2. You are correct. It is a subtle distinction, but an important one i think. Insanity in itself is incurable. But the taint induced maddness is something else. It is a forced maddness. You remove the abnormality of the taint from the persons mind, like Nynaeve did, you cure it. It was unnatural. The DO caused this. Natural insanity is something different. It is a problem of the mind, a deeper thing.

 

Sorry, it is very difficult to put into words, I am not sure if I got the point across. Basically, the taint caused an unnatrual maddness. Like a thorn in someones foot. Nynaeve pulled it out. Natural maddness there is something wrong with that proverbial foot. Much harder to cure. ,

 

The problem with this explanation is, as I recall the "insanity is incurable" statement from RJ was given in response to Lews Therin's madness. Lews Therin's madness was caused by the DO, so according to your explanation it should fall into the same curable category as Naeff's. One could postulate that LTT was in a different category since he was part of the Hundred Companions who were driven immediately insane, which I suppose could drive it into "natural insanity" in a Lovecraftian way (or simply being directly attacked by the DO is different than being slowly affected by only the taint). It would be interesting to find out if the Notes say anything about this inconsistency.

Yeah but if I remember correctly the madness in Rand had spread so far and so deep, that it was in effect incurable without killing Rand. So that could be a simpler explanation for wy Lews Therin's madness could not be cured.

I am sorry if it has already been discussed elsewhere. Also it is hardly a simple question, but maybe somebody will come up with a simple answer

 

Is the DO the source of all evil in WOT, or is evil somehow independent from him and he is simply the most powerful evil being?Im most tales about good v. evil conflict that I know the heroes are always cautioned that they cannot defeat evil using its own methods, that they would only make it stronger. To quote Ged from U. Le Guin's masterpiece "A wizard of Earthsea": "It is light that defeats the dark".

 

How come Fain can succesfully fight DO and his creatures with hate and madness? Or maybe he really doesn't?

 

Related to that: how exactly did Mashadar come into being? Even in WOT, human hate and parania alone are unable to create an evil mass-murdering fog

I have read some very ambigous quotes from Brandon that Mardeth brought something to Aridhol. What was that? Was it related to DO and how? If not, from where came its power? Maybe somebody has some good ideas, because I'm clueless...

I'm just re-reading the Eye of The World now and I'm not sure on most of this, but I do know it says mashadar is a different kind of evil separate from the dark one. Fain uses this different kind of evil against the dark one's evil.

I have another question spurred by a quote I found on the latest Taim discussion:

TGS, 15 "A Place to Begin." The Moridin/Rand dream sequence. "I feel so tired," Moridin continued, closing his eyes. "Is that you, or is it me? I could throttle Semirhage for what she did."

at first I thought the DO gave Rand the ability to channel the TP but is it more likely that Moridin let him, because he was pissed at Semirhage?