Personally I think innate OP skills driving life choice seems more likely than the other way around.
That sounds very unlikely.
Just look at the Yellow Ajah. Most of them are dismissive of medication. Their work consisted of delving to know how much of the "heal-all" weave they should use. Even someone like Samitsu who could vary the strength of the weave according to ailment was truly exceptional. The Yellows probably study anatomy and pathology, but most are little interested in medicine. Why would they care, they had only a "heal all" cure as solution to everything?
By your reasoning, there should rather be an overwhelming number of women with a background as Healers among the Yellows, but the evidence is that it's precisely what the Ajah has lacked in the last millenia.
Then came a fully trained Wisdom, a woman truly exceptional because a) she trained for medical knowledge and skills very early in life, earlier than most wisdoms b) she got accepted at the Tower despite being too old. Nynaeve is trained to identify symptoms and causes, to deal with each with the proper specific cure. The "heal all" philosophy doesn't make sense to a doctor like Nynaeve, she approached the OP as she studied herbal medications and their interactions. She's developped an intuitive affinity of how the five powers interacted with one another and with the human body, but ultimately it's grounded in her experience of using medication and procedures. Her prior knowledge and experience have guided her in developping her OP skills. She also has one hell of a strength of will and doesn't give up easily. Unsurprisingly, Romanda has noted that there's a fair percentage of former Wisdoms in the new novices who have great potential for five power healing. The Yellows will have to rethink their training. They will need much greater medical knowledge from now on, and the women already too set in their ways and vision of healing might have problems developping the skills for the "new healing".
We also have evidence from the Wilders. Most of them develop a OP shaped by their a great desire for something. For Nynaeve it was more than that, it bordered on obsession.
Other examples: Semirhage's skills rely on extreme precision in her weaving, it's not surprising she's the one who can block a closing gateway, very likely a skill relying on precision. Graendal was obsessed with controlling people, her main skill is in Compulsion.
It's very likely Androl's gateways work so well because his skills for them is much greater, which is grounded in both his prior knowledge/skills and his limitation of being forced to use very small flows. He requires far less OP to achieve great results. The others compensate with "wasting" a lot of saidin on it, Androl relies on precision. It's a skill more naturally present among the saidar users. Women seems to use less saidar for a large gateway than a man uses saidin. Androl's weaving of gateways is just far more performant than anyone else, and the coincidences that he's trained in spatial skills, good with tasks requiring fine motor skills and precision and he's a great traveller knowing the land very well are just too big not to be a huge factor of explanation why he's so good with that weave. Don't forget, we know geographic knowledge counts: we've seen some channelers studying maps before opening gateways, to increase their precision about the arrival location. With areas they don't know well, they've sometimes been miles off target. Spatial skills must count too, especially for Gateways opened in visual range.
Problems with gateways
- 28/09/2012 05:02:47 PM
3025 Views
Uh, yeah, well, whenever you notice something like that... a wizard did it. *NM*
- 28/09/2012 05:47:13 PM
719 Views
Yeah, I realize that raising physics questions about fantasy books can be absurd...
- 28/09/2012 06:03:05 PM
1224 Views
It's been discussed before...
- 28/09/2012 06:04:35 PM
1588 Views
I would agree with this
- 28/09/2012 06:35:14 PM
1234 Views
Re: I would agree with this
- 28/09/2012 06:56:57 PM
1367 Views
Egwene would likely also know since she puzzled it out as well
- 28/09/2012 07:28:22 PM
1356 Views
Especially when opening a gateway into a void like in Skimming (though that is probably T'A'R too)
- 04/10/2012 03:13:29 PM
1247 Views
Regarding shadowspawn:
- 28/09/2012 07:19:38 PM
1566 Views
Found an interesting quote when I was looking into something else
- 07/10/2012 12:57:21 AM
1070 Views
I don't think RJ thought about it
- 28/09/2012 07:44:34 PM
1269 Views
Gateways, Tel'aran'rhiod and Dreamspikes...
- 28/09/2012 11:02:39 PM
1468 Views
Re: Gateways, Tel'aran'rhiod and Dreamspikes...
- 01/10/2012 09:03:47 PM
1509 Views
Androl throws a kink in this
- 02/10/2012 01:14:16 AM
1282 Views
Re: Androl throws a kink in this
- 02/10/2012 02:30:23 AM
1433 Views
He said he can make one large enough for a Wagon to pass through
- 02/10/2012 03:23:26 AM
1175 Views
Gateway Talent I'd say
- 02/10/2012 08:55:26 AM
1277 Views
I think Androl is proof that gateways are more about a the Talent than strength
- 02/10/2012 09:00:26 AM
1307 Views
No I think they're more about strength
- 02/10/2012 09:27:17 AM
1422 Views
I disagree with Logain being a credible source on this
- 02/10/2012 04:47:59 PM
1298 Views
Re: I disagree with Logain being a credible source on this
- 03/10/2012 07:04:11 AM
1285 Views
Re: I disagree with Logain being a credible source on this
- 03/10/2012 07:43:12 AM
1301 Views
Re: I disagree with Logain being a credible source on this
- 03/10/2012 09:59:13 AM
1251 Views
Egwene could not heal Gawyn
- 03/10/2012 02:34:08 PM
1346 Views
She did Heal him
- 04/10/2012 08:30:14 AM
1210 Views
Re-read some stuff
- 04/10/2012 07:57:50 PM
1301 Views
Logain may be correct that Rand is stronger, but his reason is not correct
- 03/10/2012 02:13:08 PM
1495 Views
But his thought processes are sound
- 04/10/2012 08:20:13 AM
1197 Views
It's in Chapter 5 of TGS
- 04/10/2012 09:48:49 PM
1270 Views
Re: It's in Chapter 5 of TGS
- 05/10/2012 08:28:13 AM
1191 Views
Ummm...
- 05/10/2012 08:42:19 PM
1177 Views
Re: Ummm...
- 06/10/2012 07:53:10 AM
1305 Views
I don't think RJ changed his mind
- 06/10/2012 03:13:44 PM
1135 Views
I think he did
- 08/10/2012 05:32:35 PM
1277 Views
She wouldn't have to guess!
- 09/10/2012 08:43:54 PM
1179 Views
Really? Where is that quote? All we've heard is a woman needs to be strong enough
- 09/10/2012 11:44:15 PM
1160 Views
There is only one book left. It is definitely not LIKELY
- 11/10/2012 08:06:04 PM
1188 Views
I can agree with most of that ... I simply believe that the Talent dictates the amount of strength
- 12/10/2012 03:53:21 AM
1111 Views
Exactly...
- 10/10/2012 12:35:16 AM
1069 Views
Re: Exactly...
- 10/10/2012 10:29:13 AM
1101 Views
Re: Exactly...
- 10/10/2012 10:06:08 PM
1211 Views
AND...
- 10/10/2012 10:15:14 PM
1079 Views
Re: AND...
- 11/10/2012 04:46:31 PM
1249 Views
Re: AND...
- 12/10/2012 04:09:25 AM
1184 Views
Re: AND...
- 12/10/2012 08:57:46 AM
1234 Views
I only discount direct statements when we are explicitly shown that they are incorrect
- 13/10/2012 06:55:38 PM
1171 Views
Because let's be honest, it's rarely a Talent and you both know it
- 11/10/2012 04:44:27 PM
1259 Views
You are basing this entire post on a fundamentally flawed premise
- 12/10/2012 04:13:06 AM
1427 Views
Re: You are basing this entire post on a fundamentally flawed premise
- 12/10/2012 08:52:02 AM
1205 Views
Apoplexy, that is what is happening on my side of the screen
- 11/10/2012 08:31:30 PM
998 Views
the fact that Egwene is proven incorrect on this any number of times?
- 12/10/2012 04:14:35 AM
1234 Views
Re: Logain may be correct that Rand is stronger, but his reason is not correct
- 04/10/2012 09:51:08 PM
1214 Views
to the point on the Circle
- 06/10/2012 09:36:18 PM
1238 Views
Circles don't add the Talents...
- 07/10/2012 03:34:47 AM
1188 Views
I've been thinking about this
- 07/10/2012 10:11:22 PM
1135 Views
Circles give added precision, remember?
- 07/10/2012 11:27:05 PM
1164 Views
I get that, but the evidence in front of me from the text is inconsistent to the quote
- 08/10/2012 12:11:15 AM
1040 Views
Circles of larger numbers give added benefit...
- 08/10/2012 02:00:58 AM
1219 Views
Egwene with a sa'angreal might be like 15x her natural strength, so maybe 9-10x Rand
- 08/10/2012 02:59:26 AM
1135 Views
Highly doubtful...
- 08/10/2012 01:36:47 PM
1174 Views
Meh, I don't really care all that much, I just don't think this adds up to the text.
- 08/10/2012 03:31:20 PM
1137 Views
Re: Meh, I don't really care all that much, I just don't think this adds up to the text.
- 08/10/2012 05:57:04 PM
1174 Views
That is actually the crux of my issue
- 08/10/2012 07:52:52 PM
1140 Views
That's why its called exponential. It is NOT linear and that why the gains look ridiculous
- 11/10/2012 10:00:15 PM
1190 Views
Yet that only explains when a circle does certain things
- 12/10/2012 04:18:36 AM
1200 Views
the text is not inconsistent.
- 19/10/2012 08:20:52 PM
1647 Views
I see, it only counts when it supports your point! Why didn't I think of that!
- 20/10/2012 03:58:27 AM
1287 Views
RJ specifically said that was ONLY because of Forsaken skill level
- 11/10/2012 09:02:03 PM
1191 Views
I'm still arguing about this but I think the evidence is that AS holding a shield are not linked.
- 11/10/2012 08:59:20 PM
1227 Views
THAT is proof of the power of LINKING. This is why thirteen Morgases could smash Rand.
- 11/10/2012 08:41:45 PM
1053 Views
It's one example that supports the exponential increase ... not arguing that
- 12/10/2012 04:40:08 AM
1155 Views
Re: to the point on the Circle
- 07/10/2012 06:09:48 PM
1156 Views
Healing is a thing of the physical body
- 07/10/2012 09:50:37 PM
1187 Views
Suian was stilled for hiding these boys. obviously trust was the issue. not healing skill. *NM*
- 11/10/2012 10:11:50 PM
516 Views
That's what makes a Talent a Talent....
- 04/10/2012 05:02:36 PM
1202 Views
There is so much evidence against this
- 04/10/2012 08:04:45 PM
1271 Views
Androl does not match Rands Gateway size.
- 05/10/2012 05:59:34 PM
1288 Views
Rand states straight out that gateway size is not OP strength dependent.
- 05/10/2012 08:51:58 PM
1126 Views
He's referring to skimming
- 06/10/2012 07:08:14 AM
1311 Views
I think we aren't far off in interpretation
- 06/10/2012 02:48:46 PM
1169 Views
Re: Rand states straight out that gateway size is not OP strength dependent.
- 07/10/2012 06:37:32 PM
1204 Views
- 07/10/2012 11:35:00 PM
1022 Views
Please explain Androl then
- 07/10/2012 09:48:54 PM
1212 Views
OMG. Androl DOES have a Talent. NO ONE is disputing that.
- 11/10/2012 10:50:41 PM
1182 Views
You have waffled back and forth on Traveling being a Talent
- 14/10/2012 03:01:03 AM
1211 Views
- 14/10/2012 03:01:03 AM
1211 Views
- 07/10/2012 11:35:00 PM
1022 Views
i will gladly find you the quote where it it is the right size and ONLY takes more power.
- 11/10/2012 11:18:15 PM
1213 Views
I don't think so... Spirit is used in many weaves (like Healing) as part of the weave
- 12/10/2012 04:38:29 AM
1172 Views
I was incorrect about the size. but ultimately not incorrect about her evaluation quote within
- 18/10/2012 03:28:30 PM
1353 Views
How many different times does the text have to say Traveling is a Talent?
- 05/10/2012 11:54:19 PM
1127 Views
the text calls a lot of things Talents when they're just lost weaves...Traveling is one of them. *NM*
- 07/10/2012 07:03:35 PM
742 Views
I agree with this PoV
- 06/10/2012 07:19:52 AM
1330 Views
Yes, Healing Talent is incredibly rare and only implies out of proportion ability...
- 06/10/2012 03:36:24 PM
1143 Views
I think you use the word Talent too liberally
- 08/10/2012 05:45:39 PM
1261 Views
I disagree
- 08/10/2012 08:08:04 PM
1159 Views
I sort of agree with Sidious there
- 09/10/2012 03:03:54 PM
1162 Views
Flinn has difficulty with the weave. Unlike Aviendha he doesn't has a second weave problem
- 09/10/2012 06:17:34 PM
1122 Views
Re: Yes, Healing Talent is incredibly rare and only implies out of proportion ability...
- 09/10/2012 02:37:10 PM
1336 Views
Beonin's Gateway v. Egwene's v. Rand's v. Aviendha and Elayne Edit: made a math mistake
- 06/10/2012 08:34:56 PM
1616 Views
- 06/10/2012 08:34:56 PM
1616 Views
This debate is restricted by the "largest Gateway possible" issue. And some added points to consider
- 07/10/2012 03:49:05 AM
1158 Views
This debate is restricted by the "largest Gateway possible" issue. And some added points to consider
- 07/10/2012 04:09:33 AM
1122 Views
Re: This debate is restricted by the "largest Gateway possible" issue.
- 07/10/2012 07:46:51 PM
1278 Views
Cadsuane possessing a strong Talent for Traveling would not be surprising to me
- 07/10/2012 10:15:17 PM
1209 Views
Re: This debate is restricted by the "largest Gateway possible" issue.
- 08/10/2012 05:47:57 PM
1142 Views
Re: This debate is restricted by the "largest Gateway possible" issue.
- 09/10/2012 05:08:34 PM
1416 Views
Life skills and OP skills...
- 02/10/2012 06:40:00 AM
1097 Views
Or the reverse could be true
- 02/10/2012 08:43:37 AM
1244 Views
Re: Or the reverse could be true
- 02/10/2012 09:12:28 AM
1280 Views
And Egwene was training to be Wisdom ... I don't know that any of this is true 100% of the time
- 02/10/2012 04:55:30 PM
1209 Views
Re: And Egwene was training to be Wisdom ... I don't know that any of this is true 100% of the time
- 03/10/2012 12:55:01 AM
1336 Views
The point is the same regardless
- 03/10/2012 05:14:36 AM
1234 Views
Re: Or the reverse could be true
- 02/10/2012 01:02:03 PM
1337 Views
You misunderstand the nature of the Yellow
- 02/10/2012 05:06:20 PM
1244 Views
weaves are not magical entities that exist in channelers. They are tools that are invented.
- 05/10/2012 06:17:31 PM
1217 Views
Re: Gateways, Tel'aran'rhiod and Dreamspikes...
- 02/10/2012 06:38:11 AM
1232 Views
Re: Gateways, Tel'aran'rhiod and Dreamspikes...
- 06/10/2012 02:05:30 PM
1264 Views
Was Avendoraldera a separate construct, and what to make of the Green Man cosmology?
- 06/10/2012 06:54:27 PM
1278 Views
Re: Was Avendoraldera a separate construct, and what to make of the Green Man cosmology?
- 06/10/2012 10:04:41 PM
1430 Views

