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I see no contradiction.

Curious
Half-elven

Jul 12 2010, 9:04pm

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I see no contradiction. [In reply to]	Can't Post

Consider Saruman, indeed. He never came into contact with the Ring, and yet was tempted by it. Don't you think he would have been equally tempted by a non-magical means to power? It was power, or the means to power, that tempted him. It was not the Ring that corrupted Saruman's heart, but the desire for the Ring.

This reminds me of the Bible quote that the "love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." 1 Timothy 6:10. Not money, as often misquoted, but the love of money, which is internal and present when money is not.

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Tolkien makes it clear from beginning to end that good will or good intent, whether of bearer or beholder, only delays or disguises the Ring's imperative towards evil.

I don't see this for people who don't actually bear or behold the Ring, such as Saruman. It was not the Ring's imperative towards evil that corrupted him, but the desire in his heart. Similarly, many who behold or touch the Ring briefly show no ill effects, and even those who bear the Ring -- Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam -- are very slow to show ill effects, in sharp contrast to Gollum, who was already corrupt.

Contrast this with the Sauron-tainted palantir, which quickly and severely affects all who look into it even briefly, and is only safe in Aragorn's hands because he has the right to use it and the ability to defeat Sauron in a contest of wills. The implication is that if Aragorn had not defeated Sauron, he would have become at least as mad as Denethor, if not as corrupt as Saruman. It is simply not safe to look into the palantir, just as it is not safe to bear the Ring. But beholding the Ring or even touching it briefly seems perfectly safe, except for those who are already tempted by the very thought of the Ring.

(This post was edited by Curious on Jul 12 2010, 9:06pm)

Subject	User	Time
why was Faramir not tempted by the Ring?	TheNazgul	Jul 12 2010, 5:11am
Faramir was more aware of the dangers of absolute power	elostirion74	Jul 12 2010, 6:52am
What makes you so sure	FarFromHome	Jul 12 2010, 9:07am
I disagree.	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 12:14pm
Disagreeing with disagreement :)	CuriousG	Jul 12 2010, 12:37pm
I would say	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 3:28pm
The Nine Kings were not necessarily "corrupt" in the beginning	squire	Jul 12 2010, 4:56pm
As ringbearers,	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 5:11pm
Elrond's weakness is revealed	FarFromHome	Jul 20 2010, 1:03pm
Excellent point	CuriousG	Jul 20 2010, 1:23pm
Completing the set	squire	Jul 20 2010, 4:19pm
The Ring starts with the good natures, then leads to evil	CuriousG	Jul 13 2010, 1:44pm
Sam was wearing the Ring	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 3:10pm
"So no, the Ring didn't corrupt Boromir."	squire	Jul 13 2010, 3:24pm
I was simply repeating	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 3:32pm
I do agree with this distinction	CuriousG	Jul 13 2010, 3:55pm
It's possible	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 4:16pm
Saruman and Denethor were never close to the Ring	Kangi Ska	Jul 13 2010, 5:52pm
That's a good point.	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 7:16pm
background	Arwen Skywalker	Jul 13 2010, 8:00pm
It is precisely because	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 8:15pm
So simple	squire	Jul 13 2010, 6:38pm
I'm dubious too!	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 7:31pm
Yes, desire for the Ring	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 11:21am
Sam was not wearing the Ring	dernwyn	Jul 15 2010, 2:30am
Okay, but Sam was	Curious	Jul 15 2010, 3:25am
Bearing vs. wearing	dernwyn	Jul 15 2010, 11:34am
Wearing is different anyway	FarFromHome	Jul 15 2010, 12:33pm
Do you mean,	dernwyn	Jul 15 2010, 4:13pm
mmmmm	Curious	Jul 15 2010, 5:56pm
Good point.//	Curious	Jul 15 2010, 1:50pm
Clear as...	FarFromHome	Jul 15 2010, 9:23am
I love your Ring/donut comparison!	dernwyn	Jul 15 2010, 10:36am
Faramir's reaction	elostirion74	Jul 12 2010, 4:40pm
Why wasn't anyone other than Boromir and Gollum tempted by the Ring?	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 12:30pm
Aragorn, Faramir, Gandalf, Galadriel and Sam are all tempted by the Ring	Voronw�_the_Faithful	Jul 12 2010, 1:30pm
One's reaction to the Temptation of the Ring	Kangi Ska	Jul 12 2010, 1:49pm
To take that analogy further,	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 8:09pm
So much better	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 3:13pm
What is temptation?	FarFromHome	Jul 12 2010, 4:06pm
What is magical temptation?	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 4:33pm
magical temptation	elostirion74	Jul 12 2010, 5:04pm
Hmm.	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 6:21pm
The function of the Palantirs	elostirion74	Jul 13 2010, 6:48am
It's possible	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 11:45am
The One Ring's functions are more complex.	Kangi Ska	Jul 12 2010, 5:07pm
So you agree that Faramir was not tempted?	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 6:24pm
I would say that he had the resolve to resist whatever the temptation was.	Kangi Ska	Jul 12 2010, 7:20pm
What you describe	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 8:04pm
Elrond says otherwise	squire	Jul 12 2010, 8:32pm
I see no contradiction.	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 9:04pm
No point in tempting other hobbits	CuriousG	Jul 13 2010, 1:26pm
I guess you mean	FarFromHome	Jul 12 2010, 2:02pm
I don't understand why you think that Aragorn was not tempted by the Ring	Voronw�_the_Faithful	Jul 12 2010, 2:09pm
You mean at the Prancing Pony?	FarFromHome	Jul 12 2010, 3:36pm
I don't see a basis	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 8:13pm
Well, I do see a basis	FarFromHome	Jul 12 2010, 9:40pm
I didn't say	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 10:32pm
I agree with	FarFromHome	Jul 13 2010, 8:35am
"I agree, but ..."	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 11:57am
Got to quibble.	FarFromHome	Jul 14 2010, 1:27pm
"I do not think that Frodo's was a moral failure."	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 2:06pm
Thanks for the quote	FarFromHome	Jul 14 2010, 5:31pm
I think I give up.	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 6:37pm
Magic vs. mechanical devices	CuriousG	Jul 14 2010, 6:20pm
The Rise of the PCs:	Kangi Ska	Jul 14 2010, 6:31pm
No, I meant what I said, but	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 3:42pm
The Ring Tempts: Individuals react: It is a test	Kangi Ska	Jul 12 2010, 3:52pm
It's remarkably ineffective, then.	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 4:03pm
A remarkable set of test subjects:	Kangi Ska	Jul 12 2010, 4:50pm
Are the hobbits that exceptional?	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 4:59pm
Hobbits are exceptional: at least Gandalf says that they are remarkable	Kangi Ska	Jul 12 2010, 7:23pm
Then it is the non-hobbits who are not exceptional?	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 7:53pm
Those in the story that are in the position to be tempted by the One Ring	Kangi Ska	Jul 12 2010, 9:25pm
The hobbits do not violate the principle of only high powers being tempted by the Ring	squire	Jul 12 2010, 10:21pm
There is also the temptation	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 10:46pm
It is precisely because they are exceptional that they are	Curious	Jul 12 2010, 10:40pm
Isildur?	Hamfast Gamgee	Jul 13 2010, 8:46am
Isildur is a ringbearer.	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 12:00pm
Denethor and temptation	PhantomS	Jul 12 2010, 2:25pm
The All Purpose Ring of Wonder: It does everything its creator wanted it to do.	Kangi Ska	Jul 13 2010, 7:50am
"Temptation" defined	CuriousG	Jul 13 2010, 1:54pm
Tolkien said	Curious	Jul 13 2010, 3:25pm
He was	xy	Jul 13 2010, 5:53pm
Gimli, Legolas or Merry and Pippin weren't apparently tempted	Kangi Ska	Jul 13 2010, 6:19pm
well	xy	Jul 13 2010, 6:32pm
Isn't there a difference	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 11:16am
Free will and determinism are both equally true. It is the great paradox.	Kangi Ska	Jul 14 2010, 11:57am
Maybe.	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 12:05pm
So I concede that the ring is very powerful	Kangi Ska	Jul 14 2010, 12:26pm
Possibly.	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 1:53pm
How does that work?	squire	Jul 14 2010, 3:11pm
You think Galadriels' tranformation	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 4:34pm
I'm willing to contemplate that we are getting nowhere	squire	Jul 14 2010, 5:16pm
Why do you think Legolas and Gimli	Curious	Jul 14 2010, 6:25pm
wait...	xy	Jul 15 2010, 3:09pm
Apparently everyone agrees with you.	Curious	Jul 15 2010, 4:02pm
innocence	PhantomS	Jul 14 2010, 5:33pm

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