People's different interpretation of raw power, mastery and knowledge...

On sites like kmc and cv you sometimes see people with different interpretations of raw power, mastery and knowledge and how they affect each other.

What are your interpretations of them and what do you think is the correct one ?

Raw power. Essentially the devastation you're capable of unleashing through the Force. Mastery. Your ability to employ complicated or advanced applications of a certain power. Knowledge. The amount of Force abilities you know.

It's pretty simple tbh.

They all factor into each other indirectly though, similarly to how physical fitness affects one's bladework. For example, mastery also factors in to how much of your raw power you can bring to bear at will, and how effectively it's applied.

The above is also true. They all affect each other to a certain degree.

Raw power is potential, mastery is control and knowledge is knowledge.

I've always thought 'potential' was the worst and most misleading way to put it.

Raw power isn't nessecarily potential tbh...

Potential is the raw power that you could one day attain. It doesn't mean you're capable of employing your raw power at its full potential before you've reached it.

Originally posted by NewGuy01
I've always thought 'potential' was the worst and most misleading way to put it.

Potential is probably the best way to put it because it sounds like what it is. A power level you could one day achieve but that you just don't possess at the current moment.

What a Force user could "potentially" be is the result of a mixture of power, skill, mastery, knowledge, experience, and etc.; I have no problem with that concept in a general sense. What I take issue with is how it's used, as a synonym of raw power, as above. I never really bought into the idea that Force users became more powerful in the literal sense over the course of their careers except in the case of anomalies like Sarasu Taalon. Under the right circumstances, I think even a barely trained neophyte could bring their full power to bear, albeit not as effectively as they could with a more practiced hand. It's not like pre-master Force users have a reserve of power that's sealed off to them, but rather that they're simply not as effective as they could be using the power at their disposal.

I always defined "raw power" as the amount of power one can bear any given moment, even if it isn't per-se "polished". A 11 year old Anakin has more "potential" than his adult Vader self, but he doesn't have more "raw power".

Conversely, Kyp Durron has more raw power than, lets say, a Darth Vader, but his mastery isn't quote on Vader level, and combatively speaking, he prolly can't use it as adroitly as Vader either.

That's just the thing; 11 year old Anakin is more powerful than Darth Vader, he just doesn't know how to effectively put that power to use like Vader does. It's not like he could become more powerful, he already is. The issue is that he's infinitely less masterful and knowledgeable, which, as I said before, factors into his output.

^^
That's a fair enough exegesis.

Originally posted by NewGuy01
What a Force user could "potentially" be is the result of a mixture of power, skill, mastery, knowledge, experience, and etc.; I have no problem with that concept in a general sense. What I take issue with is how it's used, as a synonym of raw power, as above. I never really bought into the idea that Force users became more powerful in the literal sense over the course of their careers except in the case of anomalies like Sarasu Taalon. Under the right circumstances, I think even a barely trained neophyte could bring their full power to bear, albeit not as effectively as they could with a more practiced hand. It's not like pre-master Force users have a reserve of power that's sealed off to them, but rather that they're simply not as effective as they could be using the power at their disposal.

I disagree. Multiple novels throughout the EU contradict this stance most notably in TFU where Galen notes his upper limit increases the more he pushes at the bounds of what he's capable of at the time.

I don't know what you're on about. Galen rekt Vader as a toddler. As far as I can tell it just went downhill from there. 😎

Fair point. 👆

@NewGuy01

Exactly. How powerful one is, is defined at birth by ones midichorian count and force users just get better over time at bringing their full power to bear.

For example Anakin has more raw power than Yoda but lacks the mastery and knowledge to bring that full power to bear.

Will you say the above is correct?

You just rephrased exactly what he said...

That's why he said "exactly." 👆

Then why is he asking him to confirm something he already knows? :/

@NewGuy01

Exactly. How powerful one is, is defined at birth by ones midichorian count and force users just get better over time at bringing their full power to bear.

For example Anakin has more raw power than Yoda but lacks the mastery and knowledge to bring that full power to bear.

Will you say the above is correct?

Approximately. Although if it were me, I would have made a minor addition to that last line.

For example Anakin has more raw power than Yoda but lacks the mastery and knowledge to bring that full power to bear consistently and effectively.

Like I mentioned before, I do actually think that a neophyte could bring their full power to bear, under the correct circumstances. Such circumstances could include high-emotion situations (as we've seen with Savage), situations where survival instinct kicks in (as we've seen with Zannah), or situations where there's an atypical amount of time to focus (as we've seen with Kyp).

However, the knowledge and mastery is necessary to be able to perform at 100% capacity consistently, and to use that 100% capacity in an effective manner (i.e not just releasing energy aimlessly).

That's just nitpicking, though. You essentially have the right idea, as far as I can tell.