Active Users:1140 Time:01/11/2024 02:03:19 AM
Re: Yes RugbyPlayingAshaman Send a noteboard - 13/12/2011 04:47:17 PM
An alternative could be that even if the gaps are large, strength does not mean that much. Kind of like height - there are reasons why it might indicate superiority in a fight, and is readily measurable, but the reason why men might generally be able to win a fight against a woman are not really about their being taller.


I am leaning more towards this, and have been of this opinion for the last few books. There is a metaphysical aspect to saidin and saidar which get ignored when we are trying to quantify strength levels. We are told strength is related to your soul, yet we never considered that your soul's relative importance to the Pattern might determine your strength. After all, how would you rank this? When Rand channeled hundreds of weaves in "Towers of Midnight", was this because he is the Dragon Reborn or because he has realized something about the One Power on an intuitive level that no one else has?

Perhaps women are generally "weaker" because they are so used to being in a female body that is 'weaker' physically than most male bodies, that this affects the expressions of their soul. If the One Power is a form of energy that allows for reality alteration, then your belief might express how much of the Power your soul can filter through your body before physical destruction.

Perhaps Ishamael is a match for Lews Therin because he believes so strongly that he was destined to be a match, that his soul can handle more Power than he was initially thought to be capable of, even without the True Power. It could also explain why Lanfear can be claimed to be second only to Ishamael according to the legends; when we get her POV, she focuses on being the strongest woman in the world that she might be holding herself back from being the strongest channeler in the world. She was driven both by egotism and an inferiority complex to drill the bore and date Lews Therin. Moghedien's inferiority complex and preference to work from the Shadows may drive her lesser channeling power, but when push came to shove, she used the Power to do something in T'A'R that no one thought possible - if it came down to her physical survival with her back against the wall, no holds barred, she may be capable of matching a "stronger" Forsaken because that's how her mind/soul works.

Just conjecture at this point, but it would account for Plot armor and etc.
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
This message last edited by RugbyPlayingAshaman on 13/12/2011 at 05:07:51 PM
Reply to message
Underestimating Forsaken strength - 11/12/2011 05:57:22 AM 1860 Views
Ah, my favourite topic makes a return... - 11/12/2011 07:45:29 AM 758 Views
Re: Ah, my favourite topic makes a return... - 11/12/2011 10:25:03 PM 776 Views
Yes, you are probably correct - 12/12/2011 06:26:07 AM 874 Views
Re: and some of the information given to us is flawed - 12/12/2011 07:38:59 PM 677 Views
The real question is - What percentage of her full strength did Nynaeve achieve by Book 4? - 12/12/2011 08:31:30 PM 713 Views
I find that unlikely - 12/12/2011 09:28:07 PM 681 Views
Easy question for you: Based on the evidence, what percentage of her strength was Nynaeve at in tSR? - 13/12/2011 07:09:56 AM 649 Views
Well.... - 13/12/2011 01:12:48 PM 718 Views
Well there we have it - 13/12/2011 01:36:45 PM 721 Views
Re: Well there we have it - 13/12/2011 02:06:14 PM 749 Views
Re: Well there we have it - 13/12/2011 02:12:10 PM 686 Views
Alivia may not even be stronger than Nynaeve... - 14/12/2011 03:14:06 AM 760 Views
That wouldn't surprise me actually *NM* - 14/12/2011 07:46:47 AM 399 Views
Where would you place Egwene though? - 14/12/2011 09:13:46 AM 663 Views
Re: Where would you place Egwene though? - 14/12/2011 12:53:49 PM 666 Views
Bonfire next to a candle indeed. Hehehe... - 14/12/2011 05:50:34 PM 804 Views
- 14/12/2011 06:56:40 PM 621 Views
The same "step" you refer to seperates Egwene from normal Aes Sedai according to RJ... - 14/12/2011 07:14:55 PM 649 Views
Yes! And...? - 15/12/2011 02:53:37 AM 658 Views
Yes I would agree with that - 14/12/2011 08:24:35 PM 810 Views
Alivia with an angreal > > > Cyndane - 14/12/2011 08:50:41 PM 582 Views
No - 14/12/2011 09:10:34 PM 669 Views
That makes no sense. - 14/12/2011 09:13:48 PM 736 Views
Correct. - 14/12/2011 09:43:53 PM 682 Views
Re: Correct. - 15/12/2011 05:54:37 AM 671 Views
So many instances of logical laziness in that post... - 14/12/2011 10:01:45 PM 1115 Views
Re: So many instances of logical laziness in that post... - 15/12/2011 06:16:01 AM 599 Views
Only slight diffence I have is regarding general AS strength - 30/12/2011 04:45:49 PM 691 Views
I think it was just Aes Sedai hyperbole - 15/12/2011 09:51:00 PM 542 Views
And entirely based off your shared assumption. - 14/12/2011 05:15:51 AM 745 Views
Actually that's a lot of logical assumption. *NM* - 13/12/2011 01:28:00 PM 332 Views
But... - 14/12/2011 03:06:15 AM 547 Views
And - 30/12/2011 05:07:13 PM 648 Views
Yes - 13/12/2011 04:16:40 PM 798 Views
Re: Yes - 13/12/2011 04:47:17 PM 706 Views
Nah. Beyond the realm of possibility. Sorry, - 13/12/2011 05:12:40 PM 762 Views
There are a number of comments from Q&As that shows that this is possible and more complex. - 13/12/2011 08:23:49 PM 731 Views
None of which I disagree with, but a far cry from women being weaker just due to believing it... - 13/12/2011 08:39:40 PM 631 Views
But that is my point: it wouldn't be merely force of will. - 13/12/2011 09:40:17 PM 627 Views
What Rand is doing... - 14/12/2011 03:43:08 AM 748 Views
That would make sense given Min's vision - 16/12/2011 04:37:56 PM 550 Views
Wait.. I DIDN'T write that! - 14/12/2011 03:02:04 AM 619 Views
Reply to your question of - "Why use Logain gateway comparison as evidence:" - 17/12/2011 03:08:19 PM 718 Views
You're basically saying "correlation equals causation"... - 18/12/2011 06:18:47 AM 665 Views
On gateways - 18/12/2011 07:17:09 AM 707 Views
Might assume that Elayne is stronger in the Power than Aviendha. - 19/12/2011 02:40:46 PM 897 Views
I suspect he knows that... - 19/12/2011 05:53:00 PM 616 Views
Nope...some maths problems in your post. - 19/12/2011 07:41:29 PM 669 Views
But 64 square feet is not Elayne's maximum... - 20/12/2011 02:46:50 AM 616 Views
But Shielding is also relative. - 27/12/2011 09:35:11 PM 1878 Views
Re: Underestimating Forsaken strength - 22/12/2011 05:24:53 PM 662 Views

Reply to Message