This is Geeky Stoics, a podcast from GeekyStoics.com about the eternal wisdom beneath the surface of your favorite stories. This week we have a reflection on Anakin Skywalker’s fall, and a connection to C.S. Lewis’ writings on Right & Wrong.
Read it here:
You Know This, But Can You Hear It?
Knowing good from evil, and Right from Wrong, all too often gets turned into a complicated affair. What is this so-called good? What is Right? Isn’t it just a matter of your point of view, culture, or lived experience? That’s the heart of the lie told to Anakin Skywalker, in one of his many rounds of temptation by Chancellor Palpatine. The Sith Lord in …
What do we make excuses for?
We make excuses for a short temper, that time you screamed at a child because you were “tired and hungry” (AKA hangry), we broke our marriage vows because we were “lonely”, “drunk” or “resentful”.
No one makes excuses for Right action, such as helping a person up off the ground when they’ve fallen down or not screaming at a child when they’re tired. When we do Right, we ascribe that virtue to ourselves in a self-congratulatory manner.
Wrong things: we finger-point and blame.
Right things: we pat ourselves on the back.
Because we know what is Right.
As Yoda said, when you are still, listening, calm, and at peace — you know what the good side is and can distinguish it from the bad.
You’ve always known.
The key is creating space in your life for calm, peace, and necessary quiet. Find it, or build it into your day. Guard it with prejudice.
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