Physical Appearance Changes

[Glaring at the Survivor he/him]

I'm posting another one of my theories here, but this one is a lot more... likely.

The only problem is, I can't find the WoB links for my quotes of him. Oh, and there are some Warbreaker spoilers, but I'll try to conceal them all

So what I'm proposing is this: it is possible to "heal" yourself into having a new appearance by using stormlight.

First of all, we have been told that Kaladin's forhead glyphs don't heal because they are a "part of his identity", but more specifically they are "how he sees himself".

If I am correct in my recollection of that (WB spoilers)

Returned appear in the way that they view themselves as, and so they can change their appearance by changing the way they view themself as

then so could someone containing Stormlight. Of course, a Stormlight-holder would do it by "healing" into how they then view themself, whereas

a Returned would do it simply by seeing themself differently

.

So really, Shallan doesn't have to cloak herself in light, she just has to see herself differently. But since that obviously takes practice and is likely quite difficult, cloaking herself is more effective. For the time being.

Anyway, any thoughts? (Links to WoBs?) I'd like to see that this is possible.... And I'm really convinced it is.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Stroniax

[PorridgeBrick he/him]

If this is true, then likely the same would apply to Feruchemical gold too, as well as Regrowth. I think it would require an extreme amount of mental gymnastics, however, to the point of near impossibility.

[Kurkistan he/him]

I am not quite sure if this would work. Yes, it's all about "heal to how you see yourself", but it could be a bit more demanding than that. I think it may well be the case that the "healing" is a necessary component of the whole process: you can't "heal" your face into looking different if it isn't damaged in any real sense beyond not looking a certain way. It's the difference between healing back a finger and growing an extra one, to some extent.

 

Recall also that Cognitive aspects also incorporate how others see you, to some extent.

 

Returned can mess with their appearance within a certain range, btw.

[Glaring at the Survivor he/him]

If this is true, then likely the same would apply to Feruchemical gold too, as well as Regrowth. I think it would require an extreme amount of mental gymnastics, however, to the point of near impossibility.

Vasher

had the skill to do so (to an extent). And I'd guess a bunch of world hoppers do, too.

I think it may well be the case that the "healing" is a necessary component of the whole process: you can't "heal" your face into looking different if it isn't damaged in any real sense beyond not looking a certain way.

Huh. Interesting point...

It's the difference between healing back a finger and growing an extra one, to some extent.

If you have six fingers (on your left hand and killed a Spanish dude, unleashing the wrath of his son,) and the sixth is cut off, you should be able to heal that back, right?

Recall also that Cognitive aspects also incorporate how others see you, to some extent

Hmm... I think I do remember that, now that you mention it. Edited March 20, 2014 by Stroniax

[Kurkistan he/him]

If you have six fingers (on your left hand and killed a Spanish dude, unleashing the wrath of his son,) and the sixth is cut off, you should be able to heal that back, right?

 

Yes, but you might well not be able to "heal" yourself into having one of the six fall off because you really wish you had just five.

[Truthwatcher]

I am not quite sure if this would work. Yes, it's all about "heal to how you see yourself", but it could be a bit more demanding than that. I think it may well be the case that the "healing" is a necessary component of the whole process: you can't "heal" your face into looking different if it isn't damaged in any real sense beyond not looking a certain way. It's the difference between healing back a finger and growing an extra one, to some extent.

 

I think this is a big point. And if it is true, it could be argued that it makes sense for the Returned to be able to change their looks–after all, they've died completely, so their new body hardly has the same level of "permanence" as their old one. I feel like there's a quote by Shai from The Emperor's Soul that mentions objects becoming more cognitively "used" to their state the longer they're in it. So by that logic, a Returned would have a much easier time changing his/her appearance than a normal human would. Also, if merely being filled with Stormlight gave on the ability to change their appearance, it would make Shallan's abilities as a lightweaver a little . . . boring in comparison with the other Surges.

[Glaring at the Survivor he/him]

Well... she can, with the whole lightweaving thing, change a lot more than just herself.

I didn't say this would be easy. At all. Just… possible. Barely possible. Likely never to actually happen (for reasons you guys are pointing out, and that I doubt anyone would really try much more than with their hair) but possible.

Speaking of that, could someone possibly "heal" their hair?

[Aleksiel]

Um, Warbreaker spoilers ahead

 

Don't Returned look the way they do because of society's view on beauty and suitable appearance and not because they chose their own appearance?

 

Also, I don't see enough common things between Returned and surgebinders for this theory to work. The fist chose to come back to fulfill a duty and the later are chosen by spren and follow their own agenda. Returned need to infuse themselves so they might live and surgebinders use stormlight for surges and not basic survival.

[Glaring at the Survivor he/him]

Warbreaker Spoilers

Not really. Society's view probably has a little to do with it, as Kurk pointed out, but I'm actually quote sure it is much more influenced by how you see yourself. The returned all looked how they thought they should look (Vasher used for example the female Returned).

They aren't very similar in that aspect... I was linking them because Surgebinders heal back to how they view themself, and

Returned look how they view themselves

.