I never trusted characters in stories -- and reality, as a result -- that claim to be totally righteous and demand you never listen to or "get corrupted by" some other force.
Was just reading a story recently where someone says this creature someone talked to looked pretty and sounded like she cared, but that just made her more dangerous a demon convincing people away.
If it's so easy to convince people away from "the faith", sometimes makes me question "the faith".
Like, when I talk about fascists, I kinda know their language. I avoid talking when I have no reason to assume good faith. I can at least listen first.
Like with "demons".
If the demons are very intelligent, they might have a reason to be the way they are.
If they can't help being evil, I'd consider them someone with a natural disorder; they can't help being the way they are. Maybe we can't be on friendly terms, but I can at least try to draw some boundaries, and only when those boundaries are continually crossed would I totally distance myself from such a being.
I have some experience with finding demons aren't all they seem, really -- or at least en entity that identifies as a demon. Also many that used to, and then found their true forms outside of their self-hate.
@Ulfra_Wolfe this is much of what I dislike with nu-Star Wars; The whole Light Side / Dark Side manichean divide is even more stark and has even less room for shades of grey than the EU did (the sheer breadth of authors meant there was a lot of room for perspectives).
[This post sponsored by the fact I get a chance to use the word 'manichean' in conversation]
@GlitchyDragon @Ulfra_Wolfe hm, that's not good to hear...I haven't watched anything past "Force Awakens" (which I liked)
@kara_dreamer @GlitchyDragon The prequels were definitely horrid for that, tho. Like how Anakin goes anxiety-filled to killing children as if there was no real divide.
Cults, Child Abuse Afficher plus
Cults, Child Abuse Afficher plus
@kara_dreamer @Ulfra_Wolfe (I get the impression the Jedi Code is yet another mangled attempt at Westernized+Bite-Sized Zen Buddhism, with the accompanying failures that usually implies)
@Ulfra_Wolfe @kara_dreamer As an influence, I mean. There are elements of other faiths/philosophies in there, too. (Manicheanism arguably could be one.. But most likely (mangled) Taoism for the Light Side/Dark Side stuff)
@GlitchyDragon @kara_dreamer I wish they went full Taoist. Where the Dark Side and Light Side were different aspects of the self, and the goal is to harmonize them, not for dominance of one over the other.
But it's mostly about space wars and external combat, so they went for restrictive rules.
@Ulfra_Wolfe @kara_dreamer I suspect it's less the necessity for action-drama as (the case with many franchises) it starts out as a self-contained Heroes' Journey & then scrambles to build a cohesive world (& accompanying worldviews) around it once that takes off like a rocket.
Cults, Child Abuse Afficher plus
Cults, Child Abuse Afficher plus
Cults, Child Abuse Afficher plus
Cults, Child Abuse Afficher plus
@Ulfra_Wolfe @kara_dreamer @GlitchyDragon But Anakin was prophesied to be the one who brings balance to the force. Balance, at a time when there were only 2 Sith and a whole council full of Jedi, as well as the school for the kids... What exactly did they think "balance" meant?
Cults, Child Abuse Afficher plus
@Ulfra_Wolfe @kara_dreamer I agree! The whole Anakin arc in all the prequel material is gross.
He is taken from his mother to be raised in what is quite definitely a cult with some very destructive/repressive ideas, repeatedly told he's the Chosen One who will bring Great Change & trained in the tools to, but also kept with very little agency.
Ofc he latches onto the first mentor-figure who gives him a chance to get away from that & choose for himself. -.-