It’s amazing that the idea of balance is lost on so many people when the literal meaning of the word, at least one of them, is “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” That sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? But then one brings morality, ethics, and personal feelings into the mix, and things get all fouled up. Then there are those that think that perfect balance comes when everything toxic is expunged from one’s thinking, while others believe that real balance is having the capacity for good and the capacity for evil. In truth, the latter explanation is as close as one can come to adequately describing balance, but a lot of people don’t want to think about the negative thoughts that come from thinking like a Sith, and want to think only like a Jedi when it comes to Star Wars. This is why the power of positivity isn’t quite all it’s cracked up to be, especially when it’s applied to the Star Wars franchise since too many people swing wide of the mark when it comes to describing what real balance is.
The ability to compromise, to see the benefits of both sides as well as the downfalls, is that tricky spot where the real balance lies, since much as it was seen in The Clone Wars, when either side, light or dark, gains the advantage over the other in a decisive manner, then the balance is lost. This would mean that the Jedi, who were so convinced that they were the guardians of the Force and its servants, were horribly unbalanced before Darth Sidious came along. The peacekeeping nature of the Jedi and everything they stood for was all well and good, but it blinded them as well to the fact that the Force, which they believe is a living presence, is bound to betray them just as much as it serves their needs and is in turn served by them.
Balance in the Force is such a tenuous thing in the franchise that it’s easy to lose sight of who has it and who has yet to discover what it is. Yoda might have been one of the closest to embrace the reality of balance in the Force since the Jedi Master could counter Darth Sidious in a number of ways, and it’s even possible that Mace Windu might have understood the balance a little better than others as well thanks to his closeness to the dark side. This is where the Jedi tended to foul up and the Sith came up short more often than not since the fact is that the fine line between the light and dark side of the Force is where the real balance is, and it’s a very narrow path for anyone to travel since it requires being fully aware of the light and the dark, and knowing when to use either to suit the needs of the Force or the person using it. There are some that believe that a Chaotic Good alignment would solve this matter, but if one wants to delve a little deeper into the alignments, Chaotic Neutral, or true Neutral, would be better served when it came to finding a balance point.
A lot of people don’t believe in the middle-of-the-road approach or don’t think that it exists. That’s understandable, especially since human nature doesn’t always adhere to a neutral stance so easily. But some are so opposed to the neutral approach since they believe that it’s cowardly as well, as it appears to indicate that a person that walks the path of neutrality, which is actually a balanced and fair approach, is acting the part of a coward and is simply indecisive. The fact is that neutrality is where the balance lies. The denial of this is kind of amusing given that so many people will gladly argue over what balance is and what it takes to achieve it, when the answer is simple enough to get to, even if the debate to be had after is bound to get harder. In truth, balance is harder to agree on than it is to find since it can be found pretty much anywhere that a person is in tune with themself.
Yeah, it’s actually not a difficult thing to find, it’s difficult to agree on since people don’t want to think that this is all there is, that the Force could be broken down in such a manner. The thought that a Sith could balance their own sense of being as a Jedi can, or that a Force user that denies both sides could possibly find a balance within themselves that is born of the light and the dark sides. The fact that people don’t want to admit this is a bit frustrating, especially since the need to argue and claim otherwise comes from a deep-seated need to continue the conflict, rather than resolve it. If we did that though, there wouldn’t be any need for the story.
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