Obi-Wan Kenobi was a legendary Jedi Master. He trained Anakin Skywalker, who would betray the Jedi to be come the Sith Lord Darth Vader and was mentor to Luke Skywalker. Having been apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn and having worked along side Yoda and the rest of the the High Jedi Council, Obi-Wan is wise beyond his years.
Of all the Obi-Wan quotes that exist, many can be applied to modern day living, specifically using social media and the internet.
Let’s look at his wisdom through some of those quotes and apply them to becoming digital Jedi.
“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi
And just like The Force, the internet is what gives individuals their power on the internet. It’s used by most people and it does surround and penetrate us. It binds us all together. Remember, that the internet and its social medias are a community for connection. You’re not talking to random faceless strangers, you’re talking to other people.
“Your eyes can deceive you; don’t trust them.” – Obi Wan-Kenobi
This isn’t just about using The Force, although it is. It is about looking within your self to determine what you are seeing. In internet terms, it can be applied to Clickbait, don’t click on it and don’t create it.
“In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.” – Obi Wan-Kenobi
Don’t give in to chance, it can yield results, but the odds are probably not in your favor. Create your own results, with hard work, quality content, and consistency.
“Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?” – Obi-Wan Kenobi
Always consider the source of information on the internet. Always. And never forget that we are all human and make mistakes. In terms of jumping on a social media trend that seems to good to be true or that is wholly unbelievable, refer to “Your eyes can deceive you; don’t trust them.”
“You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi
This needs little explanation, it’s just powerful sage advice from one of the Jedi Masters.
“Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi
If you’re not an evil Sith Lord, you should be able to see all sides of a story, there are always more than one, and usually more than three. There are a lot of so-called internet or social media gurus who claim to have found a system or tactics that are fool proof. They are not gurus, they are usually just fools and “Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?”
“Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi
Don’t be negative, don’t be wrong, be constructive. There have been books and countless conversations about public shaming, which is what any internet shaming is. In this digital age, very few things are actually private. And though the internet and social medias tend to go with the masses first, they usually come around to the correct side of things.
Now, not all of these things are habits you can change overnight, but maybe it’s time to think before you hit share, tweet or publish. That would be a great start.