If you lived inside the WoT...

[Shaidar]

The scenario

 

In some freak event people discover the One Power, discover the Dark One and his prison, and most importantly discover that in fact we live in a world governed by a WoT mechanism as described in RJ's books. Don't try to think how this will come about, just imagine it happening and assume that we are absolutely certain that this is indeed the case. Our technological progress stalls to a halt and regression, technological, moral, economic - sets in, even despite the vast improvements in productivity possible from utilizing the OP.

 

You

 

You are an individual with substantial strength in the OP - Logain/Alivia level - and as such are a significant piece even in the big picture. The two sides are splintering and gearing up for a confrontation. Which one do you pick?

 

I am including two votes for each person because they're not all mutually exclusive. Use both votes on one thing if you believe strongly in it.

 

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Options 1, 7: they're both out for me as both are based on non-thinking conviction

 

Option 4: I think this one is mainly for convinced pacifists

 

Option 3,5: This will probably be the easiest one. Serving the Light casually is much easier than doing the same for the Shadow (i.e. they're nowhere near so hard in discipline, punishments, etc), plus you get to keep your conscience.

 

Option 2,6: will require a lot of dedication and risk. But 6) is certainly immoral.

 

Option 11: mainly for nationalists, I think, or at least big patriots

 

Option 12: I suppose some will feel despressed enough

 

Option 13: High risk of being discovered by non-exposed informants, and while they might both choose to exploit you, chances are high one of them will indeed capture and punish you. Hopefully not the Shadow.

 

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Options 8, 9, 10 are the really interesting ones.

 

As you may have noticed I made another post on how serving the Dark One, IF the purpose is to use him as a sledgehammer to break the Wheel, need not be immoral from the perspective of several ethical systems.

 

What is involved in all these options, is trying to 'balance' out the two sides.

For the Shadow, seek to free the Dark One.

For the Light, seek to keep their forces strong and dominant, so that the maximum firepower can be brought to bear against the Dark One come the Day of Return.

 

Ie protect the DO from being sealed, but also protect the channeling might of the Light from destruction.

 

The difference, 9) is visibly serving the Shadow, 8) visibly serving the Light, 10) serving noone and interfering as you can.

 

Option 10: is incredibly risky. Both sides will regard a neutral maverick as a potential liability and will crush him/her. You'd have to be very cunning indeed to pull this off.

 

Option 8: protect your conscience better than if you serve the Shadow, also less risky if exposed, and less risk of being backstabbed. On the other hand it might be hard to keep on betraying, in a sense, your comrades in arms day after day. Problem is, you don't get immortality, so if the DO is sealed away like in the AoL, you'll die before you can finish the job. Also, 'helping out' the DO at critical junctures might be difficult, since the Shadow prefers total control over its minions. On the other hand if you sit high on the councils of the Light you can use your influence to block undesirable proposals, e.g. a strike at Shayol Ghul.

 

Option 9: very risky, lots of backstabbing, and I doubt hiding your treasonous thoughts inside the Pit of Doom from the DO will be a pleasant experience. (Light help you if you're exposed). You'll have to do bad things to remain important within the organization. Explaining yourself will be tricky if captured by the Light. If Rand and his lot capture you, you might have a chance (especially if you're a woman) of staying alive, or even continuing your work; if the AS capture you, good luck.

[Shaidar]

I picked 3 and 8.

 

3 because it's the safest, IMO. (4 isn't because both sides have the 'you're either with us or against us mentality).

 

8 because I like my theory, and if you're on the side of the Light and are an important figure, you can sit on the councils and do your best to block proposals such as a strike against Shayol Ghul (i.e. 'helping the Shadow'), while helping the Light survive in the sense that you'll be fighting for them.

[Mat is Better]

I picked the first two because I'd be some fanatic like a certain sheinarian we all know.  I'd probably think I was the dragon from reading these books too much and commit suicide on the slopes of everest "shayol ghul".