The point of the test is to prove that the woman can remain calm and achieve a higher purpose in the face of extreme stress, which Nynaeve cannot do. The fact that Nynaeve wants to rescue children and other suffering people when she's exposed to them makes her a serious risk to a higher purpose.
The 'higher purpose' here is to secure a title that she already has by conforming to the useless tradition of this AS test. Given the option of saving a bunch of people's lives or gaining brownie points with some snobs, I think most people would agree with Nynaeve's choice...
All the Shadow has to do to someone like Nynaeve is exploit a weakness like this, whereas a true Aes Sedai should technically be immune to this type of temptation. If Cyndane sees Nynaeve protecting Rand, all she needs to do is break Mat's legs and leave him bleeding at the bottom of the hill... Nynaeve would abandon all higher purposes and run to help him.
Not really. If she knows Rand is in danger, then she probably won't leave him. If she thinks Rand will be OK, then she will go help Mat.
Morally she can't be touched, but she's an utter failure in a test where the rules are explicitly stated prior to starting, and in the broader spectrum of life where a higher purpose really can be worth the death and suffering of others.
There wasn't much at stake in this test. The goal of passing it was pointless when presented with what she would have let happen if she did.
Nynaeve's stupidity and the test for Aes Sedai
07/12/2010 08:27:05 PM
- 4501 Views
Way to totally misunderstand the chapter
07/12/2010 09:39:08 PM
- 1811 Views
I second this
07/12/2010 10:10:24 PM
- 1478 Views
your bold is stuck. *NM*
07/12/2010 10:21:22 PM
- 638 Views
On the whole, the test is innappropriate IMO
07/12/2010 09:40:08 PM
- 1609 Views
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
- 1094 Views
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
- 1355 Views
I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
09/12/2010 04:34:23 PM
- 1270 Views
Re: I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
09/12/2010 05:43:40 PM
- 1260 Views
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
- 1168 Views
I think the greens should have been on Nynaeve's side as well
08/12/2010 06:18:16 PM
- 1290 Views
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
- 1365 Views
On the matter of strength
09/12/2010 08:51:36 PM
- 1196 Views
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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Well
07/12/2010 11:03:38 PM
- 1248 Views
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
- 586 Views
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
- 980 Views
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
- 1247 Views
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
- 1101 Views
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
- 566 Views
Another headless chicken example.
09/12/2010 12:30:02 AM
- 1153 Views
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
- 1229 Views
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
- 1400 Views
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
- 1245 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
09/12/2010 02:04:02 PM
- 1555 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
09/12/2010 11:26:40 AM
- 1254 Views
One of those few times where I completely agree with fionwe1987. Give over Sidious. You're wrong.
10/12/2010 03:53:25 PM
- 1245 Views