[OB] Shallan is Insane - and I can prove it.

[Awakened Cremling he/him]

Long time reader, first time poster. Sorry if this has already be theorized but the WoB that someone pointed out that the Nahel bond can either fill the cracks in a persons soul or widen then further sparked a thought. What if a Radiant was "taken" by an Unmade (like Shallan had to resist) and the realization that the Nahel bond enabled that to occur led to the Recreance when the Orders decided it was too big a risk to allow the bonds to continue.

I haven't thought through it enough to think if the timeline would work but am not finding too many holes in the theory. As I type one doubt I have is that the lack of orders wouldn't necessarily stop new Nahel Bonds and Radiants without the orders might be more susceptible without the Orders to teach/watch their members.

 

Sorry if I am missing something huge here but thought it interesting enough to be worth signing up and posting.

 

*edit: fixed typo

Edited November 9, 2017 by ASMonnig
fixed typo

[Marethyu316]

Shallan has issues, but calling her "insane" strikes me as overdoing it, and also being overly general, when a more specific diagnosis is more helpful. From a lay person's perspective, insanity can mean all sorts of things, but it covers so many different conditions and prognoses that it is likely to have wildly different meanings depending on who hears the "diagnosis."

My PhD is in educational psychology, but I took enough clinical psychology classes to agree with others that Jungian psychology is not exactly the preferred method for this kind of diagnosis either. I don't claim any special expertise in proper diagnosis though, so I'd leave that to others with a better understanding of the DSM.

Edited November 9, 2017 by Marethyu316
typo

[Xavien]

One thing I am curious about is: how common is this issue for Lightweavers of her rank? To be a Radiant you have to be broken in the first place, then as a Lightweaver you are forced to confront self truths in order to advance.  Add on top of that the proclivity of Lightweavers to be artistic, a photographic memory and, oh yeah, the ability to create life like illusions.  I would be surprised if this sort of coping mechanism was not common in the past.

One thing to notice in all of her roles is that they already incorporate traits that Shallan possesses even if she doesn't recognize it.  Shallan showed more self confidence when she confronted Jasnah Freakin' Kholin, went before all the Alethi high princes and hoodwinked one of them into making her their ward then we've seen out of Brightness Radiant or Veil so far. We've also seen her confront a chasmfiend and kill Tyn both without the need for role playing.  She doesn't truly need the roles, she only thinks she does as a result of her trauma and I think that's where we'll see her arc go.  She'll create more and more roles out of aspects of herself until she has to face something without them and will have to confront the truth that they are all her & boom, level up. Or she won't, which is what Pattern is afraid of.

Also, many thanks to @aemetha @Aminar & others for providing their insights on various disorders.  The thread may have side tracked, but it was a very interesting side track!