Kingsdaughter613

OMG. Headcannon accepted.

Someone testifying period. It’s a pretty terrifying thing to do. Someone just facing their daily fears. I think it’s less that people live comfortable lives, than the media giving this idea that valor is in the big things. It’s really not. It’s in seeing something that frightens you and doing it anyway. It’s in facing danger and continuing on. The person who visits the doctor despite their fear. Every woman who chooses to carry a child. Every parent who lets their kid fly free. If it takes courage, if it takes bravery, if it means facing fear and walking onward, then that is Valor. Spoilers for TDO It’s the kind of world that is built around great acts of Valor.

Lol!

Icon means symbol. I was unaware of a modern slang usage for the term until you told me. No one I know uses it that way. You can’t assume people will understand what the term is intended to refer to. What the OP seems to actually be saying is that she resonated with Lift’s experiences. Which I think is great. There is definitely a lot of overlap where people can relate, which is a good thing.

I’m in the field AND I’ve been writing analyses papers lately. So I’ve actually had to deal with the confusion and have had to be super accurate with EVERYTHING I write lately. And I have a NVLD which means the meanings of words are really, really important. Basically: Lift is a great person for trans individuals to relate to and I am super happy they can. However, she would make for a very bad symbol for the movement because her issue is something often mistakenly conflated with gender dysphoria. And you probably shouldn’t assume whether or not people are LGBTQ+. Not everyone is obvious about it or considers it a super important part of their identity. And a person’s views are certainly not a good indicator; the community is hardly monolithic.

Why does everyone assume I’m not queer? (Mutters irritably about the alienating language.) I also have a NVLD, so my primary means of understanding the world is through language. Not everyone uses or knows the most modern slang, nor are slang terms consistent across cultures, nations or demographics. On the other hand, I've had to explain the dysphoric/dysmorphic difference to far too many people. It really is a problem and a little caution to avoid exacerbation can go a long way. @Koloss17 Yeah, that’s pretty much what I meant. I think it’s awesome that people can relate to her that way, but I’m worried about people conflating two very different things that are often conflated to the detriment of both. Also, I’ve been writing analysis papers, so I’ve been going crazy with definitions and the need to be VERY specific. (School, right?)

Kell is a really weird one. He was initially maintained through a continual Connection to Preservation, similar to the Heralds. Returned carry Splinters of Endowment which, for what ever reason, appears to be tied to them instead of her. (Possibly due to the nature of the Shard?) Kell is a Sliver now though, which may mean he is a piece of Preservation. He’s not carrying a Splinter inside him; what he is has been fundamentally altered by what he held. There should be a way to break off the piece completely from the whole without harming him. Doing it would probably be tricky, since you could be risking dissolving his Spirit web. Either that, or the original link is what’s actually causing him problems.

It doesn’t give us KoW, otherwise I’d agree with you.

There isn’t. Relating to her experience is completely fine and valid and I think it’s wonderful that people can. And if you can, you should. 100%. Using her as an ‘icon’ could be harmful however. She’s not a good representative because of the RL conflation of the two disorders (without even getting into the trans-agism debate.) In a perfect world people wouldn’t make that error, but this isn’t a perfect world and there are a lot of people who can’t seem to get the difference. (I think it’s obvious, but then I’m in the field.) I just think the wording should be phrased differently. Like: Lift’s feelings correlate really well to my personal experience. Which they don’t for me, but do for the OP, which is wonderful. I’m glad that they can find their experiences reflected in Lift.

I did say I could definitely see where the experiences correlate. There’s a reason Dysmorphia and Dysphoria are often confused. My problem is using a somewhat Dysmorphic character as an ‘icon’ for Dysphoria when that association is harmful IRL. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this should be phrased better so as to make the distinction clear. It’s good to have characters to relate to, but we should be careful not to propagate harmful beliefs.

I think you’re missing the point. Lift’s issue isn’t that her body is changing - it’s what the change represents. She doesn’t want to grow up. She doesn’t want to stop being her mother’s little girl. If her body didn’t change but her mind did she would still have all her problems. The physical change is just the most obvious, and she feels like she can enforce some control over that, like by measuring and binding herself. So that’s what she focuses on. But her real issue is that she’s maturing mentally. She wants her psychology to stay the same. She doesn’t want to grow up. It’s not her body; it’s her mind. Honestly, I think she’s a terrible choice for any trans association. Lift wants her mind to stay the same and is projecting that desire onto her body. Trans individuals want their body to reflect their mind. One of the things trans activists are fighting is the belief that trans individuals are projecting psychological difficulties onto their bodies. Since that is EXACTLY what Lift is doing, conflating her with the trans experience is a bad idea, as it can lead to the propagation of harmful stereotypes and beliefs. I can definitely see where her experience can reflect elements of the trans experience, especially where she feels betrayed by her body. But since her issues stem from a source that is too often mistaken as a ‘cause’ for transsexuality it is best not to conflate them. (Specifically, Lift has something more akin to Peter Pan Syndrome with elements of Body Dysmorphia. Since Dysmorphia and Dysphoria are confused far too often, it’s better not to conflate them period. Note that Peter Pan Syndrome is not recognized by the DSM.)

He’s lived there a long time and he’s taught Adolin and Kaladin. I doubt Dalinar considers him a good candidate for champion, but he probably does consider him a great fighter.

The indication seems to be yes, but I guess we’ll find out.

I keep thinking the same. Cultivation plus Odium equals Social Darwinism. And Honor plus Odium equals Vengeance or War, most likely. Plus Cultivation equals Conquest...

Zahel taught Kaladin and Adolin. I think Dalinar knows how capable he is.

I like your theory here. I think my biggest issue is that Kell would have told Vin if that were the case. I don’t really think he would have hidden it from her; it could have been another bond between them. The second big issue is that Tekiel controlled the canals in the Eastern dominance, and Kell comes from the Western one. That doesn’t prevent them from being a Western house though. There were also minor differences; K & M were raised in their noble home. Also, no one found out about them until sometime after both their parents were dead and the brothers decided to embrace their Skaa heritage. (Their backstory is terribly conflicting.) But overall this is a really good theory! I very much enjoyed reading it!

@Spren of Kindness BASELESS theories. Anything involving Kell is not baseless because impossible is that thing he did yesterday. And anything more is a RoW spoiler. Adonalsium wasn’t shattered into Shards and Shards can be splintered. So there’s no reason why Adonalsium couldn’t have been a Shard or Splinter of something greater. Maybe the God Beyond? Mraize is Kell’s kid with a Thaylen Worldhopper.

I’m pretty sure Valor would have been the Dark One’s Shard. You can also be valorous in the day to day. Someone who goes out to a dangerous neighborhood to help the kids there is valorous. Someone sticking up for those in need can be valorous. First responders are valorous. Squashing that one really creepy bug that totally freaks you out is valorous. Valor can be found in many places!

Depends on how Dalinar is thinking. He could also mean Zahel. Per WoB, Kal wins fights on a battlefield. Off the battlefield he gives the win to the two characters who fight dirtiest: Vasher and Kel. (Which, admittedly, doesn’t bode well for Shallan.) Dalinar understands this. Vasher is around, so Zahel is a distinct possibility.

That’s one of the two theories. The other is that the fifth oath builds on the fourth like the third builds on the second. Note that these theories aren’t contradictory. Accepting that you SHOULD not save someone, even if you can, is an important skill for a leader. Sometimes you need to let your people go and do what they must, even if that means sending them to their deaths.

Taln is the best fighter, at least on days when he can fight.

No, that’s probably the fifth Oath - accepting that there are times when you SHOULD NOT protect, even if you are capable of doing so.

They do. They have a community on the other side of it.

The Horneaters know what the perpendicularity does.

Slight problem: Brandon has said he plans to write a Rock novella telling what happens to him. This indicates ‘what happened’ is going to be a bit more than a trial and execution.