NOTES AND QUOTES FROM THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR
ALL ENGLISH CLASSES: READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT BEFORE ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS: GET INTO DISCUSSION GROUPS FIRST AND TALK ABOUT YOUR ANSWERS BEFORE WRITING
DOWN YOUR RESPONSE. FEEL FREE TO USE THE QUOTES PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT FROM THE
FILM TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWERS:
1. WHY DOES SOCRATES WANT DAN TO GET OUT OF HIS MIND? NOTE THE CONNECTION
BETWEEN THE MIND AND THE EGO. ALSO NOTE THAT THE PRESENT MOMENT IS THE ONE
PLACE WHERE THE EGO CANNOT EXIST. (SEE ECKHART TOLLE’S BOOK A NEW EARTH).
2. WHAT IS SOCRATES TRYING TO TEACH DAN WHEN HE TAKES HIM TO THE TOP OF THE GYM TO
OBSERVE HIS COACH AND TEAMMATES?
3. WHAT IS SOCRATES TRYING TO TEACH DAN BY MAKING HIM SCRUB TOILETS AND CLEAN THE
SERVICE STATION?
4. WHAT LESSON IS SOCRATES TRYING TO TEACH DAN ABOUT ADDICTIONS, PRIDE AND
ATTACHMENT IN THE BAR SCENE?
5. WHAT IS THE HOLD UP SCENE DESIGNED TO TEACH DAN TO LET GO OF?
6. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOCRATES TAKING DAN OUT ON A HIKE IN NATURE?
THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL:
Breaking-down to Break-through
To break free of the ego, surrender, patience, and non-attachment to all outcomes are necessary to
successfully navigate through life’s obstacles and adversities. Breakdowns, which occur immediately
prior to a dark night of the soul journey are necessary for movement to higher ground. During the dark
night, it is not uncommon to feel as if one is being punished, and to experience fear and uncertainty as
to whether one will make it through or if one even wants to go on. One also feels weak, vulnerable and
unclear about the right path to take. Note that in the beginning of the movie, during his training in
learning how to “meditate in every action” whether it is cleaning toilets or sweeping the floor, Dan’s
ego will not allow him to humble himself, nor sit with the pain of ridicule from his peers and
disappointment from his coach. Thus, Dan is unable until after his breakdown to sit with pain and listen
to what it has to teach him, which is the meaning of Socrates telling him to learn to ask better questions,
such as “What can I learn from this?” Dan wants results and answers “right now!” Unfortunately, Dan’s
desire for the easy way out, forces the universe to come crashing down on him in a big way to get his
attention. Anthony Robbins points out that “devastation will either destroy” an individual or give
him/her “the drive” to pull out of it. Fortunately, Dan becomes driven to succeed in spite of the
impossible odds against him and becomes a true hero. One of America’s great philosophers reminds us
t that “life breaks everyone” but what matters is how we “heal in the broken places.” Dan heals
beautifully to the point where no one would know that he was once broken to bits.
Writing Prompt for Peaceful Warrior
ALL CLASSES: DO THE FOLLOWING JOURNAL EXERCISE FOR HOMEWORK TO BE INCORPORATED LATER
INTO YOUR MIDTERMS AND FINALS. THE ESSAY WILL ALSO BE CHECKED IN CLASS AND USED FOR CLASS
DISCUSSIONS.
The point of power is in the present moment. Practicing present moment awareness is the most direct
route to mastering the control that the ego has over most people. Thus, being “conscious of your
actions and responsible for your choices” can help one reach one’s full potential. Analyze the following
quote and write about how it connects to the theme of present moment awareness. Relate it to your
own experiences in life and how the information you have been presented in the film and readings can
be used to make you a better student and a better person in all aspects of your life: physically, mentally,
spiritually, financially and relationally. Make this a 3-5 paragraph essay, typed, double spaced, in MLA.
Remember what is important … It’s not having everything go right; it’s facing whatever goes
wrong. It’s not being without fear; it’s having determination to go on in spite of it. It’s not
where you stand, but the direction you’re going in. It’s believing you have already been given
everything you need to handle life. It’s not being able to rid the world of all its injustices; it’s
being able to rise above them. It’s the belief in your heart that there will always be more good
than bad in the world. Remember to live just this one day and not add tomorrow’s troubles to
today’s load. Remember that every day ends and brings a new tomorrow full of exciting new
things. Love what you do, do the best you can, and always remember how much you are loved.
– Diane Mastromarino For an Extra-Special Teen.
WRITING CHECK LIST:
Write from your own passion, truth and personal experience.
Find your authentic voice and do not be afraid to use it.
Read whatever you write out loud to yourself at least five times after the first draft.
Have someone else read your final draft out loud to you at least once.
Your writing should sound conversational when read out loud. If you can speak, you can write.
Give yourself one sleep cycle before reading your paper again, doing yet another edit, then turning in
your final edit.
Never assume that your audience knows anything about what you are writing about. Be specific by
giving supporting details.
ENGLISH 101 and 102 Students Only: After we watch “The Matrix” in class and read Plato’s “Allegory of
the Cave” in class, do the following writing exercise in your journal and save this writing to share in class
and to use as inserts for your midterm paper.
Read Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.” It is available on the internet. Watch The Matrix again. Compare
and contrast Plato to Peaceful Warrior and The Matrix. How are they similar and how are they
different. Notice Dan’s difficulty in distinguishing the dream state from the awakened state the same
way that Neo cannot.
ALL STUDENTS: READ THE FOLLOWING QUOTES AND USE THEM IN YOUR ESSAYS. YOU MAY ALSO USE
THEM TO ANSWER TO QUESTIONS AND REFER TO THEM FOR USE IN YOUR MIDTERM AND FINAL
PAPERS:
The following quotes are from Socrates (Nick Nolte in Peaceful Warrior)
“You can live a whole lifetime without ever being awake.”
“There is no higher purpose than service to others.”
“People are afraid of what’s inside and that’s the only place they’re ever going to find their answers.”
“The trash is anything that’s keeping you from the only thing that really matters … this moment … here
and now. And when you are in the here and now you will be amazed at what you can do and how well
you can do it.”
“Sometimes you have to lose your mind before you can come to your senses.”
“One must learn to meditate in every action, let go of pride, addictions and knowing everything.”
“The only true courage is absolute vulnerability.”
“Find the love in what you do.”
“There are no ordinary moments … There’s never nothing going on.”
“The habit is the problem. One must become conscious of one’s choices and responsible for one’s
actions.”
“How do you know that I’m not your own intuition speaking to you right now?”
“Death is just a transformation. The sad part is that most people don’t live at all.”
“The accident (tragedy, loss or obstacle) is your training. There is no stopping or starting, only doing.”
“If you don’t get what you want you suffer and even when you get exactly what you want you still suffer
because you can’t hold on to it forever.”
“The gold is a craving (an addiction). You don’t surrender your dreams. You surrender what you will
never have control and accept that you are something exceptional anyway.”
“Happiness is in the journey, not the destination.”
What time is it? Now
Where are you? Here
What are you? This moment