Obi-Wan Kenobi Quotes

The first two episodes of the long-awaited limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi came out this morning on Disney Plus.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Padawan prodigy, gifted in the ways of the Force, who would grow into a Jedi Master. He served as a general in the Republic Army during the Clone Wars and guided Luke Skywalker as a mentor. He also trained his best friend, Anakin Skywalker, who eventually betrayed the Jedi Master, turned to the dark side, and became the Sith Lord, Darth Vader.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series takes place 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, when Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend.

I couldn’t let today pass without an Obi-Wan Kenobi-themed post. Of all the Obi-Wan Kenobi quotes that exist, many can be applied to learning, studying, and preparing for the bar exam.

Let’s look at just a few.

“Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes.”

This statement is a bit ironic because Obi-Wan Kenobi’s statement is, in itself, an absolute. But, aside from that irony, Obi-Wan Kenobi made his statement in response to Anakin Skywalker saying, “If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy.” It’s the ultimate all-or-nothing categorization. Like yes or no. Or guilty or not guilty. Liable or not liable. Admit or exclude. Sustain or overrule.

As you’re answering multiple-choice questions, don’t be entirely focused on the conclusions, like the “yes” or the “no.” Rather, focus on the rationale and pay attention to the information after the word “because” after the “yes” or the “no.” Simply looking at the end result (i.e., whether the defendant is guilty or not) will prevent you from seeing all the complexities tested in a multiple-choice question.

When it comes to essay questions, dealing in absolutes—and making one-sided arguments—will prevent you from identifying counterarguments or discussing potential weaknesses in your responses. This will prevent you from maximizing your points on the written portion of the bar exam.

“Your eyes can deceive you; don’t trust them.”

When you read the call of the question, you might be thinking you know the issue. “Can the defendant be found liable for battery?” You might be thinking, “Great, the question is about battery.” That's true, but be careful. The examiners will usually give you the broad issue, but simply looking at the broad issue will rarely help you reach the correct rationale. Rather, you need to make sure you identify—and examine—the narrow issue. So instead of examining whether there is a battery generally, dig into the more specific requirements of battery, and think about potential defenses

“Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?”

Always consider the source of information on the internet and elsewhere. Always.

I’m amazed at how many graduates rely on Reddit for bar prep advice. Sure, Reddit can give good advice, but you’ll have to weed through hundreds of bad comments to find it. That’s a huge time suck. Plus, relying on advice from anonymous posters like CooCooBananas or GrumpyCatSleeps seems a bit, well, dangerous.

A graduate recently informed me that an anonymous user had posted information about me on Reddit, writing that I had helped her (or him) pass the bar exam and that I was “patient, informative and really invested in his students [sic] success.” I don’t even know exactly who that person is. Heck, for all you know, I could have posted that comment myself!

“You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”

If you’re not an evil Sith Lord and, thus, not dealing in absolutes, you should be able to see all sides of an argument. Remember that when you’re drafting your responses to the Multistate Performance Tests (MPTs). Most likely at least one of the two MPTs administered in a Uniform Bar Exam jurisdiction will be some sort of objective task, like a memorandum. Make sure you examine the File and Library materials from all sides. Provide counterarguments. And draft your responses to the appropriate audience.

“In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck.”

This is self-explanatory. Don’t give into chance. There are solid data points that show how you can pass the bar exam.

May the Force be with you!