Understanding the Sith Code

An analysis of the Sith Code by Kronos.

Peace is a lie...

Is peace a lie? I think so. If you want anything in this life, you have to earn it. And they way you earn it, is through competition with your fellow life.

You could argue that we live in a great balance of destruction and creation, and that is a sort of peace. As you read this, your body is destroying oxygen, violently absorbing it into your being. And outside your window, the trees are doing the exact opposite.

A great circle. A great chain.

Humans though, through our wills, have broken this chain. We are continually expanding and growing and dominating.

Society, particularly in a democracy, can often feel like we live in a sleepy peace. Where the threat of violence, or being wronged is often not possible. But this is an illusion.

Simply look at a high-crime neighbourhood, or a country with a corrupt government. Your peace is bought by a few strong men, and it would only take a generation for it to all come crashing down.

War is the natural state of the universe. The peace we talk about in nature is really a war between a billion wills trying to make their dream of reality the real one.

Be honest with yourself, am I living my dream life? And if the answer is no, if it's not your dream you are working so hard to achieve. Who's dream is it?

...There is only passion.

I like to think of passion as a formula: passion = emotion + will.

And when you study successful people, it's clear that they have passion.

They often seem to have limitless energy. They don't sleep much. They have healthy relationships. They have clear goals, and are taking action to achieve them.

As a Sith you want to cultivate these two things; emotion + will. I'll get onto emotion, but let's unpack will. Will is the Will to Power. What do you want from the world? What is your purpose?

I can't decide this for you. The Sith can't (or shouldn't decide this for you). You have to decide.

You have to find your calling, and once you do, cultivate the emotion, the strength, the power, to achieve it.

Now emotion. Do not think of the Sith as cultivators of "bad" emotions: anger, fear, aggression. A Sith should strive cultivate all emotions, particularly joy in their craft.

As Neitzche would say, be someone who loves life.

Through passion, I gain strength.

When you truly cultivate passion, strength is a natural outcome of it. And we aren't talking about physical strength, although that might be part of it.

What about the strength to keep to a schedule? The strength to work towards your goals every day? The strength to read that book or do that course you've been putting off?

Also, notice we use the words "through" and "gain" - not "achieve". This isn't a line in the sand to pass, but a struggle you have to beat again and again. Sure, it will get easier with time; but you'll never be done.

There is no finish line. Only those with the strength to continue the fight.

Through strength, I gain power.

What is the difference between strength and power? I like to think of strength as an internal trait. You can be strong, and poor. You can be strong, and not have achieved your goals. You can be strong, and powerless.

Power is different; power is control over your external environment. The Sith path is a path of action. You cannot become all powerful meditating in your bedroom in your mama's house. Power is found out there.

Get out and take it.

Through power, I gain victory.

If I could wish anything for you, it would be that you taste victory.

You would be surprised I think, how many people actually go through life without achieving anything.

Maybe they went to college. But was that their goal, or their parents? Was that kid their choice, or a happy accident?

I was 25 before I achieved a true victory.

A friend of mine had ran a half marathon, and it made me really evaluate myself, because I knew I couldn't do that. And that I would never be able to do that - unless I made a change.

So I set to work; I had a goal. I had the drive to achieve it. I ran every day for months. I booked a half marathon. And then a marathon.

I run still. But I will never forget the feeling as I ran across that finish line for the first time. It was the first time time in my life that I had chosen to do something and actually done it.

I wish that for you a thousand fold.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

Chains are an interesting concept. I imagine the prisoner, chained to the wall. Able to move a little, but the weight of the chains making it difficult.

Chains are frictions in your life - big and small - that are stopping you from the being the best version of yourself. The version of yourself that achieves your goals.

Some chains are obvious in their restrictions. Poverty is a chain. Obesity is a chain. Everyone should work towards cutting these. But some chains are less obvious. Perhaps one of your chains is a mother who doesn't want you to succeed. Or a job that is okay, but prevents you from following your passion.

I don't know your chains, you do. And it's your role as Sith to cut the ones that are holding you back.

I shall be free.

The code was written with Neitzche's philosophy of the Ubermensch in mind.

What would it look like if you had truly broken all your chains? What would it look like if you weren't limited by ethics and ideas and people and structures that were not your own? But were thrust upon you?

You wouldn't just look free. You would be free.

Free to be you.