So many people grew up watching the movies, reading the books, visiting the theme park attractions, and it’s become such a legacy. But what does the story teach us and teach our kids? In this article, we’ll explore that question.
First off, riches are of no value if you don’t have friends to share it with. When Han wants to just leave with his promised loot, he feels that it’s in his best interest. But by the end of the film, he realizes that he’d become friends with Luke and Leia and they were more important than just the riches. Money isn’t everything. If it was, you wouldn’t see so many rich people doing drugs and alcohol.
Secondly, be brave in the face of fear. Yoda sends Luke into the cave to face his biggest enemy, Darth Vader, but when he strikes down the huge figure, his own face is in the mask. What was garnished from this was that fear will only get as far as one lets it. Some fear is a good thing, but being overtaken by it is not.
Doing whatever it takes is not always the best course of action. Anakin had Padme’s best interest in heart when he acted as evil slave for Palpatine. He just wanted her to live because he loved her and had lost so much. But going around destroying everything around him, including his own girlfriend was not the way to go about it. One cannot be fueled by passion, but rational thought. His downfall shows how passion can lead one astray.
Forgiveness is a part of friendship and love. Of course not all things can be forgiven, but one thing that binds them together is that they don’t care if their friends aren’t perfect, but that they are their friends. For instance, Obi-Wan sees Anakin heading to the dark side, but he doesn’t just disown him and toss him aside, but continues to fight for him with the hope that he can change. Even the older Obi-Wan still seemed to have a soft spot for Anakin, even despite his becoming Darth Vader.
Yoda said, “Do or Do Not. There is no try.” Now that may seem a bit harsh, but it’s true. No matter what one does in life, they either accomplish the task or they don’t. The point he was trying to make in the bigger picture was to be confident in what you do. Don’t let doubt keep you from doing what you can do. It was Luke’s doubt, remember, that kept from lifting his x-wing out of the swamp, not the lack of ability.
And finally, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. A Death Star just sitting out in the middle of the stars, seemingly unguarded is likely a trap. And this can be applied to real life. If someone is offering you a million dollars if you just give them your bank account number, it’s probably going to end in one getting ripped off. We face such “opportunities” all the time and we should always consider the possibility that they might be a trap before jumping in on a whim. Thinking before one acts helps keep one out of trouble.
So these are just a few lessons that were taught by George and company during the span of his series. I’m sure there are more. Got others? Let us know…
