Focus, too, can be constrictive and restrictive, limiting one's access to various perspectives and options. This is the point at which focus becomes obsession. At this point obsession constricts a person's point of view and it negates all of the advantages that focus awards us. This poses a significant threat to the Jedi. As Jedi it is our obligation and responsibility to leave ourselves open and receptive to the will of the Force. Beyond simply this we must further leave ourselves open to the opinions and perspectives of others. One of the great many complaints often heard of various religions is of their hatred and abhorrence of different religions, opinions, and points of view. This is the great trap of all faiths and as such we, as Jedi, must keep ourselves from falling into it.—Jedi Nassik (TOTJO)
Points of View
by: Jedi KidohdinObi-Wan Kenobi: "You are going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view." –Episode VI
Here Obi-Wan was trying to teach Luke about different points of view. Luke was troubled because Obi-Wan and Yoda had always told him that Darth Vader killed his Father. When Luke found out that Darth Vader was in fact his Father, he felt confused. From Obi-Wan’s point of view, Anakin died the moment he became Darth Vader. Obi-Wan felt that he had been truthful, according his point of view.
Many things are not totally true or totally false, and we may or may not be able to judge the truth of something. Things are not always black and white; there are many shades of grey in between.
The most famous example of perceptions is found in Plato’s ‘The Republic’ and is called the cave allegory. Socrates is talking to Glaucon, one of Plato’s brothers about it.
Socrates: "Let’s compare our own education and understanding of the world to people in a cave–to human beings in an underground, cave–like dwelling. From childhood on, the people who live in this cave have their legs and necks chained so that they can see only straight ahead in front of them. The chains keep them from turning their heads in any other direction.
"The only light in the cave is from a fire burning far above the people and behind them. Between the fire and the chained people there’s a road, built on a kind of stage structure such as you find in theaters–again above and behind the people–along which move other people and animals, some carrying things, some not, some speaking, some not."
The discussion goes on and on about the shadows from the above description being perceived as reality by the cave dwellers. When the cave dwellers finally leave the cave and see the reality of the outside world, they have a hard time accepting the truth.
Then Socrates sums it all up:
“Let’s take this whole allegory and apply it to everything we’ve said so far. What we see with our eyes and experience through our senses is like the cave, while the sun, the center of the universe, is like the fire that illumines the cave. As you probably expect–and I agree with your expectations–the ascent from the cave is like the soul’s ascent to the Realm of Ideas.
Of course, just because we agree on this doesn’t make it true; there may be some god or power somewhere who knows the truth about these things. But this is the way it appears to me: that of all the subjects of human knowledge, the last and most difficult to be seen is the Idea of the Good.
But once seen, it is clear that the Idea of the Good is the source of everything. In the visible realm, it’s the source of physical light, and in the consciousness realm, it’s the source of truth and wisdom. And any person who wants to act with justice, either personally or publicly, must see it."
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