Pursuing Knighthood, California Style

You might have seen recently that we had a few people publicly announce that they were pursuing knighthood in California Jedi, and I wanted to talk a bit about why we do that in this community.

Announcing Knighthood as a personal goal does three things:

Firstly, it makes that goal real. There’s no time limit, no deadline to hit, but you’ve declared to yourself and to your peers that you are trying to grow and live up to the standards of Jedi Knighthood, no small feat. Making that declaration public helps keep people on task, and remind them of the direction they are heading. We also declare because in the end, only you can make the choice to become a knight. The first voice should be that of the candidate.

Secondly, it keeps us accountable. If I know someone is working towards knighthood, I can do more than give general advice; I can point out ways in which they are slacking, or places where they need more work with targeted advice. I can say ‘Hey, a knight takes on this kind of responsibility– are you doing that?’ or ‘What you just did doesn’t seem like knight-worthy behavior’. It gives the person’s peers a standard to measure their behavior against, and a way to support them and their growth in actionable ways.

Thirdly, it draws our community together. This is a very solitary path, and having places where we can celebrate, push each other, and acknowledge progress on our paths creates a sense of support and community. It also helps us refine the standards of Jedi Knight as each new person starts to try at this specific form of training and leadership; what are we missing, what needs to be broadened to accomodate people’s needs and abilities, and so forth.

Knighthood is optional, and it is a choice. I hope you’ll all support your peers in the endeavor by encouraging them in their training and celebrating their successes. May the Force be with them!

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