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
4598 Views
Way to totally misunderstand the chapter
- 07/12/2010 09:39:08 PM
1888 Views
I second this
- 07/12/2010 10:10:24 PM
1550 Views
your bold is stuck. *NM*
- 07/12/2010 10:21:22 PM
670 Views
On the whole, the test is innappropriate IMO
- 07/12/2010 09:40:08 PM
1665 Views
nice post
- 08/12/2010 09:20:02 AM
1446 Views
Isn't it implied
- 08/12/2010 02:16:58 PM
1224 Views
no they were students together
- 08/12/2010 05:33:17 PM
1160 Views
No, Lanfear was older than Lews
- 08/12/2010 07:21:45 PM
1385 Views
Where on earth did you get that from?
- 08/12/2010 08:41:16 PM
1310 Views
Re: Where on earth did you get that from?
- 09/12/2010 10:27:20 AM
1327 Views
Re: Where on earth did you get that from?
- 09/12/2010 03:56:32 PM
1434 Views
I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
- 09/12/2010 04:34:23 PM
1358 Views
Re: I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
- 09/12/2010 05:43:40 PM
1320 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
1244 Views
I think the greens should have been on Nynaeve's side as well
- 08/12/2010 06:18:16 PM
1347 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
910 Views
Re: nice post
- 09/12/2010 01:23:50 PM
1447 Views
On the matter of strength
- 09/12/2010 08:51:36 PM
1256 Views
Strength was "prized" in the AoL ... but lack of strength was not a negative
- 12/12/2010 01:41:08 AM
1217 Views
Well
- 07/12/2010 11:03:38 PM
1295 Views
Yes. How dare she not conform with every other fucking mindless stupid WT Aes Sedai *NM*
- 07/12/2010 11:36:52 PM
741 Views
Status is not an end in itself. *NM*
- 07/12/2010 11:52:37 PM
623 Views
They're not really stupid...
- 08/12/2010 01:00:20 AM
1345 Views
Not saying they are. It's just that most AS that we've come across
- 08/12/2010 02:20:05 AM
1048 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
1305 Views
Bah...
- 09/12/2010 10:56:24 AM
1347 Views
I did not say all Aes Sedai are stupid, I said all WT Aes Sedai are stupid.
- 10/12/2010 09:19:52 AM
1313 Views
You are not only wrong in your call,
- 08/12/2010 04:39:44 AM
1556 Views
Re: You are not only wrong in your call,
- 08/12/2010 09:13:37 AM
1558 Views
if that is the purpose of the test
- 08/12/2010 01:34:45 PM
1250 Views
minor disagreement
- 08/12/2010 05:27:51 PM
1349 Views
Yes, but you can be not-panicked and not calm of body
- 08/12/2010 06:38:56 PM
1182 Views
not really the same thing as what the AS are getting at though
- 08/12/2010 09:02:05 PM
1825 Views
that's retarded, imo
- 09/12/2010 12:21:27 AM
1342 Views
Oh it's totally stupid!
- 09/12/2010 04:37:14 PM
1306 Views
No I know why she took the job. I just don't understand why she got it
- 09/12/2010 04:52:34 PM
1250 Views
I think Elaida just smarmed up at the right time, Morgase was very young then
- 09/12/2010 05:52:29 PM
1357 Views
Oh. Well, I'm sorry then.
- 08/12/2010 06:48:50 PM
1292 Views
I think it has already been established that the purpose of the test is to ensure that
- 08/12/2010 09:59:18 PM
1052 Views
Yeah, but how does that work?
- 08/12/2010 10:24:35 PM
1195 Views
Somewhere in the sub-conscious they know what they're doing is important to them.
- 09/12/2010 12:20:47 AM
1323 Views
Even so, it wouldn't work.
- 09/12/2010 03:32:55 AM
1239 Views
I think if this thread has established anything it's that the test is severely flawed. *NM*
- 09/12/2010 09:24:48 PM
607 Views
Another headless chicken example.
- 09/12/2010 12:30:02 AM
1220 Views
the headless chicken is just such a lovely metaphor for panic
*NM*
- 09/12/2010 04:48:11 AM
549 Views
*NM*
- 09/12/2010 04:48:11 AM
549 Views
Re: Oh. Well, I'm sorry then.
- 09/12/2010 12:07:15 PM
1296 Views
You seem to have no grasp of the difference between "politic" and "right"
- 09/12/2010 02:59:50 AM
1398 Views
Re: You seem to have no grasp of the difference between "politic" and "right"
- 09/12/2010 09:26:21 AM
1260 Views
That's not the dilema
- 09/12/2010 05:23:19 PM
1464 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
1240 Views
That's not what it's really about
- 10/12/2010 05:44:12 AM
1217 Views
This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 03:46:31 AM
1255 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 09:40:09 AM
1308 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 02:04:02 PM
1617 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 11:26:40 AM
1316 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
1323 Views

*NM*