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Quiz: Mulder and Scully vs. Lois and Clark in an easter egg hunt in Mordor. Who finds the most?

12.20.2009

Homework #3: Dark Side



Why is the Dark Side of the Force so appealing? Why do people turn to it? Would you?

2 comments:

Jeff LaFave said...

The thing about the "dark side" is that it almost always represents sin, vice, or any other "evil" entity. What makes it so appealing though, is a matter of circumstance - the fact that ingrained in our human culture, "evil" and "pleasurable" have almost always been direct associates.

In my opinion, this is the case with every society with a system of laws. Laws are meant to prevent "evil," which is usually a pleasurable or hedonistic act, from happening, mainly because the act has been deemed wrong by society.

Let me explain.

For instance, murder. Murder can feel fantastic to the murderer. It's revenge. It's payback to the highest degree. Total satisfaction. However, since it carries a social more of a life ending, it is as heavily-chastised as it is.

More examples would include that while sexual pleasure is incredibly fun, there are laws against rape, and social constructions against promiscuity or lustiness.

In short, for every "evil" act, there is an origin of pleasure that is frowned upon based on our culture. For instance, most people don't have sex with their sister because The Bible and their religion suggests otherwise. People don't steal because they can go to jail.

The take-home message here is that evil things are only as evil as the force that defines them to be. Otherwise, they're just pleasurable, but not completely agreed upon. Some people probably dig incest a lot, and don't care otherwise. It's just society as a whole that, as a majority, frowns down upon this sort of behavior.

People just turn to the "dark side" because they feel that the gain and pleasures of doing so outweigh the constraints of potential punishment. For example, I'd smoke in my house more often if I didn't care at all what my mother would think of it. However, I'm a mother's boy, and I watch my back.

As for me turning to the Dark Side, it would have to directly relate back to this. There would have to be some sort of beneficial or pleasurable reason for me to join the "Dark Side" of anything. As for Vader's army, I'd have to be promised a boatload of money, or eternal satisfaction, or the chance to repent back at any time. However, none of these would probably be worthwhile in the Star Wars realm. Money means nothing, eternal satisfaction is never a given, and if you turned your back on Vader...you'd be dead.

In the long run, I think that I would not join the Dark Side not only because there is not enough Vader could offer me in pleasure for it to be worthwhile to me, but because I am too timid, and I would do evil duties very poorly.

-Jeff LaFave

Catherine said...

I think the "dark side" is appealing simply because it's different and well alluring in some ways. It's very easy to get tired of the right thing/good side, and want to see what the "different" side is like.

Would I join? I have been tempted, let's put it that way....