OOC Discussion - what is a Jedi to you?

[Marcus Telcontar]

OOc Discussion that might be helpful,

So, to you what is a Jedi?

My thoughts after a few have replied :)

[Oriadin]

A hero and a role model.

A jedi is a hero in every sense of the word. Plain and simple they come in and protect, defend and help.

A jedi is a role model. People could learn a lot about how to act if they think about how a Jedi would act. If people would think, talk and discuss things before acting then a lot of problems could be resolved in the world. People today become to obsessed with helping themselves that they fail to see the people around them who just need a shoulder to lean on. A Jedi would always put others before themself.

There is no discrimination when it comes to the Jedi either. They help each other and share their knowledge. Seeking to better everyone and not just themselves. There is respect too. A thing many people lack today. We could all learn a few things from the Jedi way of life.

[Pierce Tondry]

A Jedi is a way of thinking.

Rather than act immediately, the Jedi considers first. Rather than fight, the Jedi talks. Rather than judge others, the Jedi judges only themself.

A Jedi is without limitation.

Equal consideration to all valid lines of argument is the Jedi way. They refuse no aid reasonably given, yet act with sufficient foresight to determine the consequences of accepting such aid.

A Jedi is many.

The Jedi represents not just themself or their Order, but each life they have touched through their actions. As such, Jedi must give thought to whom their actions would affect, and in what way. Seeking the solution that benefits all and not simply the majority is the goal of a Jedi. Charity is not beneath a Jedi, but purchasing the hyperdrive of a greedy Toydarian to return the important diplomat to Coruscant where she can help stop a war is more important than donating a few credits to a homeless beggar.

A Jedi is an ideal.

If one person could be the best possible in every way that might be considered, that person would embody in totality what a Jedi stands for. However, it is far more reasonable and far less limiting for the Jedi to be the best at being themselves, improving not only where they are deficient, but where they are strong. Whether feared, loved, ignored, or respected, the Jedi holds within themselves their own way, and they alone will determine how much meaning their life has held when it ends.

Such is the Jedi way.

And no, this was not copied from any sourcebook. :)

[Wei Wu Wei]

I think a Jedi is a person that takes the time to listen and talk things out. They stay calm, an dfind an answer to situations in which everybody can gain something. I think my thread, also in Temple Avalon

"A treasure house of Knowledge"

would better explain my views on what a Jedi is. Granted, that thread is IC.

[Salemn Lysce]

A Jedi is a Crusador of the Light.

They strive to restore peace and justice through the galaxy - even if force is needed.

They serve the Force.

They think things through before jumping into action ...

They let no emotions rule over them - let it be anger, fear, love, hate .. Hence, "There is no emotion; there is peace." They are the Elite.

They're diplomatic. Gathering knowledge from where ever they can, they prove to be extremely intelligent and reliable.

Like a quote of mine, "They are neither Gods or Devils. They are Jedi."

[Xazor Elessar]

A Jedi is a rolemodel......someone who can be trusted and looked up to. They are the protectors of the Peace and Defenders of the Light.

Jedi.....it's a lifestyle.....like being a Martial Artist. The way of Tae-Kwon-Do is not something that I do......it's something that I live. In order to fully be a Martial Artist....I must live the life of one. Same for the Jedi.....

A Jedi is someone who willingly gives their life....fully.....one hundred and twenty percent.....to the cause of the Light. A Jedi is a friend and someone who you can rely on all the time.

A Jedi is a hero to many....a god to none and neither should they be. They make mistakes and when they do....they have others there to uplift them and hold them close.....not to punish them or give out reprimands.

A Jedi is a Peace Keeper......and one with the Force. They are teachers to not only others, but themselves. The best teacher is one's own mind.

A Jedi finds joy in even the most difficult of situations.....they find peace and serenity even in the middle of a war. A Jedi has the power to stop that war too......without weapons.

A Jedi brings balance to a Universe that is made purly from chaos. A Jedi is a hope-bringer to those who have none. A Jedi is a messenger.....a messenger of justice to those who have never seen it....to those who need it....and to those who deserve it.

But above all......a Jedi is a person with a heart. Love your neighbor as yourself and hate not your enemies. That is what the Jedi seek to do. A Jedi is a bringer and bearer of LOVE...for love is the most powerful tool one carries.....

[Verse Dawnstrider]

A Jedi is a Slave.........

He must put any, and everyone in front of him/herself. A Jedi insurces that life goes on and balance is always right. There is enough hatred, greed, and envy in people's hearts that demands something to keep it in check. He does not let emotions cloud his thoughts. That means he must do things he doesn't wish. It may be as simple as not buying that new speeder..or as hard as letting the killer of your family live and turn him over to the police. He is a slave to the wrongs of the world. Why is this? If there was no evil, there would be no need for Jedi to stop and protect against what is not there. He gives up his own life, personal and social, to make sure that Goodness lives on. A Jedi must NOT love. The love of life, your wife, children, ect can easily turn into the love to lust. Lust to Obession. It can turn from love of money to love of power that money brings. Then to the hatred to keep power. Then finally from hatred to Rage. Then comes love again. Love of killing in their rage. A Jedi must not put himself close to this happening. Therefor he give all of it up. He becomes a slave again. A slave that must exsist in order to allow others to be free....

[Ryla Relvinian]

These are so interesting... I really think this is a great idea, because we all DO have different perceptions of what a Jedi is, based on our own personal lives.

That said, I think what a Jedi is is much more simple than what most of you have suggested. A Jedi is simply a person with Force abilities who has dedicated their lives to the light. They often have abilities far beyond a normal person. What they choose to do with those abilities is up to them.

Let me put it this way. If we all took a wrong turn one day and walked into a dark alley with a dead end and suddenly found ourselves at knifepoint by someone we don't know, what would we do? Some of us would comply with his wishes, some of us would fight back, some of us would try to negotiate, some of us would try to overpower him... Such is the life of a Jedi. None of our characters really asked to have force abilities. Having these powers puts you in danger, or rather, having these powers and dedicating them to the light puts us in danger.

Not all people who are Jedi choose the path of fighting, just as not all of us in that same situation would choose to fight. There are a multitude of Jedi abilities that, IMHO, we all but totally neglect here at the GJO. There are a million and three Jedi who would rush into battle, saber swinging, keeping the prosthetic limb company in business. How is that any different than a Sith?

I would suggest, however, that emotions are what make a Jedi a Jedi, not the absence of emotion. How can we care and serve others without empathy, trust, and even humor? IMO, too much emotion is just as bad as too little emotion.

{ /rant }

[Figrin D'an]

Intriguing thread... a motley group of people producing answers just as varied...

But, that is also what makes a group successful.


From my POV, being a Jedi ultimately is about committing oneself to the never-ending quest of knowledge, and applying those learnings to the improvement of oneself. True, Jedi are expected to be many things... diplomats, peacekeepers, warriors, teachers, advisors... but at the very core of all these tasks is a solemn pledge to pursue knowledge in its varied forms (truth, fact, or belief), understand fully such knowledge and offer it to others who seek to learn. For it is through such individual commitment that the betterment of all is achieved.

[Azhure Darkstone]

A jedi is a way of thinking as someone has said earlier, but it is a balanced way of thinking. They know what is right and wrong, they know their duty and they help and are everythgin that an ideal person should be, but they also have their own struggles which they overcome again and again for they too are human just like everyone else. The difference is their way of thought and how they decide to live their live and use their power.
A jedi is a rolemodel of what people should be in a perfect world, but the world is not perfect so they exist as a balance.

In many ways I personally as a real life person could not be a jedi nor could a lot of people. It's like being a good priest or a monk, and though jedi would have, if you consider the realistic situation of it, made some mistakes in the younger days or even in the older, they think on an ideal state of mind and this has to be taught at a very young age, and at very acceptional stages maybe at a later age but a lot of the mental devalopment is at the growing stage and a lot of it cannot be changed as it is how the actual brain has devaloped.

[Maximas]

A jedi is some guy in a cloak with a lightsaber that can kick a$$ :lol

Someone had to say it!