[HN Gopher] The Sarumans and the Radagasts (2023)
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       The Sarumans and the Radagasts (2023)
        
       Author : BerislavLopac
       Score  : 9 points
       Date   : 2024-08-11 21:18 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (medium.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (medium.com)
        
       | HocusLocus wrote:
       | Saruman's mind was broken directly by the enemy of course, but it
       | came about from him using the highest technology that existed in
       | that world, the ancient Palantir or 'seeing stones' of the
       | Valinor.
       | 
       | In Saruman's past deeds there is heroism and selflessness and
       | traces of arrogance, but NO jerkiness as the article conveniently
       | uses to polarize the wizards. If not for his vulnerability in
       | using the seeing stone in secret (which Tolkien casts as a
       | weakness of arrogance, considering the risk), Saruman may have
       | kept to his science and not been morally swayed. The balance of
       | power of Middle Earth would have been quite different.
       | 
       | I was curious as a teenager that Tolkien presented some casual
       | grading of wizards, with Saruman being the 'highest' of the order
       | and Radagast occupying the 'lowest' position. A later reading
       | indicated that this was likely due to their own desire to
       | administrate and preside. Sauruman most of all, Gandalf not so
       | much but in need, and Radagast not at all. Technicians all with
       | their own specialties but Saruman alone desired to be an
       | administrator.
       | 
       | If there is a parallel to the seeing stones in modern times it
       | might be addiction to television or 'screen time' to the extent
       | where it dulls social skills and mental acuity.
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2024-08-11 23:01 UTC)