the sith are dedicated to the "sith code" and to mastering the dark side of the force. the sith code identifies conflict as the fundamental dynamic of reality, and holds that the search for lasting peace, within or without, is both quixotic and misguided. rather, sith embrace strife and dark passion as salutary and emancipatory forces, as they believe that violent struggle purges the decadent and weak, and that emotions such as aggression and hate provide the strength and resolve to secure freedom through victory. although sith seek dominion, sith philosophy stresses that power belongs only to those with the strength, cunning, and ruthlessness to maintain it, and thus "betrayal" among the sith is not a vice but an endorsed norm. accordingly, the sith reject altruism, self-abnegation and kindness, as they regard such attitudes as founded on delusions that fetter one's perceptions and power. in connection with their philosophy, the sith draw on the dark side of the force through severe negative emotions, a technique antipodal to that of their archenemies, the jedi, who rely on the force's "light side," i.e., the force as experienced through disciplined states of quietude and compassion. notably, both the jedi and sith shun romantic and familial love, as the jedi fear such love will lead to attachment, and thus selfishness, and the sith fear it will compromise their ruthlessness and connection to the dark side of the force.