The Flowers of Evil Interview With A Dark Side Devotee

What are “The Flowers of Evil”?

Every word, every action, every post… these are all flowers. You could tamper with that meaning and apply it to the number of things said in a single breath/post, but for the purpose of getting across my meaning, each piece we write and share is a flower.

But what makes them Evil?

That they are grown, harvested, and shared by darksiders. We all tend to flowers of our own, and that applies to all of us, but the nature of a flower is determined by the things we resonate with, believe in, and stand by… among other things. The Flowers of Darksiders are flowers of Evil simply because they are of the Dark.

So it’s fair to say that, in your mind, all Darksiders are Evil?

Yes, without a doubt. Many of us over the years have convinced ourselves and others that this isn’t so, that just because we’re dark or different does not mean we are evil or that we should be shunned. I myself was once a vocal supporter of that idea. I think it’s because we wanted acceptance, we thought it was stupid to be rejected or treated differently because of our beliefs and affiliation and the things people would attach to those. We were naive.

Naive? Could you explain that?

Certainly. It didn’t seem fair to be treated like we were out of sorts when we all had interests in the Force, ethics, practices, and ways that relate to each other; no matter how differently we viewed these things, our clashing perspectives and beliefs revolved around many of the same things. Because of that commonality, people like me didn’t understand that given our differences it is only natural that we be treated differently in some ways.

Are you saying you should be rejected, disrespected, or shunned? You can’t be serious.

Well, that’s not precisely what I mean, but it’s close. Look at it this way: Lightsiders generally believe in and stand for altruism, helping others, doing what they believe is right… and harming others, being self-centered, viciously pursuing your own ends at the cost of other people, and other similar practices – as well as their underlying values – tend to be frowned upon when they manifest in Light practitioners.

They cannot help but judge us within the context of their outlook as Lightsiders. Anything more objective than that and they wouldn’t be responsibly perceiving or acting as Light practitioners. They’re right to view us as something to oppose, undermine, and challenge at every turn. And if they’re not, then they’ve lost sight of what they’re meant to be.

But you haven’t been kicked out of anywhere lately for being a Lord of the Sith, or for your well-known allegiance to Darkness… have you?

No… no, not lately. And I don’t think I ought to be. But short of being kicked out… where there is a group of lightsiders, there should be a thorn in my side. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

What do you think that says about the Lightsiders of the world, and what do you think should be done about it?

Like I said earlier, to me it says they’ve lost sight of who they are and what they stand for. Look up my response to Tianwen’s Research Questions. I can’t believe I got away with trashing and mocking the Jedi Way so bad and not getting any direct disagreement, criticism, questions, or even clarifications from any of the Lightsiders there, many of whom are Jedi. Not only did it not seem to bother them on a personal level, it also didn’t seem to occur that my opinion on the idiocy of the Jedi Way might reflect badly on their way of life in the eyes of newcomers, especially since the answers I gave weren’t really disputed in any way.

They need to take a good hard look at the reasons why I can get away with something like that, why I can actively promote deliberate manipulation, dangerous lifestyles, and allegedly unhealthy practices when they can see what I’m doing. They need to ask themselves why the hell they haven’t at least chimed in here and there to offer alternatives they believe to be better.

Let’s get back to the Flowers of Evil. What’s the relevance of this concept to the communities?

Many of the flowers cultivated and offered by Dark Side practitioners are harmful to others. They can have an adverse effect on other people, many of whom never wanted, asked, or learned how to deal with such dangerous specimens.

It’s relevant to Darksiders in that we cherish our insights, our perspectives, and everything else we’ve worked for. We care for it and place so much importance on our flowers that we find ourselves trying to share them with others. We’ve tried so persistently and been so successful in selling our bouquets over the years that they’ve become acceptable, in spite of their evil.

Sorry, I’m still not getting it. You bring up evil again, but what exactly makes you and, by extension, your flowers so very, very evil?

It’s fine, communication is one of those things one has to struggle with continually… the struggle to articulate.

Look… Think about what I value, believe in, and promote: passion, awareness of it and alliance with it; deception, deliberate use of untruths and misdirection to get what I’m after; manipulation, not only the mindful manipulation of other people, situations, and so on but the active expansion of one’s ability to influence one’s surrounding world; and awareness and exploitation of the conflict inherent in life; aggression, ruthlessness, and persistence in pursuit of goals.

Do you understand what I’m getting at?

I think I’m starting to.

~laughs~ I could be more explicit. I could explain what living by those values can really lead to, how genuinely dangerous it can be if you stand by them and go the distance, but I don’t really want to get in trouble for promoting violence or anything, so more in-depth elaboration on some of the more iffy, natural consequences from adherence to Dark ways might need to remain off the record.

If you say so… With your "flowers", what, if anything, should Darksiders be doing differently with them?

I think that maybe the more volatile breeds ought to be confined to being shared amongst other Darksiders, with only the most deliberate, calculated exceptions. That's one of the reasons I reprivatized the Dark Training. We openly affiliate ourselves with the Dark, we signed up for this, we expect to be treated viciously and without mercy by each other from time to time, and understand that it's something we are encouraged to do to one another... as needed, and within reason.

That's an interesting way of looking at it.

You have to consider another angle of this too. What we grow, shape, and harvest... we cherish these. It doesn't make sense to dish them out without purpose, without intent, and so freely that their value becomes diluted.

We're sitting here talking about flowers, but that implies gardens, groves, gardeners, and the way you talk about them, one could even infer that gardens can be segregated, act as retreats, private stashes, and other things like that. Am I reading too much into it?

Not at all. I wrote a poem about one kind of 'garden'. It's called Seductive Oasis if you want to dig it up. That was about an oasis of complacency and atrophy. The plants, the water... everything about the environment whispers in your ear that it's safe to rest, that it's okay.

I make it out to be a bad thing most of the time, but that depends on the person. I tend to get swallowed up by such things... it's an Achilles' Heel of mine. But for some people, an oasis like that reinvigorates them, and the seductive nature of it holds little or no sway over them.

What about the Gardeners?

It's the gardener's nature that determines the nature of the plants, their environment, their food and water... there are all kinds of things that make up the process of manifesting flowers and other such greenery. I note the differences specifically between Lightsiders and Darksiders simply because that's the context I work with. If you keep breaking it down into minute detail, we're all different. The way I look at it though is just a way of seeing the differences - and their dynamics - in a way that's relevant to me and what I've dedicated my life to.

How does your concept relate to this exchange between us?

Well... ~shrugs~ Every answer I've given is a flower. And they're flowers that probably won't hurt you, at least not right away. They might lead to some pain and risk down the road, but that depends on how you feel and react to their fragrance, their appearance... if they tug at you, if they appeal to you at all, I might've harmed you.

That doesn't bother you at all?

I gave you this fresh cut bouquet for a reason. So no, it doesn't bother me. Not in the least.

Well... thank you for your time. However evil you claim to be, it's been a pleasure.

~smiles~ Likewise.