Elrond, lord of Rivendell, calls a council of all these people. He reveals what connects all of their misfortune - The One Ring has been found. Elrond goes on,
[In the time of Gil-galad and Elendil] Sauron was diminished, but not
destroyed. His Ring was lost but not unmade. The Dark Tower
was broken, but its foundations were not removed; for they were made
with the power of the Ring, and while it remains they will endure.
The Ring must be destroyed. Hiding it did not work. There is nowhere it can be kept. Sauron's power is only growing. Boromir wonders if they might use the Ring, this powerful ring, against Sauron. As we learned last week, that is not possible. The Ring is loyal to Sauron. No victory is possible while it persists. The Ring must be destroyed. Elrond adds,
And it is not our part here to take thought only for a season,
or for a few lives of Men, or for a passing age of the world.
We should seek a final end of the menace...
The time to delay and harry Sauron is over. We see the results: Only future danger. In order to properly secure Middle Earth from Sauron, the Ring must be destroyed. It is the only way to truly defeat him.
In 1865, slavery was abolished in America. In 1964 and 1965, respectively, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed, marking an end to the Jim Crow era. But racism persists. Racism persisted after 1865, it persisted after 1965, and it not only persists now but is on the rise. How?
In 1865, slavery was abolished in America. In 1964 and 1965, respectively, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed, marking an end to the Jim Crow era. But racism persists. Racism persisted after 1865, it persisted after 1965, and it not only persists now but is on the rise. How?
Well, read that paragraph more carefully again. Slavery ended in 1865 - but racism was not addressed. Jim Crow ended in 1965 - but racism was not addressed. To take Elrond's words: "Racism was diminished but not destroyed - it was removed from society but not removed from all people." It persisted, waiting for its opportunity to rise again. And here we are.
Before my current relationship, my previous two had been very unhealthy. I dedicated myself almost wholly to my partner and gave up a lot that was important to me in the name of "love". It wasn't healthy for me and opened me up to abuse. I got taken advantage of. This had been the case with most of my past relationships, but the previous two were really bad.
So towards the end of that last relationship I started seeing a therapist. When that relationship ended I kept seeing my therapist. I stayed out of a relationship for all of 2017, instead meeting monthly with my therapist, working on myself. What did this mean?
I already knew that it was important to love myself and value myself. But I knew it mostly abstractly. It was difficult for me to put into words what I loved and valued about myself and how I showed it. So, all that year, I spent time reflecting on what made me happy and how to pursue it.
After a lot of time and reflection I realized what I liked doing, I realized what was important to me. And I resolved to keep those things in my life. Things like playing board games with my friends, things like reading a book regularly, things like a job I find fulfilling even if it doesn't pay very well. I like waking up early and cooking most of my meals. I like pushing people's buttons. I like spending my free time keeping up this blog, even if the self-imposed deadlines sometimes drive me crazy but I also like being a strict task-master and so I keep to them. I don't like excusing failure and applauding effort that didn't result in success. I like being forgiving. I like how those previous two sentences are contradictory but that I still believe in them both. "I contain multitudes" and etc.
Those bad relationships were over, but how could I prevent myself from repeating my mistakes? How could I "seek a final end of the menace"? I didn't want to avoid all relationships, so how could I avoid only the bad ones? By figuring out the things that were important to me I have, again to borrow Elrond's words, "destroyed the foundation" that led to my abuse. Better yet, I built new foundations that protect me from future abuse.
There are many examples, in society and in our personal life, when we recognize problems and respond to stop them. But in most cases we only get rid of what we see - we only address what is bothering us and not the root of the problem. Whether it is a social issue like racism or a personal issue like self-love it is hard to 'seek a final end to the menace'. It can feel like wasted effort. Can we really be rid of racism? Can we really quiet the voice in our head that mocks us? If we get rid of enough - out of sight out of mind - isn't that enough?
Of course, to take the above two examples, to "be rid of them" requires some hard work. You don't stop racism by killing everyone who is racist. You don't stop self-doubt by ignoring that cruel voice in your head. You must learn what circumstances lead to their rising. Why do people become racist? When does your self-doubt creep in? Those are the foundations we must not only remove but also replace.
In all cases, whatever the root cause is, The One Ring is a metaphor for it. We may be tempted to hide it or ignore it or try to use it for good. These are mistaken impulses. Addressing the root cause is hard work that takes time - I can attest to that. Journeying to Mount Doom is a dangerous decision. But it is the only way to make "a final end of the menace," and to ensure the past becomes is not prologue.
Life can feel like a game of whack-a-mole. Whenever you hit one, two more pop up. But the moles are only the visible symptoms of a deeper problem. If you want your situation to improve you must get on your hands and knees, crawl behind the machine, and unplug the damn thing. Anything else is only a band-aid.
Like this project? Want to learn more? Want exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content? Go to my Patreon site and see how you can become a part of the action!
Before my current relationship, my previous two had been very unhealthy. I dedicated myself almost wholly to my partner and gave up a lot that was important to me in the name of "love". It wasn't healthy for me and opened me up to abuse. I got taken advantage of. This had been the case with most of my past relationships, but the previous two were really bad.
So towards the end of that last relationship I started seeing a therapist. When that relationship ended I kept seeing my therapist. I stayed out of a relationship for all of 2017, instead meeting monthly with my therapist, working on myself. What did this mean?
I already knew that it was important to love myself and value myself. But I knew it mostly abstractly. It was difficult for me to put into words what I loved and valued about myself and how I showed it. So, all that year, I spent time reflecting on what made me happy and how to pursue it.
After a lot of time and reflection I realized what I liked doing, I realized what was important to me. And I resolved to keep those things in my life. Things like playing board games with my friends, things like reading a book regularly, things like a job I find fulfilling even if it doesn't pay very well. I like waking up early and cooking most of my meals. I like pushing people's buttons. I like spending my free time keeping up this blog, even if the self-imposed deadlines sometimes drive me crazy but I also like being a strict task-master and so I keep to them. I don't like excusing failure and applauding effort that didn't result in success. I like being forgiving. I like how those previous two sentences are contradictory but that I still believe in them both. "I contain multitudes" and etc.
Those bad relationships were over, but how could I prevent myself from repeating my mistakes? How could I "seek a final end of the menace"? I didn't want to avoid all relationships, so how could I avoid only the bad ones? By figuring out the things that were important to me I have, again to borrow Elrond's words, "destroyed the foundation" that led to my abuse. Better yet, I built new foundations that protect me from future abuse.
There are many examples, in society and in our personal life, when we recognize problems and respond to stop them. But in most cases we only get rid of what we see - we only address what is bothering us and not the root of the problem. Whether it is a social issue like racism or a personal issue like self-love it is hard to 'seek a final end to the menace'. It can feel like wasted effort. Can we really be rid of racism? Can we really quiet the voice in our head that mocks us? If we get rid of enough - out of sight out of mind - isn't that enough?
Of course, to take the above two examples, to "be rid of them" requires some hard work. You don't stop racism by killing everyone who is racist. You don't stop self-doubt by ignoring that cruel voice in your head. You must learn what circumstances lead to their rising. Why do people become racist? When does your self-doubt creep in? Those are the foundations we must not only remove but also replace.
In all cases, whatever the root cause is, The One Ring is a metaphor for it. We may be tempted to hide it or ignore it or try to use it for good. These are mistaken impulses. Addressing the root cause is hard work that takes time - I can attest to that. Journeying to Mount Doom is a dangerous decision. But it is the only way to make "a final end of the menace," and to ensure the past becomes is not prologue.
Life can feel like a game of whack-a-mole. Whenever you hit one, two more pop up. But the moles are only the visible symptoms of a deeper problem. If you want your situation to improve you must get on your hands and knees, crawl behind the machine, and unplug the damn thing. Anything else is only a band-aid.
The Lord of the Rings: An Ethical Guide is a Patreon-supported project. Thank you to all those who have contributed.
Like this project? Want to learn more? Want exclusive access to behind-the-scenes content? Go to my Patreon site and see how you can become a part of the action!
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