Ronan Nolan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
not_in_the_book) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2012-05-14 12:35 pm
not_in_the_book) wrote in fandomhigh2012-05-14 12:35 pm
Entry tags:
Philosophy of Choice [Monday | Period 1]
Ronan was looking a little haggard at the front of the class today, but he put on a smile and said, "Good morning, class. I hope you all had a more restful weekend than I did. A word of advice: never play t'krei with a Demisiv."
Because you'd all know what that meant, clearly.
"Today's lecture is about the flipside of last week's: when do you make the decision to sacrifice yourself for others? From what I heard last week, I feel like for some of you the answer is 'always.' That it's your first choice. I have to admit, it's often the first choice for me, too, as one of my world's wizard.
"But that doesn't mean it should be: that it should be everyone's first choice, or that it should be the first choice in every situation. And even if you've come to put others before you, it might not always have been as easy as you might find it now."
It should never be easy, Ronan though, but he had too few illusions about Fandom's students to wonder how many of them would throw themselves headlong into danger if it meant the merest chance to save someone else.
"One of the first major encounters I had, after becoming a wizard, was a reconstruction of the Battle of Moytura. For those of you not familiar with Irish mythology, the Battle of Moytura was fought against the Fomori, twisted creatures under the command of the giant Balor. Balor had one tiny eye and one large, the first shrunk down to make room for the second, which when opened would blast the land and all upon it."
Ronan hopped down off his desk and started scratching out a few notes on the blackboard. "Balor, in my world, is an incarnation of the Lone Power -- basically, the source of death in the universe. All the Irish wizards rose up against him, as well as a few American wizards who'd come across for a visit. We had weapons on our side, the four treasures: Fragarach, the sword, to cut between worlds; the cauldron, to revive our wounded; the Lia Fail, the stone of destiny, to hold the ground together; and, in my hand, the spear of Lugh, ready to be thrown and strike down Balor.
"But it was quiet in my hand. Throwing the spear meant accepting something within myself that I was afraid to: the One's Champion had chosen me as an avatar, but to make use of the spear and save Ireland I had to give myself over to it, which risked destroying everything that was me. It was something I'd agreed to do, when I took up the mantle of wizard, but no choice is final. I could have turned it down, stepped back, and let someone else step up to take over. It wouldn't have been as effective, and it might not have worked at all, but someone would have. The question was, could I live with myself afterwards if I made that choice?
"In the end, I chose the Champion, and the spear, and struck Balor down, though not before others had died in the battle. I don't know that I could have saved them even had I chosen earlier, but that's something that will stay with me for rest of my life: could I have?
"But that's my choice," Ronan finished. "I decided to risk everything I am because it was the best, though not the only, way to end the battle and win. What would you do, though? Have you been faced with a decision like that before? If not, how do you think you might choose, and why?"
[Wait for OCD is up!]
Because you'd all know what that meant, clearly.
"Today's lecture is about the flipside of last week's: when do you make the decision to sacrifice yourself for others? From what I heard last week, I feel like for some of you the answer is 'always.' That it's your first choice. I have to admit, it's often the first choice for me, too, as one of my world's wizard.
"But that doesn't mean it should be: that it should be everyone's first choice, or that it should be the first choice in every situation. And even if you've come to put others before you, it might not always have been as easy as you might find it now."
It should never be easy, Ronan though, but he had too few illusions about Fandom's students to wonder how many of them would throw themselves headlong into danger if it meant the merest chance to save someone else.
"One of the first major encounters I had, after becoming a wizard, was a reconstruction of the Battle of Moytura. For those of you not familiar with Irish mythology, the Battle of Moytura was fought against the Fomori, twisted creatures under the command of the giant Balor. Balor had one tiny eye and one large, the first shrunk down to make room for the second, which when opened would blast the land and all upon it."
Ronan hopped down off his desk and started scratching out a few notes on the blackboard. "Balor, in my world, is an incarnation of the Lone Power -- basically, the source of death in the universe. All the Irish wizards rose up against him, as well as a few American wizards who'd come across for a visit. We had weapons on our side, the four treasures: Fragarach, the sword, to cut between worlds; the cauldron, to revive our wounded; the Lia Fail, the stone of destiny, to hold the ground together; and, in my hand, the spear of Lugh, ready to be thrown and strike down Balor.
"But it was quiet in my hand. Throwing the spear meant accepting something within myself that I was afraid to: the One's Champion had chosen me as an avatar, but to make use of the spear and save Ireland I had to give myself over to it, which risked destroying everything that was me. It was something I'd agreed to do, when I took up the mantle of wizard, but no choice is final. I could have turned it down, stepped back, and let someone else step up to take over. It wouldn't have been as effective, and it might not have worked at all, but someone would have. The question was, could I live with myself afterwards if I made that choice?
"In the end, I chose the Champion, and the spear, and struck Balor down, though not before others had died in the battle. I don't know that I could have saved them even had I chosen earlier, but that's something that will stay with me for rest of my life: could I have?
"But that's my choice," Ronan finished. "I decided to risk everything I am because it was the best, though not the only, way to end the battle and win. What would you do, though? Have you been faced with a decision like that before? If not, how do you think you might choose, and why?"
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