How far could you go?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

...guess what? I'm bringing it up.

I don't think that Shelob or the Paths of the Dead or even Gorgoroth would scare me from going. But I think I'd die before I even get to Lorien. Maybe unable to walk another step, since it's the farthest I've walked all my life. Maybe die of thirst and/or hunger. Maybe killed by the first orc I encounter. Maybe trip and fall and break my neck. Or any other way to die.

In other words, I think I'd manage psychologically but not physically. I'm no Eowyn.

But, on the other hand, it's easy enough for me to say that I'm up for it now in my cozy room with a fride full of food a few rooms away. I don't know what I would say/do if I was in the Fellowship, since, well, I was never in it.

Well, as for physically keeping it up, I wouldn't be so dismissive in that respect. I mean, if you e.g. couldn't keep your pace, I am sure the Fellowship would adjust it. After all, they had all the Hobbits with them. As for being killed by an Orc, that's the same case - there are Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf to fight and protect the rest. So you'd just fall into the group of the Hobbits, and unless you were completely unlucky and got hit by a stray arrow (which, however, could happen to anyone), I think it's not any more likely that you'd be stopped by the physical aspect any more than anyone else would.

On the other hand, I believe the biggest question - which we cannot answer with 100% certainity, I believe - would be how would we react to the lure of the Ring being present. The Ring for sure had some influence on every member of the Fellowship, and the question probably is whether we'd manage not to turn into Boromir or somesuch. Of the other obstacles, I also believe for most of people the general lure would be the Merry-Pippin-thing, i.e. the wish to return home and be at peace (which, however, I think would be one of the easier to overcome, once you have decided that you want to participate in completing the quest, or at least speaking for myself), but very importantly, also the Sam thing. I mean, let's imagine somewhere in the middle of the way you learn that your home is about to be occupied by some nassties and your family and friends are going to be driven away from their homes and all that, and that the nice tree orchard of your youth (or insert whatever in your surroundings which has a place in your heart) is going to be cut down (you can subsitute that on the most material level, but also e.g. for your hometown/country getting a new government which will make "total rearrangements" in some way you certainly won't like - just think analogically) - now that would be probably for me a moment to at least stop and start having doubts whether I shouldn't have stayed where I was.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I'd have gone into Moria, because I find caves quite interesting, but as soon as I got to the bridge of Khazad-dum that would have been it. I can picture myself backing away from it going "No. No way. I'll just go back the way we came and I'll see you fellas later". Gandalf would have to threaten to put his staff where the sun doesn't shine and that might force me across. If I got that far, then I'd be the same at the stairs of Cirith Ungol.

If I made it that far, I'd be exactly the same. Even if I tried to cross the bridge of Khazâd-dûm, I'd probably get so dizzy I fell off after a couple of steps.

Originally Posted by Inziladun

When Gollum appears in a loincloth carrying raw fish, I'm out.

Anyway, mine would be a pathetic story of corruption. I'd volunteer to be the Ringbearer because I wouldn't trust anyone else in the job, thinking I was stronger than the Ring. But I'd get bored very quickly and my self-discipline being what it is, I'd start playing with the Ring before we even reached Eregion. Then they'd take it away from me and my anger and wounded pride would make me turn back alone - or try to steal it from them without paying any mind to the possible consequences. How sad.

[sassyfriend]

Wouldn't go to mount doom at all!!!!!

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by sassyfriend

Wouldn't go to mount doom at all!!!!!

And be the Fatty Bolger? Hmm...

Another issue, unrelated to all the temptations, is that we already know how everything is going to end. Which might make us either overdo it or not do enough ("the Ring will be destroyed anyways, and nothing will happen tonight, so I can just sleep through my watch..." and then orcs come and kill the whole Fellowship).

On the other hand, though, it does lessen the stress of choices: "sure, Gandalf, we'll go into Moria with you!" "Frodo, you know you have to leave..." "yes, we have to follow the orcs that captured Merry and Pippin, Aragorn!" "Let's take the third road, Frodo!" "sure thing, Faramir! Forget the law!" "same to you, Eomer!" "Aragorn, you have to take the Paths, you have no other way" "Aragorn, you're not going to die, so just go attack Mordor to distract Sauron" and etc.

But even that can go wrong. For example, if your choices work as reverse psychology on the others...

I mean, all these time-travel movies teach us... what? Don't mess in the past if you know the future!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

And be the Fatty Bolger? Hmm...

Another issue, unrelated to all the temptations, is that we already know how everything is going to end. Which might make us either overdo it or not do enough ("the Ring will be destroyed anyways, and nothing will happen tonight, so I can just sleep through my watch..." and then orcs come and kill the whole Fellowship).

On the other hand, though, it does lessen the stress of choices: "sure, Gandalf, we'll go into Moria with you!" "Frodo, you know you have to leave..." "yes, we have to follow the orcs that captured Merry and Pippin, Aragorn!" "Let's take the third road, Frodo!" "sure thing, Faramir! Forget the law!" "same to you, Eomer!" "Aragorn, you have to take the Paths, you have no other way" "Aragorn, you're not going to die, so just go attack Mordor to distract Sauron" and etc.

But even that can go wrong. For example, if your choices work as reverse psychology on the others...

I mean, all these time-travel movies teach us... what? Don't mess in the past if you know the future!

Well, I think the point was to try to predict what we would do if we didn't know the outcome - i.e. if we were in the same situation as the characters are; not like if we were right now, with all our Tolkien-related knowledge transported into Middle-Earth. Otherwise it loses its point, I would say. The point is exactly to try to figure out how you would act in such a situation. Of course your thinking is biased already, perhaps even subconsciously, by you having read the books, but some amount of good guessing is possible still for sure.

[sassyfriend]

I'd go with the fellowship willingly but I would be scared to death of becoming a Boromir even though I love Boromir to death! Physically it would be very trying on me not only am I hobbit sized( think i might be a tiny bit taller? ) I also have aritis and other health problems, but I would try my best to go to the ends of the earth with them even if it was with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. And I Hate Spiders with a passion I am terrified of em thanks to shelob!!!!!

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Well, I think the point was to try to predict what we would do if we didn't know the outcome - i.e. if we were in the same situation as the characters are; not like if we were right now, with all our Tolkien-related knowledge transported into Middle-Earth. Otherwise it loses its point, I would say. The point is exactly to try to figure out how you would act in such a situation. Of course your thinking is biased already, perhaps even subconsciously, by you having read the books, but some amount of good guessing is possible still for sure.

Well, thinking realistically, half of us would go down with colds and things like that, simply because we are used to our warm comfy beds, heating, and that sort of things.

And even more realistically, I'd drown myself in the Midgewater Marshes. Can't stand mosquitos in large quantities. And no bug-spray available in ME.

[sassyfriend]

That would be very bad!!!!! Don't like things that can bite without u being able to get away from em!

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by G55

Well, thinking realistically, half of us would go down with colds and things like that, simply because we are used to our warm comfy beds, heating, and that sort of things.

Originally Posted by sassyfriend

Physically it would be very trying on me not only am I hobbit sized( think i might be a tiny bit taller? ) I also have aritis and other health problems, but I would try my best to go to the ends of the earth with them even if it was with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. And I Hate Spiders with a passion I am terrified of em thanks to shelob!!!!!

Just a note: the original poster, Lady Snickerdoodle stated (in a follow-up post) that the question meant "how much mental strain could you take?" It's not a question about your physical hardiness or combat skills or anything like that.

[sassyfriend]

Not sure how mentally tough i would be