emphasized with the Sith and they are minimized with the Jedi. "Use your aggressive feelings, boy! Let the hate flow through you." v. "Bury your feelings deep down, Luke; they do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor."

Feelings in and of themselves are not bad, but if one indulges them, then one becomes a slave of emotion. I think that was what caused Anakin to fall, his out-of-control emotions.

Overall, I find your assessment to be accurate.

[Rogue_0009]

yeah "feelings" does seem to vague a word

[JediBendu]

There's also Qui-Gon saying to Anakin in Phantom 'Feel, don't think, use your instincts'

perhaps it's a question of acting upon those feelings - only with a clear head will you beable to accurately decide on the action. ???

[Saranac]

Overall that was a fairly good assessment except for a few errors.

[Tovor]

bump

[Tovor]

bump

[James]

Tov's been gravedigging. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[James]

Originally posted by Polunis@Jul 1 2002, 09:20 AM
You must remember that Obi-Wan exhorted Luke to trust his feelings when he was blocking the bolts from the remote; I think that the Jedi and Sith refer to different feelings as I gathered from your post. *Emotions are emphasized with the Sith and they are minimized with the Jedi. *"Use your aggressive feelings, boy! *Let the hate flow through you." v. "Bury your feelings deep down, Luke; they do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor."

Feelings in and of themselves are not bad, but if one indulges them, then one becomes a slave of emotion. *I think that was what caused Anakin to fall, his out-of-control emotions.

Overall, I find your assessment to be accurate.
Very true.

[kngalaric]

Why use feelings when you have midichlorians? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif

[bluemilk]

I don't believe that "feeling" just references emotions -- but both emotion and feeling in a sort of physical sense. So by letting go of your emotions and thoughts to "feel" the will of the force by letting your mind and body act in symbiance with the midichlorians. I figure that's what they mean by letting the force flow through you.

[Sluggo]

Good point, bleumilk. Perhaps closer attention needs to be paid to 'feelings' as a verb, and not as a noun. By trusting in his 'feelings' as a verb, that is, the act of feeling the force commune with him (whatever that means) he is able to act as a conduit with the will of the force. Trust your feelings could be viewed as an expression to utilize a little faith.

[Trilogist]

I agree.