THE WAY OF THE SITH, VOLUME THREE:

The True Definition Of A Sith Lord



INTRODUCTION

The previous two installments of my trilogy of Sith philosohpies are available here for your reflection:

The Way Of The Sith, Volume One

The Way Of The Sith, Volume Two

The first installment introduced core concepts of the Dark Side and related them to the path a Sith should take while taking a comparison to the Jedi path. The second installment dealt with power: its definition, its uses, the path to gaining it, and the levels of power that exist within types of people.

This final installment is the most critical, for it will most truly identify whether or not you walk the the path of a Sith. Simply having the desire to be selfish or gain power is not enough. Simply being amoral and having an icy black heart is not enough. A true Sith is not just a mere selfish practitioner of evil; otherwise all evil men would be counted among the Sith and thus would number in the millions.

What follows should clarify any doubts as to what a Sith is, including a simple question test that will determine your "Sith-ness". Additionally, I offer a brief primer on the concept of strategy, which all Sith must inevitably master or be destroyed.



THE "QUICK AND EASY PATH"

A popular misconception most commonly presented by the Jedi is that the Sith path is a "quick and easy" one. From a certain point of view that is correct. The Sith path is easier in the sense that it lacks the dogmatic and rigid system of the Jedi. It is easier because it does not restrain its members from fulfilling their potential and their desires. But in many respects, it is far harder.

The self-discipline and tolerance for pain that one must have during Sith training is something a Jedi could not even begin to comprehend. But it is something far more than that which makes the Sith path difficult.

The Jedi and the Sith are similar because they both must be able to resolve situations and have their wits about them. They must both excel in their skills of Force use and lightsaber combat. But there is one skill that Jedi don't learn, a skill that is so profoundly interwoven into what it means to be a Sith: strategy. A Sith Lord is also a strategist, both for himself and his fellow Sith; for the long term as well as the short term.

Strategy is something the Jedi rarely comprehend which is why they are inevitably surprised every time there is a Sith resurgence, such as during the birth of the Empire or the Old Sith Wars and the betrayals of Exar Kun and Revan to name a few. The Jedi are not far-thinking. The Jedi do not realize that in their effort to be fair and democratic, their indecisiveness and dissent fractures their order and weakens it.

Because the Jedi don't plot and plan against their enemies and everyone around them, they are not strategists. And because they don't grasp strategy, they inevitably fail.

Every time the Sith have failed, it is due to the selfish and foolish greed of a single Sith, one who went too far and thus paid the price. But every time the Jedi have failed, it is because their entire way of life leads to failure. The Jedi do not evolve, they are always the same. The Sith continue to change and grow, and as such a day may come when they have mastered themselves and the Dark Side and the self-destructive behavior that hurt them in the past will be erased forever.


ON STRATEGY

Strategy is a complicated concept. It is not something that can really be taught, but it is something that can be learned. In many cases, the path you have chosen may have required you engage in strategy at all times and it is just a matter of having never connected your path to the concept. Either way, it is something all Sith must have if they wish to endure.

To put it simply, strategy is the application of all Sith teachings and your personal powers in order to acheive your objectives. Strategy is well-thought planning, but it is also a sudden response to an event without hesitation.

Strategy is being aware of the motives of others and trusting no one. It is the manipulation of those weaker than you to serve your aims. You must be consistently on guard against everything and everyone. Above all, remember this: There are two types of beliefs people possess. The official ones and what they actually believe. Strategy is uncovering the actual ones and exploiting them to destroy your enemy.


THE TRUE DEFINITION OF A SITH LORD

What then, is a true Sith Lord? Ask yourself these questions:

1) Do you believe in the tenets of Sith teachings, and in modifying them to suit your strengths and purposes?

2) Do you believe in destroying those who would harm you with absolute ruthlessness, to "do what must be done"?

3) Do you believe in order and justice for the galaxy, in which central authority rules with peace over the people?

4) Do you believe in unlocking your full potential and seizing your desires and destiny?

5) Do you believe that your goals and your life are not bound by "morals" and restrictions and thus the higher purposes you hope to achieve must be done through any means necessary?

If you have answered yes to all of these questions, you are a True Sith Lord. Study these concepts well, and live them fully. Only then will you become a Sith. But heed this: these are but more teachings, they are not a rulebook. Use them for guidelines and inspiration, not dogmatic codes to run your life. For even if you live by Sith philosophy, if you are a mindless slave to it you are not in fact a true Sith.


CONCLUSION

Remember well what it means to be a Sith. Selfishness and random acts of "evil" are not the Sith way. The philosophy of a Sith is far more complex, and I hope to have instilled that in you.

"Tell me what you regard as your greatest strength, so I will know how best to undermine you; tell me of your greatest fear, so I will know which I must force you to face; tell me what you cherish most, so I will know what to take from you; and tell me what you crave, so that I might deny you."
- Darth Plagueis