Agreed

Very true

I would say that it's a major part of what defines them as good characters

23 hours ago, DojoToad said:

 

Again, my issue wasn't that they didn't balefire her - but that they didn't even consider it.  The 'good' characters did consider doing other bad things but then chose not to, or were overruled.  Using balefire on Semirhage not only would have restored Rand's hand, but who knows how other many 'evil' actions/plans it would have undone - she is a Forsaken after all.  But my arguement isn't for or against actual use in this instance - but that an obvious choice was overlooked.

That's what makes them the "good guys though: the fact that they don't even consider killing someone in cold blood, no matter how many lives it might save.

Exactly

 I think that had the "good characters" been a bit more ruthless, a lot of trouble would have been avoided later on. (e.g as Sammuel says, stabbing the Black Sister tormenting Amathera would have helped quite a bit, later on in the books anyway) (Btw, what was that sisters name? Was it Marillin Gemalphin?) However, coldbloodedly murdering, even a Black Sister, would kind of destroy the point of them being good people. Like from a moral point of view, what's the difference between a Darkfriend who murders someone who is in their way and an Asha'man/Aes Sedai who murders someone because they could cause trouble later on?