Choice and the Pattern

[AnthonyJamesEnglish]

My question is this.. For a long time now rand belives that he basically has no choices, that the pattern manipulates his actions regardless of what he wants, however when Mor deals with Lanfear we hear her say that there was many ways the thing could have gone down depending on his actions, so do our choices influence the pattern or are the choices allowed dictated by the pattern?

[Bob T Dwarf]

My question is this.. For a long time now rand belives that he basically has no choices, that the pattern manipulates his actions regardless of what he wants, however when Mor deals with Lanfear we hear her say that there was many ways the thing could have gone down depending on his actions, so do our choices influence the pattern or are the choices allowed dictated by the pattern?

 

It depends on how important the outcome of your action is to the Wheel's current need. If the Wheel needs you to turn left at the next intersection, you will end up turning left no matter what your intent might be. If your current place in the Pattern makes it impossible for you to upset the applecart no matter what you do, you have complete freedom of action.

 

For confirmation, look at Perrin's progress or lack thereof in ToM. He aint going anywhere until he does exactly what the Wheel needs him to do right now. Just as in TGS, Verin wasn't going anywhere until she first visited Mat.

[didymos]

It's also not necessarily that you get prevented from attempting to choose contrary to the Wheel. What often happens is that people will make the contrary choice and attempt to follow-through, but other things outside of their control keep happening that interfere and eventually nullify that choice.

[drewk]

For ta'veren there is a lot less choice, so Rand might be a bad example. The Wheel has spun him out for a specific purpose. Also, decisions that he makes affect the entire world. Personally, I don't see what choices he could want to make. What to eat for dinner? What girls to love? All seem pretty trivial compared to what he could do for the world.

 

If, for example, you are a fisherman, your choices don't affect the outcome of the pattern all that much. Maybe instead of going to work one day, you feel like sleeping in. That's OK, because you don't really have much effect except for perhaps what your family gets to eat that night. However, if the pattern needs someone to tell Rand directions to the nearest town on a specific day, or let him know that enemies are hiding in the woods, you might find it a bit harder to sleep in on that day...

[dovien]

"Ta'veren. " Loial rubbed behind a pointed ear with one blunt finger and gave a little shrug. "Elder

Haman always said I never listened, but sometimes I did. Sometimes, I listened. You know how the Pattern is

woven, of course?"

"I never really thought about it," he said slowly. "It just is."

"Um, yes, well. Not exactly. You see, the Wheel of Time weaves the Pattern of the Ages, and the threads it uses are lives. It is not fixed, the Pattern, not always. If a man tries to change the direction of his life and the Pattern has room for it, the Wheel just weaves on and takes it in. There is always room for small changes, but sometimes the Pattern simply won't accept a big change, no matter how hard you try. You understand?"

Rand nodded. "I could live on the farm or in Emond's Field, and that would be a small change. If I wanted to be a king, though . . . ." He laughed, and Loial gave a grin that almost split his face in two. His teeth were white, and as broad as chisels.

"Yes, that's it. But sometimes the change chooses you, or the Wheel chooses it for you. And sometimes the Wheel bends a life-thread, or several threads, in such a way that all the surrounding threads are forced to swirl around it, and those force other threads, and those still others, and on and on. That first bending to make the Web, that is ta'veren, and there is nothing you can do to change it, not until the Pattern itself changes. The Web - ta'maral'ailen, it's called - can last for weeks, or for years. It can take in a town, or even the whole Pattern. Artur Hawkwing was ta'veren. So was Lews Therin Kinslayer, for that matter, I suppose."