[Dragaera] Vlads blood

[Maximilian Wilson]

On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 10:09 PM, Jerry Friedman
<jerry_friedman at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- On Mon, 5/19/08, Mark Mandel <cracksandshards at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 3. Although Dragaerans are bigger and stronger than
> > Easterners, and live
> > fifty times as long, every Dragaeran is constrained by the
> > genes of gya's
> > House (or House(s), in the case of crossbreeds) and
> > *cannot* act otherwise.
> > This implies that Dragaerans are LESS than human in some
> > real and important sense.
>
> Unless we're constrained by our genes somehow.  More to the
> point, I don't see any evidence of constraint.  The House
> we know best is the Dragon, and obviously Dragons can't
> scheme, lie, cheat, or steal, unless it would lead to Cool
> Stuff.

Hmmm. In cases like this, the distinction between "cannot" and "will
not" is fuzzy and perhaps doesn't matter. Okay, so perhaps Morrolan
"cannot" (because he's a Dragon) ignore an insult. Is he any more
constrained than Vlad, who will not pass up a good meal at Valabar's
ta save his life?

I don't buy the idea that being fully human consists in freedom from
(internal) constraints on your behavior. That's like saying that
humanity consists in the lack of a personality.

-Max

--
"The presentation or 'gift' of the Holy Ghost simply confers upon a
man the right to receive at any time, when he is worthy of it and
desires it, the power and light of truth of the Holy Ghost, although
he may often be left to his own spirit and judgment." --Joseph F.
Smith (manual, p. 69)

Be pretty if you are,
Be witty if you can,
But be cheerful if it kills you.