THE WAY OF THE SITH, VOLUME TWO:

The Nature Of Power



INTRODUCTION

The first volume could be considered a primer on Sith teachings, as the core concepts of the Will, the Strong vs. the Weak, and uses of Fear were addressed. While to some degree, Power affects all of the aspects of life and of course the aforementioned ones, it is such a profound topic that a volume in itself must be solely devoted to it.

To know the true nature of power is to be able to use it.



THE DEFINITION OF POWER

Power is defined as the creation of dependence. When you make it so that people depend on you, either through need of your abilities which they lack, or through you making them weaker so they need you to function, you have created dependence. Darth Vader depended on the Emperor. By the same token, Luke depended on Yoda.

The creation of dependence cannot be defined "morally", though dependence can be created through "immoral" or "selfish" means. But dependence is an amoral absolute. It is how one creates that dependence that can be considered a moral issue.

But how does one craft dependence?

Through the three tenets of power.


THE THREE TENETS OF POWER

Deception

Manipulation

Subtlety

To master all three is to be powerful.


DECEPTION is not merely lying - as lying is the act of hiding the truth for the goal of keeping it secret. Deception is to create webs of lies and falsehoods, not disguise the truth necessarily, but to acheive a desired objective. Tell people what they want to hear. Bow to your masters while plotting against them. Disguise your true motives such as power or monetary gain and make others believe your goals are agreeable to them and in alignment with them. Make alliances with people, and pretend to share their goals, while secretly using that alliance to achieve your own purposes.

MANIPULATION is the application of deception. You manipulate people by deceiving them into carrying out your wishes by making them think they are serving themselves or others in the process. It is the act of taking people and making them pawns on your dejarik board, but making those pawns believe they are the kings. Manipulation can also be practised to destroy your enemies through deception. Give them bad advice, ally with them while stabbing them in the back. Help them destroy themselves, while taking none of the blame.

SUBTLETY is the most difficult of the three. While relying on both deception and manipulation, its primary function is to keep your agenda and your moves to carry out that agenda hidden. Through the above two tenets as well as tricks such as scapegoating, theatricality, and illusion, subtlety is about keeping yourself hidden behind the curtain. There are many ways to address subtlety, but the most effective is to hide in plain sight. Make up false goals, make up false weaknesses, and bring them out for all to see. Make enemies of the weak and crush them easily, so the process your true enemies will reveal themselves and will attack the fictional version of yourself; sabotaging your fictional objectives and attacking your fictional weaknesses.


ON THE POWERFUL

It is vital to remember that few powerful people ever have absolute power; even in Palpatine's case it was an illusion. That is why all those who have power must look to gain more, but must be primarily focused on keeping the power they already have. Even upon gaining power, the three tenets must be used daily to guard what you have won. Use caution in wielding your power, and your power will grow. Do not use it with wreckless abandon.


ON THE POWERLESS

In Volume One, we disclosed two types of people, the Strong and the Weak. The Weak can never obtain power, so be wary of those you perceive as Weak, for the most powerful person is one who fools others into thinking he is weakest. But a true member of the Weak is incapable of gaining power. But that does not mean that all the Strong have power.

The Strong are divided into two groups: The Powerful that we have discussed, and the Powerless.

The Powerless differ from the Weak in the fact that they have the ability to gain power, but they do not yet have it. And that makes them the most dangerous enemies of all. The Powerless will stop at nothing to gain power, and so they are far more destructive than the Powerful, who must use restraint or they risk losing power.

A smart Powerless person will use the three tenets to subtly gain power. But many are not smart, which is why the Powerful are few in number. Most of the Powerless fail to achieve power, and so they will torment the weak and those subordinate to them out of frustration. By exercising the small amount of power that comes from tormenting their lessers the Powerless feel better about themselves yet in fact lack true power.


CONCLUSION

By knowing the defintion and three tenets of power, you can achieve power. By understanding the differences between the Powerful, Powerless, and the Weak you will be able to counter their threats and preserve your own power. There is much more of the Dark Side to learn, and much of it is not easy.

But there is no more clear cut of an issue than power.