♖ 003.

[summerschild]

Who: Bran Stark and YOU
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: The Dusty Moon
When: 9/23

[Just a short broadcast, as this tiny wolf child makes some Serious Contemplations...]

What do you... What makes a person good, do you think? Is it something they can control?

[He can be found out by the stables, getting as close to the horses as he can in his chair, without rolling over their feet. He wishes so hard that he could just climb up and ride one - almost as much as he wishes he could shift into his wolf's skin, and run with the strange fox-dogs out in the desert sand. Today is not a very happy day.]

Comments

audio;

[unbearablynaive]

That's a rather philosophical question, as it requires a definition of "good". [That;s tricky in the best of cases.] But for my opinion, I would say it is important to consider both your actions and their consequences, as these most certainly are under your control. If you define good as someone who is not only liked and respected but trustworthy, it is vital to consider the role of empathy in your interactions. Considering the other point of view and understanding it, even if you disagree, helps to develop this skill.

[summerschild]

So if you hurt someone who is hurting you, you have to understand why they are doing it before you hurt them?

[He might not have gotten all of that very well on the first try. He is upset right now, in his defense.]

[unbearablynaive]

It's always prudent to defend yourself. Indeed, many codes of law have exceptions in place for entirely this purpose, though there are philosophers who would argue otherwise. It can all be very situational as well. Blanket statements rarely apply to questions of violence, especially where passion is involved.

It's not always possible in the heat of the moment, is it? Rather than understanding their motivations in that case, it's important to try to understand consequences. There was a time when I killed a unique being. I grieved, but if it hadn't been done he would have sought the destruction of an entire planet. Of course I would have preferred a compromise, but in many cases there are none available. In that case, the consequence of not acting would have been much more grief. Does that make sense?

[summerschild]

I think that I do. Even if killing is bad, you're allowed to do it to save people. That's what Ino said.

What does "heat of the moment" mean?

[unbearablynaive]

["Allowed" is such a tricky word. Allowed by whom?] It's best if there is another course of action that would resolve the situation without doing harm. Unfortunately, it's not always the case.

The heat of the moment refers to a situation where you have to react quickly, often without the benefit of knowing the entirety of the situation. It's all very well and good to plan to act one way in battle, for instance, but then the enemy will make a move you hadn't anticipated and you need to divert from your initial plan. This sort of choice, where you act based on the information you have, is called making a decision in the heat of the moment.

[summerschild]

Oh.

[He understands, and inserts the phrase into his vocabulary.]

... I did something in battle, and I was trying to make sure none of my friends got hurt. But it meant that other people died. I didn't know who they were, I only knew that they were trying to... Is that what it is, then? Is that how soldiers have to think?

[unbearablynaive]

Yes, that's very much the experience a soldier has. Difficult choices are a matter of course in battle, and many find they are not cut out for such things. Yet if no one acts, our friends may come to harm. It's a tricky balance at the best of times.

[summerschild]

[Bran has to think about this for several silent moments.]

I used to want to be a knight, before I got hurt. Now I don't think I would have liked it.

[unbearablynaive]

I think that would depend. What part of being a knight did you most desire? Glory in battle? Following a code of honor? Protecting those in your charge? Having the power associated with the position?

[summerschild]

I wanted to be honorable, and save the people I care about.

[unbearablynaive]

Do you still want that? I ask because it is very possible to do so without being a fighter. Are you familiar with the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword"?

[summerschild]

I am not.

[unbearablynaive]

Its meaning is that words have power on their own. A single letter from a person who holds power can declare peace as well as start a war; words influence people who are themselves far away from action. A negotiator between enemies holds power in his voice alone, for if he succeeds he can avert disaster.

[summerschild]

Oh. [He understands, though he still has trouble believing that he could have as much power through words as his brothers did through swords.] Like what a King's Hand does? By advising?

[unbearablynaive]

Advising is part of it, yes, but so is decision-making. A victory means little if the terms of the treaty are unfavorable.

[summerschild]

You think I could be a person who writes treaties?

[That sounds boring, but important.]

[unbearablynaive]

I don't see why not. It requires more work than many people realize, but the fates of thousands could be in your hands.

[summerschild]

That sounds a bit more frightening than just writing things.

[unbearablynaive]

It's a goal to look forward to after much practice and study. Just as a knight must begin with practice weapons before working up to steel, an arbiter of justice must make small decisions before being entrusted with large ones.