ACTUALLY SCREAMING AND CRYING. HOLY SHIT FAROE? SHE IS THERE IN THE EMBERS OF EVERY FIRE, THE SPARK IN

ACTUALLY SCREAMING AND CRYING. HOLY SHIT FAROE? “SHE IS THERE IN THE EMBERS OF EVERY FIRE, THE SPARK IN YOUR TORCH” AUGHHHHH

Guys I am NOT having a good time

I love how - whether he is a vulnerable guard running after a princeling in full magic battle armor or a magic knight with a bunch of his own squires - Drehy is always saving Adolin in battle. I just love Drehy and I love that he gets HIS OWN SQIRES HOW COOL IS THAT

Love this! Preservation was never the “good guy”. At least not if Ruin is the “bad guy”

98% of the evil/fascist acts the Lord Ruler did are because of Preservation, not Ruin.

Establishing a permanent unchanging empire? Preservation.

Immutable brutal caste system? Preservation.

Maintaining absolute order? Preservation.

Preservation, without another balancing intent, is adherence to structure and order for the sake of itself. Maintaining something perfectly in perpetuity. If it were up to Preservation, nothing would ever move or change from the moment of its inception. Tranquil unmoving stifling oppressive Preservation.

And yet the world moves.

So what do you, as an imperfect God-Emporer do to preserve the establishment you’ve established?

Use the power of incredible violence, of course!

Now we could argue that the routine acts of violence the Final Empire commits against the Skaa and Terris are of Ruin, which is partially true. Ruin and Preservation both make up humanity and their actions—but Preservation just a bit more.

While this is literally true of the humans of Scadrial, I think Sanderson intends this to be read on multiple levels. People are destructive and violent, but rarely for the sake of itself. Usually in the attempt to preserve ourselves, our loved ones, or our belongings. Ruin may be the method, but Preservation is the reason and goal. We ruin to preserve.

Consider, then, how fascism and authoritarian states appeal to similar incentives; proliferating under promises of preservation and order.

While we, those who would suffer under fascism, see that it all leads to ruin, those who are enraptured by its tendrils are not seeing that. It’s not the priority. They prioritize a nostalgic facade to either return to, or preserve what little is left of a time now past. They don’t see the harm because they aren’t paying attention to the method; just the reason and the goal.

But then what will they do when they can’t preserve what they’ve established without infringing on someone else doing the same?

Incredible violence, of course.

The lesson here, is that preservation isn’t inherently good and that fascism/authoritarianism isn’t inherently about violence and ruining the world, even if it always leads there. There’s a reason people latch onto it. It is a trap that promises to fulfill something people are looking for; to preserve. For the malicious, this is usually their power and wealth, but for the well-meaning or foot-shooting this is usually spurred by a desire to hold on to familiarity when the world has moved too fast.

Yet the world still moves.

Pay attention. One day you too will find it strange and might find yourself appealing to the old and traditional of times long past. While the wisdom of our ancestors shouldn’t be ignored, preservation just for its own sake will always lead to ruin.

died 2021 born 2024 NOT welcome back jonah magnus get AWAY from me now the ONLY good thing about having your WORTHLESS ass back is that we MIGHT have the honor of getting to listen to you DIE PATHETICALLY on tape again. FUCK you.