I still think its weird that you take Asmodean's word over RJ's. He stated clearly that exactly the same number of men and women will be strong enough to be Aes Sedai if you consider the dexterity advantage women have. Which is as clear a statement as possible that the average male and the average female have the same capability.
What you're ignoring is that the average Aes Sedai is considerably weaker than the average woman. This is because the Tower's averages are extremely skewed due to their stupid policies.
Once they start recruiting from all over the world, not only will they have more channelers, their averages will improve too.
The best comparison between men and women comes from the Damane vs. Asha'man fighting in tPoD. Damane cannot link either, and are hardly the most skilled channelers in the world, yet they give the Asha'man a good run for their money. What does that say about male female parity?
What you're ignoring is that the average Aes Sedai is considerably weaker than the average woman. This is because the Tower's averages are extremely skewed due to their stupid policies.
Once they start recruiting from all over the world, not only will they have more channelers, their averages will improve too.
The best comparison between men and women comes from the Damane vs. Asha'man fighting in tPoD. Damane cannot link either, and are hardly the most skilled channelers in the world, yet they give the Asha'man a good run for their money. What does that say about male female parity?
I recall you getting into a debate about the statistics, where another poster also well verse in mathematics disagreed that his statement meant that. Either way, I think it's clear that he changed his mind half way through the series so I think one plausibly decide what to believe. What I don't understand about your contention is that you're so willing to believe that Asmodean is wrong. It's clearly a Moiraine/Gandalf moment where we are given a small lecture on how the Power works, not some complex subterfuge to fool Rand. I just think that on average in the AOL, average men were strong enough overall to be considered a step higher than women in power. Moghedien also says this to Nynaeve about 'the average man', so it seems like a convenient mass delusion if it's not true.
The average Aes Sedai is stronger than the average woman, not weaker. Egwene's sample is an excellent sample because she took 1,000 females who showed up at her door. Yeah, maybe some Nynaeve's got lost on the way, but I'm sure some Morgase's did too. Egwene doesn't have much hope for the collective strength of her sample. Aes Sedai have always been picky about strength and tend to take the strongest. You can't even become Accepted if you don't have enough strength in the Power, never mind gain the shawl. That's why so many AS can Travel compared to other women, and even among them only a few can do so.
As for the damane, that really is a skewed sample. Most damane come from a long line of training focussed primarily on destruction. Ash'aman have been channeling for a few months at best. Even so, I think the damane came off far worse. I don't recall any Ash'aman dying, but several damane were killed or captured. It might come down to Earth/Fire vs Water/Air though - Moghedien said men are very good at destruction and I think it's a good and applicable quote.
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
The top 6 Forsaken - similar in the One Power
12/09/2009 09:27:20 PM
- 1743 Views
The Big White Book says...
12/09/2009 11:46:43 PM
- 958 Views
Not Aginor
13/09/2009 08:36:37 AM
- 965 Views
Re: Not Aginor
13/09/2009 03:16:13 PM
- 858 Views
Re: Not Aginor
13/09/2009 05:47:14 PM
- 897 Views
Fact is, the bwb is untrustworthy
13/09/2009 05:54:28 PM
- 818 Views
But, RJ himself said that the BWB was written from the standpoint of a scholar
14/09/2009 04:42:59 PM
- 804 Views
It all depends on how you define "powerful"
14/09/2009 02:30:31 AM
- 895 Views
So is graendal similar to lanfear then?
13/09/2009 05:41:42 PM
- 765 Views
Graendal could fight Lanfear and win
13/09/2009 06:01:57 PM
- 1302 Views
Graendal herself says...
13/09/2009 09:08:46 PM
- 783 Views
Lanfear was more powerful than Graendal, but Cyndane has less power
13/09/2009 10:19:35 PM
- 766 Views
Re: So is graendal similar to lanfear then?
13/09/2009 06:05:11 PM
- 905 Views
Compulsion=any other deadly weave. Doesn't really change matters
13/09/2009 10:23:40 PM
- 784 Views
But it did give her an edge, and against two forsaken. *NM*
13/09/2009 11:12:09 PM
- 438 Views
Not at all
14/09/2009 04:51:48 AM
- 843 Views
But Graendal confronted her... twice! *NM*
13/09/2009 07:48:29 PM
- 390 Views
Apparently only the third time counts
*NM*
13/09/2009 08:00:37 PM
- 423 Views
But the third time's supposed to be lucky. So that won't count either. *NM*
13/09/2009 11:26:18 PM
- 447 Views


Really?
13/09/2009 08:36:33 PM
- 754 Views
No falsely...
13/09/2009 11:25:40 PM
- 982 Views

And, of course, the male and female OP strength ranks might not even correlate that much
14/09/2009 04:41:58 PM
- 721 Views
They correlate on some critical points
14/09/2009 06:57:43 PM
- 810 Views
That's not exactly what I'm referring to.
15/09/2009 04:36:29 PM
- 670 Views
But then we are discussing the same thing
15/09/2009 06:59:04 PM
- 811 Views
I think, outside of semantics, our main disagreement doesn't lie amid the higher tiers
16/09/2009 03:53:09 PM
- 685 Views
Probably
16/09/2009 06:31:27 PM
- 832 Views
Ahh the old debate...
17/09/2009 12:42:36 AM
- 768 Views
Re: Ahh the old debate...
17/09/2009 05:26:52 AM
- 715 Views
I only disagree on one point, I think they are all rather equal in potential, incl. Ishamael
14/09/2009 04:28:12 PM
- 771 Views
I do think Ishamel is special
14/09/2009 07:04:03 PM
- 856 Views
He's special the same way any individual is special.
14/09/2009 11:36:42 PM
- 813 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special.
15/09/2009 08:36:20 AM
- 793 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special.
15/09/2009 03:48:34 PM
- 778 Views
Re: He's special the same way any individual is special.
15/09/2009 04:39:39 PM
- 771 Views
The more interesting question is...
14/09/2009 06:34:11 PM
- 724 Views
Hmmm
14/09/2009 07:04:34 PM
- 751 Views
I think we'll see Graendal vs. Aran'gar.
14/09/2009 07:31:16 PM
- 823 Views
Ah yes, that makes sense, and would be great! *NM*
14/09/2009 07:40:29 PM
- 616 Views
Yeah. Though I think its no competition. Graendal has got to be better than a walking tree!
14/09/2009 07:50:09 PM
- 710 Views
They do imply that Graendal is a lot more dangerous than she looks
14/09/2009 09:08:43 PM
- 738 Views
I've never underestimated Graendal
14/09/2009 09:42:49 PM
- 789 Views
Yeah... her frivolity was always a red flag for me too.
14/09/2009 10:18:40 PM
- 770 Views
To me, she is the most lethal.
15/09/2009 05:18:10 PM
- 595 Views
I still like Lanfear more
15/09/2009 06:51:03 PM
- 724 Views

Graendal did not beat me and Moghedien
15/09/2009 05:59:39 PM
- 817 Views
Agreed
15/09/2009 06:36:48 PM
- 715 Views
Ummm... how do we know?
15/09/2009 06:40:57 PM
- 837 Views