No really, this is a serious debate. I'm a bit disappointed that you've taken this down into the gutter from the beginning, unless you're just starting some banter between us.
No, seriously, I really thought this was a joke. So I was preparing for some archnemesising.
...
Awkward .
I personally think that you, like many posters, have serious oversights regarding the function of the test. Serenity is not about looking like a cold mask and not spreading panic. Its a rather idiotic analogy you made, as were many of your other examples. The purpose of the serenity exercise is to help her maintain inner calm which you would know is essential to mastering saidar if you'd paid attention to the series. As I pointed out Graendal almost lost saidar due to panic and that is what needs to be prevented in a crisis. It's about being surrounded at dumai wells and channeling with calm and not becoming hysterical and running all over the place, and losing the ability to hold the power.
You need look no further than the Seanchan attack on the White Tower to see that the test does not do what you think it does. I needn't remind you that the Captain-General of the Green Ajah - who passed the test - was flailing around like a headless chicken. The most competent woman there was Egwene, and she hasn't passed the test.
As for the Taim comment, its untrue and stupid. Sometimes a greater goal is present that supercedes an indiviual. Anyone of any important rank whose ever commanded people will tell you that.
And what greater goal is there in ignoring your responsibilities or human suffering in order to obey the voices in your head?
The purpose of the test is to prove that a woman can function under stress. The series has provided tons of examples where this is essential in an aes sedai. And anyway, you miss the point just like Nynaeve did. Its not a test to see what you would do in a situation! Its a test for you to weave while under stress. Your judgment is a non-issue, but your skills with saidar certainly are. Finding a deeper meaning in this test is like finding a deeper meaning in a driving test. They just want to see you drive the car. Don't bitch and whine if you fail because you object to the philosophy of the test and take the car for a wild spin, claiming that you were rushing to help an injured dog just do the damn test like they want. When you have the shawl you can run off and help children, or shield men, or become a darkfriend. Whatever...
Again, this notion fails because of the whole memory erasing. A more accurate analogy would be, say, being the only one capable of saving the city if you arrive on the other side of town within the next five minutes. But a voice in your head keeps saying "don't pass the speed limit, come to a complete stop at that corner, be steadfast." The tests do the opposite of what you claim. It claims women who are willing to ignore the greater goal to fulfill their selfish ambitions.
Need I remind you in one of Egwene's Acceptance tests, she was given the choice between keeping the Dragon Reborn from being turned to the Shadow, or jumping through the phantom arches. So what is this greater goal that warrants giving the saviour of the world to Shai'tan?
The first rule of being a ninja is "do no harm". Unless you intend to do harm, then do lots of harm.
~Master Splinter
Victorious in Bergioyn's legendary 'Reverse Mafia'. *MySmiley*
~Master Splinter
Victorious in Bergioyn's legendary 'Reverse Mafia'. *MySmiley*
Nynaeve's stupidity and the test for Aes Sedai
07/12/2010 08:27:05 PM
- 4289 Views
Way to totally misunderstand the chapter
07/12/2010 09:39:08 PM
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I second this
07/12/2010 10:10:24 PM
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your bold is stuck. *NM*
07/12/2010 10:21:22 PM
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On the whole, the test is innappropriate IMO
07/12/2010 09:40:08 PM
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nice post
08/12/2010 09:20:02 AM
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Isn't it implied
08/12/2010 02:16:58 PM
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no they were students together
08/12/2010 05:33:17 PM
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No, Lanfear was older than Lews
08/12/2010 07:21:45 PM
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Where on earth did you get that from?
08/12/2010 08:41:16 PM
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Re: Where on earth did you get that from?
09/12/2010 10:27:20 AM
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Re: Where on earth did you get that from?
09/12/2010 03:56:32 PM
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I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
09/12/2010 04:34:23 PM
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Re: I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
09/12/2010 05:43:40 PM
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I think skill with Saidar is easy enough to judge as it's a simple matter to see the skill
08/12/2010 05:37:27 PM
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I think the greens should have been on Nynaeve's side as well
08/12/2010 06:18:16 PM
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Problem is they are Aes Sedai and thus more likley to be political rather than rational! *NM*
08/12/2010 08:52:00 PM
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Re: nice post
09/12/2010 01:23:50 PM
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On the matter of strength
09/12/2010 08:51:36 PM
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Strength was "prized" in the AoL ... but lack of strength was not a negative
12/12/2010 01:41:08 AM
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Yes. How dare she not conform with every other fucking mindless stupid WT Aes Sedai *NM*
07/12/2010 11:36:52 PM
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Status is not an end in itself. *NM*
07/12/2010 11:52:37 PM
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They're not really stupid...
08/12/2010 01:00:20 AM
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Not saying they are. It's just that most AS that we've come across
08/12/2010 02:20:05 AM
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They're constantly outsmarted by a teenage girl that has spent most of her life in a damn farm.
08/12/2010 10:32:50 AM
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Bah...
09/12/2010 10:56:24 AM
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I did not say all Aes Sedai are stupid, I said all WT Aes Sedai are stupid.
10/12/2010 09:19:52 AM
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You are not only wrong in your call,
08/12/2010 04:39:44 AM
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Re: You are not only wrong in your call,
08/12/2010 09:13:37 AM
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if that is the purpose of the test
08/12/2010 01:34:45 PM
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minor disagreement
08/12/2010 05:27:51 PM
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Yes, but you can be not-panicked and not calm of body
08/12/2010 06:38:56 PM
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not really the same thing as what the AS are getting at though
08/12/2010 09:02:05 PM
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that's retarded, imo
09/12/2010 12:21:27 AM
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Oh it's totally stupid!
09/12/2010 04:37:14 PM
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No I know why she took the job. I just don't understand why she got it
09/12/2010 04:52:34 PM
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I think Elaida just smarmed up at the right time, Morgase was very young then
09/12/2010 05:52:29 PM
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Oh. Well, I'm sorry then.
08/12/2010 06:48:50 PM
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I think it has already been established that the purpose of the test is to ensure that
08/12/2010 09:59:18 PM
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Yeah, but how does that work?
08/12/2010 10:24:35 PM
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Somewhere in the sub-conscious they know what they're doing is important to them.
09/12/2010 12:20:47 AM
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Even so, it wouldn't work.
09/12/2010 03:32:55 AM
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I think if this thread has established anything it's that the test is severely flawed. *NM*
09/12/2010 09:24:48 PM
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Another headless chicken example.
09/12/2010 12:30:02 AM
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the headless chicken is just such a lovely metaphor for panic *NM*
09/12/2010 04:48:11 AM
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Re: Oh. Well, I'm sorry then.
09/12/2010 12:07:15 PM
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You seem to have no grasp of the difference between "politic" and "right"
09/12/2010 02:59:50 AM
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Re: You seem to have no grasp of the difference between "politic" and "right"
09/12/2010 09:26:21 AM
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That's not the dilema
09/12/2010 05:23:19 PM
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One of those few times where I completely agree with Cannoli. Give over Sidious. You're wrong.
09/12/2010 09:55:20 PM
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That's not what it's really about
10/12/2010 05:44:12 AM
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This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
09/12/2010 03:46:31 AM
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Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
09/12/2010 09:40:09 AM
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Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
09/12/2010 02:04:02 PM
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Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
09/12/2010 11:26:40 AM
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One of those few times where I completely agree with fionwe1987. Give over Sidious. You're wrong.
10/12/2010 03:53:25 PM
- 1121 Views