Master Yoda is Full of Shit

A rant about Yoda.

Transcript

1. Master Yoda is Full of Shit
   “Do or do not,
   there is not try”
   

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2. Warning
   This talk contains spoilers for the Star Wars movies
   between 1977 and 2005.
   And a tiny spoiler for the new ones.
   

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3. Luke really struggles to lift up some stones, but gets it done
   Yoda: Now lift up this giant ship
   Luke: Um, that's pretty hard? But I'll try it.
   Yoda: Do or do not, there is no try
   

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5. This is Gatekeeping
   “Oh you can't do that?”
   “Yeah, but CSS is not a programming language...”
   “You don't know what CQRS means?
   I thought everyone knows that...”
   

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6. This is bullshit
   • Because trying is literally the only thing you can do.
   • Trying is intent plus effort
   • With a bit of luck, things will work after trying again and again
   

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7. “Fear is the path to the dark side.
   Fear leads to anger.
   Anger leads to hate.
   Hate leads to suffering.”
   Yoda
   

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8. Forced to leave
   his mother enslaved
   

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9. Rejected by the council
   for being too emotional
   

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10. “Afraid too lose her, hmm?”
    

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11. Forced to hide his
    relationship and paternity
    

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12. Sleep deprived due to
    fear of loss
    

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13. Yoda
    Yoda's “Advice”
    “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.
    Death is a natural part of life. [...]
    Mourn them, do not.
    Miss them, do not.
    Attachment leads to jealousy, the shadow of greed, that is.
    Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
    

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14. Mother is killed
    

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15. He's now an easy target for
    emotional abuse
    

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16. Wife flees from him,
    because she is afraid of him
    

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17. Kills dozens of children
    

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18. Tortures and nearly kills his wive
    

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19. ...and then enslaves the galaxy
    

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20. “Fear is the path to the dark side.
    Fear leads to anger.
    Anger leads to hate.
    Hate leads to suffering.”
    Yoda
    

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21. “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.
    Death is a natural part of life. [...]
    Mourn them, do not.
    Miss them, do not.
    Attachment leads to jealousy, the shadow of greed, that is.
    Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”
    Yoda
    

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22. Is this a stoicism?
    

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23. “Therefore, nothing ought to be unexpected by us [...] Let us place
    before our eyes in its entirety the nature of man's lot, [...] not as great
    an evil as oftentimes happens, but the very greatest evil that possibly
    can happen. We must reflect upon fortune fully and completely.”
    – Moral letters to Lucilius, Letter 91, XCI. On the Lesson to be Drawn from the Burning of Lyons
    Seneca
    

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24. Is this a buddhism?
    

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25. This is a twisted version of the
    four noble truths
    Siddhartha
    

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26. ...but the eightfold path
    works entirely differently
    Siddhartha
    

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27. Nope.
    

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28. Emotional Attachment
    㱺 Fear
    㱺 Anger
    㱺 Hate
    㱺 Suffering
    㱺 Dark Side
    Yoda
    

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29. Emotional Attachment
    㱺 Dark Side
    Yoda
    “Burry your feelings deep down, Luke”
    – Obi Wan
    “He is too emotional”
    – Yoda
    

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30. Emotions and Attachment
    are seen as a weaknesses
    • This is neither stoicism nor buddhism
    • This is something different
    

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31. Why doesn't this happen to
    Luke?
    

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32. Luke doesn't listen to Yoda
    He doesn't kill his father as Obi Wan tells him to
    He doesn't leave his friends to die as Yoda tells him to
    

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33. Luke is emotionally attached
    and does not hide it
    

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34. In the new movies
    Jedi culture changes
    

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35. Jedi Masters learn from
    their supposed Padawans
    

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36. (Yes, I think the new movies
    are better than the old ones)
    

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37. Yoda's Philosophy...
    • ...leads to Anakin becoming Darth Vater
    • ...would have prevented Luke from saving the galaxy
    

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38. Yoda is a villain
    emotionally abusive to children
    elitist
    created Darth Vader
    tried to keep Luke
    from saving everyone
    

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39. Don't be like Yoda
    • Support learning
    • Be welcoming to people less experienced than you
    • Don't see emotions and human connection as weak or evil
    • Offer emotional support
    • Take learning as a partnership
    

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40. Thanks!
    Pop Culture Detective
    

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