| |
Seduced by the Dark Side
As Phil is forced to repeat his Groundhog Day kata
again and again, he sees his prowess grow, despite
his reluctance. He gets to know his day the people
around him so well, he can see new possibilities.
 Freed
of the consequences of his actions,
Phil uses his powers for self-absorbed diversions,
such as amoured car robbery.
But
rather than using his powers for the common good, he
decides that he is "not going to live by [the]
rules anymore." So guided by selfish desire, and
freed from the consequences of his actions, he goes
on a spree. Using knowledge gleaned through repeated
interactions and observations of the same day, he is
able to seduce women, rob armoured cars and generally
make a nuisance of himself.
As Rita notes, Phil's egocentricity is his "defining
characteristic." By getting to know his kata so
well, he can dominate people and events in almost
any way he wishes. He finally decides that he is like
a god.
Sometimes, when a student's training takes an enormous
leap, overweening pride can become an issue. Then it
is up to the teacher to hammer down the nail of egocentricity. |
