Reminded of a particular annoyance

[Fox]

So, I'm rereading the WoT for the first time in over a decade, and I just wanted to share a particular annoyance of mine: every characterin the books assumes they know the truth and that everyone else are idiots. Currently, I'm in TSR and I just read about Elaidia's foretelling about the royal line of Andor being the key to success against the Dark One, and assumes its the line that starts when Morgase takes the throne (Rand, being the son of Tirgraine (sp?) the previous daughter-heir, is the answer to that particular foretelling). There is alot of pure ignorance and stubbornness in alot of characters. 

 

That's it, just wanted to share/vent. Have a good day all. 

[Thrasymachus]

That's a key feature of these books.  Everybody's an unreliable narrator (even of their own internal state-of-mind.  I'm looking at you, Nynaeve and Mat).  Some are more unreliable than others.  One could even reasonably go so far as to suggest that the author himself is an unreliable narrator.

[Harldin]

1 hour ago, Fox said:

So, I'm rereading the WoT for the first time in over a decade, and I just wanted to share a particular annoyance of mine: every characterin the books assumes they know the truth and that everyone else are idiots. Currently, I'm in TSR and I just read about Elaidia's foretelling about the royal line of Andor being the key to success against the Dark One, and assumes its the line that starts when Morgase takes the throne (Rand, being the son of Tirgraine (sp?) the previous daughter-heir, is the answer to that particular foretelling). There is alot of pure ignorance and stubbornness in alot of characters. 

 

That's it, just wanted to share/vent. Have a good day all. 

Why wouldn’t Elaida assume that? She would have no idea who Rand actually is and Elayne, Gawyn and Galad all play significant parts anyway. The foretelling could actually be about all of them, not just Rand. 
We are all ignorant if we make an assumption on something only based on the information we have at hand. Elaida had no reason to think that there was a secret member of the Royal family of Andor so like anybody would she made the assumption that it was a member of the Trakand family and was not totally wrong anyway. 

[Sabio]

The companion expands some on Eladia going to Andor.  Elaida assumed like everyone else Tigraine vanished so probably was dead, so why should she suspect she went off and had a son?  Also fortellings are vague, all she knew is the royal line of Andor would be key to the LAst Battle, when it became clear Morgase would take the throne Eladia ran to be her advisor.  The like most fortellings it was vague and never said how the royal family would be key.  

 

I sort of enjoy people assuming they are right because that's how most people in real life are like.  You think you know something so believe it's truth.  Not to say some folks like Tuon aren't just plain stupid.  Where she believes in all these omens and immedietly shoots down anything Mat says as dumb superstition.  

Edited June 29, 2020 by Sabio

[Jsbrads2]

Everything Mat said sounded ridiculous from her perspective. That is how everyone lives. Living in the US, I can’t tell you how many times people assume they know more. People in NYC thinking everyone else has a simple life. People in San Fran thinking everyone is evil except for them. People in the Midwest incapable of understanding those two perspectives. And that is in one country!

        Live on another continent with no contact for hundreds and hundreds of years, there will be a level of conflict or perspectives.