Applying Our Culture Practically

[Tempest]

There are some issues I've found where there's a gap between the Mando ideal and the actual actions. For instance, the resol'nare. Armor doesn't seem practical in today's day. I apply it as keeping a weapon on me at all times and wearing practical clothes (durable, cheap, and with less noticeable colors), because armor is both to protect you and identify you as a Mando. I'm calling it as I see it, so I welcome you guy's opinions.

[Adi'karta]

Here is how I personally apply the guideline about wearing amrour:

dogtags

Photo on 16-02-29 at 16.41 crop.jpg (12.15 KiB) Viewed 40100 times

I *would* keep a weapon on me at all times, but I am a pacifist (and any weapon you carry can end up being used against you). Beyond that, though, my hands are weapons, my tongue is a weapon, my brain is a weapon. I do carry tools and a pocket knife with me everywhere for practicality's sake as well.

[Ruus]

I don't have any armor yet, but I do plan to get a mythosaur necklace.
I also carry useful tools too, figure that's just common sense.

[Vlet Hansen]

I dress practically, carry a pistol as a matter of habit, and I wear a kyr'bes ring.

[Tempest]

How dikut'la of me to forget dogtags... Along the line of clothing (no pun intended, ori'haat), what about suits for us churchgoers? Suits are expensive, not very durable, and uncomfortable; however, maybe in this case something normally purposeless is actually purposefull because society deems suits as more socially acceptable for church. Hence, those who don't "dress up" for an event are seen as poor or sloppy. Thoughts, anyone? Also, to each his own, Adi'karta, but how does being ne'kaan'la work with being Mando, New Mandalorian maybe? (I ask because I have a, let's say burc'ya, who is a pacifist, and the more I know, the better vod I can be)

[Ruus]

I'm going to build myself beskar'gam as soon as it is feasible. I've been trying to determine how many places I could wear it and get away with it.....
I'm pretty sure I couldn't wear it to work, but everywhere else?
Maybe if I didn't have any blasters with me. Most places probably have a no bu'cye rule too...

Just out of curiosity, have any vode tried openly wearing beskar'gam as per the Resol'nare?

[Adi'karta]

How dikut'la of me to forget dogtags...

Hardly dikut'la -- it's not exactly an officially-proscribed means of identifying one's allegiance within the Star Wars canon, let alone the Mandalorian culture.

Hence, those who don't "dress up" for an event are seen as poor or sloppy. Thoughts, anyone?

I would say wearing socially-acceptable clothing counts in a way -- you are respecting yourself and respecting those around you by caring for your appearance, so I'd say that's in line with the Resol'nare, as respect seems to be one of the underlying tenets behind everything Mandalorian.

Also, to each his own, Adi'karta, but how does being ne'kaan'la work with being Mando, New Mandalorian maybe?

Lol the New Mandalorians. They're a ridiculous caricature of what nonviolence and commitment to neutrality is. Rather than getting involved and becoming peacemakers, they avoided the conflict and acted like panicked hermits. That is a course of action based in fear and is just as unproductive as reacting with violence, which can only lead to eventually being taken advantage of and destroyed.

Here's my personal take on nonviolence; please pardon any cognitive dissonance -- we all do what we must to continue living happily:

Spoiler: show

Every society has its reclusive scholars, and not all of them study the same things. Every society has its teachers, and not all of them teach the same things. I see my role in society -- especially in Mandalorian society -- as enabling thoughtful discussion and education. I want to improve lives however I can, even in small ways like providing this translator and forum (even if I am a little lax with my responsibility because I readily overburden myself with too many tasks at once).

In that vein, as I consider myself a scholar, teacher, and overall enabler of education, I prefer to talk first and fight last. I will defend myself and others if attacked, but there are many weapons I would choose first before resorting to my fist, let alone any others. I save physical violence for the absolute last resort, and even then, I abhor needless death. If words fail, perhaps an opponent may only be taught to see reason -- or at least think twice about attacking again -- by being pinned or restrained. If not, then perhaps some bodily harm is warranted. If that won't work, then perhaps they need to be made unconscious. People cannot learn if they are dead, so I want to give every person as many opportunities to learn as I am able to give.

If my aliit or my people are attacked, I will defend them. If I am called to arms, I would rather provide support and logistics or strategy. I'll provide food, clothing, shelter, resources, transportation for my vode, but I would be loathe to take up arms against someone. I have studied martial arts in the past (Kempo, Iaijutsu, Tai Chi). At various times in my life I have been handy with a bow (compound or recurve, but I prefer recurve), a rifle (I prefer bolt-action, even though it may not be the most practical choice), a bo staff, a katana, knowledge and awareness of my surroundings (for diversion, avoidance, and escape), and my body (for grappling, holding, punching, kicking, etc.). I intend to resume active study of martial arts in the future, and I do intend to acquire a firearms licence someday in order to keep myself in practise with, educated about, and aware of modern weapons technology, but I have no desire to own a gun at this time in my life (I live in a city -- there is no use for guns here). I practise none of the aforementioned arts currently, but I will once I am in a stable place to do so (practising sloppy technique on your own is a great way to get yourself overconfident and thus injured or killed, which is worse than not practising at all in my mind).

As a kind of aside, I do occasionally play World of Guns on Steam in order to learn about how different kinds of firearms work, and I am fascinated by them from a mechanical standpoint.

So enough of my rationalisations -- this has become long-winded.

And here's an example of why I much prefer to apply argument and strategy to any adversarial situation, as opposed to violence:

Spoiler: show

There is a relevant story (completely fictitious, but relevant nonetheless Wikipedia link) from the Three Kingdoms period of ancient China (between the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Jin Dynasty):

Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister and lead military strategist of the kingdom of Shu Han needed to subvert the Nanman tribe in order to secure one of their flanks before going out on an expedition to fight against the kingdom of Cao Wei. Rather than merely using military might to crush the Nanman people, Zhuge Liang outmanoeuvred their troops and captured their king, Meng Huo. Meng Huo complained that it wasn't a fair fight, so Zhuge Liang released him and allowed him to fight again. This process was repeated six more times until Meng Huo saw that he could not best Zhuge Liang's strategy, even with his massive army. After being bested seven times, Meng Huo submitted to Zhuge Liang and thus Shu Han gained a valuable ally, security for their flank, and a bunch of additional troops, enabling them to begin their campaign against Cao Wei.

I put those in spoiler tags because they are very long-winded and reflect my personal beliefs and rationalisations, and thus are not necessarily completely on-topic.

[Vlet Hansen]

I come from a very different school of thought regarding guns, though I suppose that might be due to where I live.

I've carried a pistol for a while now, and not once has it ever had more of an effect on my life than the requirement that I act sensibly, since rash action and guns is a poor mix. Never had to draw it, never had to mention it, never had any trouble from it.
Hopefully, that's how it'll be for the rest of my life, and it'll only ever leave the holster for training and cleaning.
However, in the unlikely but not impossible event that something happens, I'd not want to try my luck fighting someone trying to kill me or someone else with anything but a gun. Martial arts and nonlethal weaponry just aren't as reliable, and many cases of defensive handgun usage don't require a shot to be fired to nullify the threat, since many criminals will reconsider their choices when faced with the possibility that they'll die from them.

In the end, a weapon you don't actually carry with you does you no good, and in a life or death situation, you should use the best weapon available to you.

[An'u Biss]

In the end, a weapon you don't actually carry with you does you no good, and in a life or death situation, you should use the best weapon available to you.

Well said, vod.

Working on getting my CHL pretty soon as well. I agree with your sentiment on the matter wholly, and I feel that does seem somewhat relevant to the resol'nare applied in our culture.

[Tempest]

You guys feel free to keep discussing the other issues, but I'd like to bring up another big thing. So, there's this new mindset I've been seeing more of in workplaces, and it has been in mine for awhile. My boss recently took me aside and praised my new work ethic (I've gradually been becoming more mandakarla over the last 5 years), but he expressed disappointment that I am not completely emotionally invested in the "workplace family". I am honestly a bit biased as I know someone biologically close to me who lives for their job and ignores their family. Is it just that I need to be more committed to both? I get the sense I won't be fired over this, but I want to cater to my employer's wishes, as it is professional. I believe a job is simply to put food on the table, and I yearn to put my aliit first. Yet it seems many wellpaying workplaces promote this work family concept. How can I balance this? I leave this to all your opinions.

[Adi'karta]

The "work family" dynamic can be fun and rewarding, but it can also be dangerous or disruptive. This seems to be a bigger thing in agency/startup culture, especially among younger professionals or folks who miss the old fraternity/sorority days from college.

As with most things in life I recommend balance. I personally am on friendly terms with my coworkers and will occasionally go for drinks with them or whatever, but I'm not going to put them before my friends and family, as I already have significant social obligations. The exception would be the one or two coworkers with whom I have formed friendships which extend outside of the workplace. There is also the risk of drama in the "work family" becoming disruptive in the workplace or resulting in unprofessional behaviour.

In the end I'd say it's entirely your choice, and you should make that decision after weighing your interest, your personal style of socialisation, how introverted/extroverted you are, and (most importantly) your other social obligations. If you barely have time for your hobbies and the friends you already have, pursuing the "work family" will probably end up making you miserable and/or tired.

[Vlet Hansen]

I'll admit bias on that, since the military does that as a matter of course anyway.

[Tempest]

I have two questions to ask. One is why it seems mostly men make up the Mando'ade. Two is if any taken Mandos have advice for those of us who are single on both finding a spouse and interacting with their family with the Mandalorian/American culture gap.

*chuckles* Yes, lads, we're finally talking about girls but let's keep it appropriate.

[Ruus]

One is why it seems mostly men make up the Mando'ade.

I'm not sure that they do. Over on the Mandalorian Mercs boards there appears to be a goodly number of dalyce verde(not sure on the plural spelling).

[Tempest]

I suppose I meant not that there aren't any, but rather why there seem to be fewer dalyc vode (dalyc is an adjective, and it is unnecessary to pluralize it).

[Adi'karta]

Spoiler: show

Regarding the sex/gender distribution of Mando'ade on the internet:
I have no actual statistics with which to judge, but I do get the general sense that the ratio on the Mercs forums (and in videos of Mercs events) might be between 1:2 and 1:1 (female:male). As for these forums, identifying one's gender in one's profile is possible if I remember correctly, but very much optional (by design), and I would not expect women to willingly identify themselves on the internet in most cases -- mostly so as not to draw unwanted attention, because the internet in general is not known to be a particularly safe place for women due in large part to the way many people act when they feel like they have anonymity and thus no accountability (though I see it as largely stemming from a general lack of empathy, because not everyone acts in an irresponsible or hostile manner when they claim the veil of semi-anonymity provided by the internet).

To address your other question:
I think your best bet for finding a mate within the community would be to date a geek. Your chances of meeting a Mando'ade (or "converting" one) will be better if you date someone who is already a Star Wars fan, who is into RP and Cosplay, and/or who has an interest in linguistics and specifically in conlangs. In the end, though, don't try too hard to find a Mandoa'ad partner. Just find a strong partner who embodies the Resol'nare in the best way possible and with whom you share mutual respect and with whom you can be open about your interests, hobbies, and beliefs. When it comes down to it, our community (specifically Mando'ade -- not just Star Wars fans who Cosplay as Mandos, with which there is some overlap but not very much; and also not just linguistics nerds who study conlangs, as that does not necessarily overlap much with being Mando'ad either) is very small and I don't think it's actually a reasonable expectation to meet a romantic/life partner who is already a Mando'ad.

At this point in time and for the foreseeable future, people who follow the Resol'nare in daily life as opposed to just being interested in the culture and language from a general study or RP perspective are a minority among minorities. We are a tiny overlapping area in a very large Venn Diagram with many circles in it. Basically, if you want to date a Mando'ad you will probably need to "make" a Mando'ad -- and I want to be entirely clear here: by "make" I mean "invite, and lead by example". If your partner follows you and joins the culture, that's great, but that's probably the only way you will be able to get somebody else involved in the community. I highly recommend not limiting yourself to those who subscribe to the culture, and instead just seek somebody who first: will be supportive of and understanding of your involvement in the culture, and second: might be interested in the culture once they have been made aware of its existence.

As for the culture gap:
It's not that wide, really. There are already very many compatible subcultures across the world including: military/ex-military, martial artists, anyone who is a member of multiple strong and close-knit communities, sci-fi/fantasy fans (and more specifically Star Wars fans who like the pre-Disney Expanded Universe or even Halo fans who self-identify as Spartans or ODSTs and maybe just maybe Klingons who actually understand the Klingon culture and the true meaning of "today is a good day to die"), linguists or conlang enthusiasts...the list goes on. My point is we aren't really that different from most people except that we identify with a culture that was born of a single author's contributions to a much-beloved and pretty diverse science-fiction universe. Communicating across any culture gap is really just a matter of making it clear what you stand for and why, combined with working to understand the people with whom you are communicating and what they stand for, then finding commonalities between your two world-views and forging a bond of trust and open communication. If you are a good person and you support your aliit (and your extended aliit, including your in-laws and non-Mando friends), they won't care what culture or beliefs you subscribe to and will instead just appreciate that you are a good person and will be thankful to be a part of your life -- especially if you make it clear to them that you are thankful to have them in your life.

TL;DR don't try too hard -- just be a good person and support your friends and family and they won't much care what culture you identify with because the results are clear and they trust you to have their backs.

[Tempest]

Alright, here's another one: influence. Let's start with our culture impacting the world around us. How obvious do you guys let your Mando-ness be and why? And also, I believe the Mando culture is real (if there was one American left on the Earth in a thousand years, American culture would be real), but there are those who give me a funny look and say "isn't it that language from Star Wars", implying that Mandos being in Star Wars somehow makes Mando culture a load of osik. How do you guys deal with someone saying our culture is complete osik? I welcome you guys' feedback!

[Belandrie Meave]

As a Jedi of Mando heritage - rather than specifically and deliberately a Mando'ad - believe me I get people saying my lifestyle and beliefs are osik. That said, I'm also not in America. I don't know how uptight people are over there.
Re. 'it's from Star Wars' - so what? There are people who sort themselves into Harry Potter houses and align themselves with Team Cap and Team Iron Man, and society doesn't blink an eye; what's wrong with saying 'I'm a Jedi' or 'ni'cuy Mando'ad' (apart from the probable problem with my grammar)? Point is, Jedi and Mandos have codes we bind ourselves by, codes anyone can go online and find - we can be counted on to be a neutral-to-good influence overall.
Um... guess my answer to your actual question is 'very, very, obvious because this is who I am, I don't see anything wrong with being this way, and I really don't give a flying kriff what anyone else thinks of that.' And yes, I wear a Padawan braid, and yes, with short hair so it's visible all the time, and yes, I have a legitimate job where 'professional attire' is part of the contract, and no, nobody has a problem with that.
And... everyone, everyone has someone who thinks their culture is osik.
I can understand it might be difficult for a cultural Mando to avoid saying 'Copaani mirshmure'cye, di'kut?' to that, but I guess you need to decide: can you just say 'this is my culture, please respect that, you are currently being really rude,' or do you have to go all verdyc on him? Because the Jedi approach is to shrug and say 'you're entitled to your opinion', and let it go.

[Vlet Hansen]

Pro tip: real warriors don't get bent out of shape over the opinions of others

[Tempest]

Glad to hear from you guys!

*looks at Vlet and nods agreement*

*looks at Belandrie* That's usually the approach I take, because, though I'm no fan of jettise, I prefer not to step on toes if I can avoid it. I still recognize, though, that Mandalorian honor requires me to stand tall and respect others' opinions, both in equally obvious proportions. Also, to each 'is own, but without literal midi-chlorians how does being a jetii work? I've always thought your abilities to be important to your way of life.