The Addictive Ring

[littlemanpoet]

In the case of Bilbo, you seem to have conveniently ignored the opening pages of FotR in which he himself speaks of "feeling stretched" and has a frenetic need to be gone from the Shire, from which he already feels a sense of disattachment.

I think it would be more accurate to say that the Ring tempts out the worst of which you carry in your potential. Sam defeated the temptation of the Ring by clinging to love for his master. Bilbo had to be virtually manhandled (hobbithandled?) by Gandalf to give it up. Possibly the most Elvish of all hobbits, Frodo, lasted a long, long time. His worst was the best ever seen of anyone wielding the Ring; however, that does not defeat my argument.

How could the ring not cut off human connection, rendering one invisible at the very least?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

How could the ring not cut off human connection, rendering one invisible at the very least?

The Ring itself is nothing but a piece of metal. It is the influence of Sauron's fea that affects those in contact with it. Behaviors exhibited by the Ring's victim's are the result of an immersion into Sauron's will and its attendant lies, illusions, and temptations. It is Sauron who conquers them; the Rings is simply an instrument.