Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
DomA Send a noteboard - 09/12/2010 11:26:40 AM
Anyone who "passed" this test to satisfy Rubinde, Lelaine and Barasine may as well openly admit to being a Darkfriend. The damage, in my eyes, would be about the same.
Honestly, any person who will forsake saving sick children just so she could earn the title of Aes Sedai does not deserve to be called "Servant of All".
Honestly, any person who will forsake saving sick children just so she could earn the title of Aes Sedai does not deserve to be called "Servant of All".
That's kind of the point.... Aes Sedai call themselves Aes Sedai, not "Servants of All". It's not an innocent distinction... They know the meaning of the name, but by insisting to use the Old Tongue term, they've turned it into a pure honorific/mark of status.
The Tower has turned to the common tongue for near everything it wants the people to understand. Novices have to understand what they are. Sitters are sitters, and the Hall the hall. Other terms, they've given an aura of mystery and power by keeping the OT name alone: Amyrlin, Ajah, Aes Sedai. Barely anyone, especially not the Aes Sedai, think of "servant" when they use the honorific Sedai. A great deal would be different if they'd translate the title and people high and low were calling the sisters "Servant X" or Servant of All. That might have made the AS more humble, for one thing, and become a constant reminder to them and to the people of what they really ought to be.
I agree this test goes completely against what an Aes Sedai used to be. The Accepted spend years preparing for it, and one of the consequences, though I doubt the sisters realize this, is to drive out of the future Aes Sedai all desire to be a servant of All to become a servant of the White Tower. The fact AS are servants of all is virtually kept a secret for initiates, except when the sisters have political reasons to portray themselves as "only serving". Developing a mentality of service is totally discouraged in the current Tower system, it's hardly surprising the standard test reflects this. They see such as inappropriate behaviour in a sister. Today's AS are taught to serve only when it serves the purpose of the WT and won't harm the Tower's aura of power. The average sister sees most services as demeaning for women of her status. For eg: sisters were horrified that objects crafted by their hands could be sold, sisters were angry to be seen in public working on the harbour walls. And so on.... Aes Sedai would be pissed to be forced to work at Travelling Grounds the way Elayne has the Windfinders/Kin do without a fuss. Service an AS will render with the OP is limited pretty much to fighting and healing. Almost everything else is perceived as demeaning.
Nynaeve's stupidity and the test for Aes Sedai
- 07/12/2010 08:27:05 PM
4807 Views
Way to totally misunderstand the chapter
- 07/12/2010 09:39:08 PM
1984 Views
I second this
- 07/12/2010 10:10:24 PM
1662 Views
your bold is stuck. *NM*
- 07/12/2010 10:21:22 PM
708 Views
On the whole, the test is innappropriate IMO
- 07/12/2010 09:40:08 PM
1758 Views
nice post
- 08/12/2010 09:20:02 AM
1554 Views
Isn't it implied
- 08/12/2010 02:16:58 PM
1302 Views
no they were students together
- 08/12/2010 05:33:17 PM
1268 Views
No, Lanfear was older than Lews
- 08/12/2010 07:21:45 PM
1478 Views
Where on earth did you get that from?
- 08/12/2010 08:41:16 PM
1396 Views
Re: Where on earth did you get that from?
- 09/12/2010 10:27:20 AM
1440 Views
Re: Where on earth did you get that from?
- 09/12/2010 03:56:32 PM
1519 Views
I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
- 09/12/2010 04:34:23 PM
1457 Views
Re: I always got the impression that they were together for quiet some time
- 09/12/2010 05:43:40 PM
1404 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
1343 Views
I think the greens should have been on Nynaeve's side as well
- 08/12/2010 06:18:16 PM
1446 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
964 Views
Re: nice post
- 09/12/2010 01:23:50 PM
1539 Views
On the matter of strength
- 09/12/2010 08:51:36 PM
1340 Views
Strength was "prized" in the AoL ... but lack of strength was not a negative
- 12/12/2010 01:41:08 AM
1324 Views
Yes. How dare she not conform with every other fucking mindless stupid WT Aes Sedai *NM*
- 07/12/2010 11:36:52 PM
784 Views
Status is not an end in itself. *NM*
- 07/12/2010 11:52:37 PM
664 Views
They're not really stupid...
- 08/12/2010 01:00:20 AM
1429 Views
Not saying they are. It's just that most AS that we've come across
- 08/12/2010 02:20:05 AM
1144 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
1407 Views
Bah...
- 09/12/2010 10:56:24 AM
1440 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
1402 Views
You are not only wrong in your call,
- 08/12/2010 04:39:44 AM
1641 Views
Re: You are not only wrong in your call,
- 08/12/2010 09:13:37 AM
1663 Views
if that is the purpose of the test
- 08/12/2010 01:34:45 PM
1348 Views
minor disagreement
- 08/12/2010 05:27:51 PM
1432 Views
Yes, but you can be not-panicked and not calm of body
- 08/12/2010 06:38:56 PM
1283 Views
not really the same thing as what the AS are getting at though
- 08/12/2010 09:02:05 PM
1906 Views
that's retarded, imo
- 09/12/2010 12:21:27 AM
1443 Views
Oh it's totally stupid!
- 09/12/2010 04:37:14 PM
1392 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
1318 Views
I think Elaida just smarmed up at the right time, Morgase was very young then
- 09/12/2010 05:52:29 PM
1442 Views
Oh. Well, I'm sorry then.
- 08/12/2010 06:48:50 PM
1396 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
1145 Views
Yeah, but how does that work?
- 08/12/2010 10:24:35 PM
1289 Views
Somewhere in the sub-conscious they know what they're doing is important to them.
- 09/12/2010 12:20:47 AM
1414 Views
Even so, it wouldn't work.
- 09/12/2010 03:32:55 AM
1323 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
645 Views
Another headless chicken example.
- 09/12/2010 12:30:02 AM
1294 Views
the headless chicken is just such a lovely metaphor for panic
*NM*
- 09/12/2010 04:48:11 AM
592 Views
*NM*
- 09/12/2010 04:48:11 AM
592 Views
Re: Oh. Well, I'm sorry then.
- 09/12/2010 12:07:15 PM
1370 Views
You seem to have no grasp of the difference between "politic" and "right"
- 09/12/2010 02:59:50 AM
1491 Views
Re: You seem to have no grasp of the difference between "politic" and "right"
- 09/12/2010 09:26:21 AM
1380 Views
That's not the dilema
- 09/12/2010 05:23:19 PM
1557 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
1326 Views
That's not what it's really about
- 10/12/2010 05:44:12 AM
1297 Views
This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 03:46:31 AM
1352 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 09:40:09 AM
1393 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 02:04:02 PM
1696 Views
Re: This test, even by its usual abysmal standards, was idiotic. It bordered on being evil.
- 09/12/2010 11:26:40 AM
1404 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
1451 Views

*NM*