BloodHenge wrote:
How can one surpass one's limits without continually testing them?
Eh, I'd tend to think of it more like exercise. If you're constantly working out to the point where you pass out, you'll be throwing up, injuring your muscles, and generally fucking up your body. The best way to work out is to consistently put yourself through a strain that you know is close to your limit (about 75-90% of what you can do) while still making sure that you stop when you know that you're asking your body for too much.
Of course, that doesn't seem to be the way that Ian's powers work, this probably being because they are metaphysical in nature. The difference between the two being that we don't consciously control the tearing and destruction of our own tissue, and the healing that occurs afterwords. We have only a vague idea of the complex operations going on within our own bodies as we exercise them and make ourselves stronger and healthier. However, Ian has at least implied that each time he works with the forces that he is controlling, he gains a better understanding of what they do. That means that he can work himself to the point where he collapses, and he still obtains a better understanding of how to control the flow of magic, simply by doing it.
That being said, I still don't think that what he is doing is the healthiest thing he could be doing. His understanding seems to grow by leaps and bounds every time he uses his powers, but I still think that he'd probably have a clearer idea if he took things slowly, pushing himself almost to that point where he knows he cannot go any furthur, instead of running headfirst over the edge.
After all, his behavior does remind one of the behavior of the gods in the creation myths we've heard so far. The gods in the mythology did truly amazing things, but afterwards they were so exhausted that they had to rest, and we've also seen that they made mistakes the first time around. Ian himself is still refining his powers, making mistakes and correcting them, and each time he must rest afterwards. Who knows if there is any correlation between the two, or if Ian will continue to walk the same path.
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Labrat wrote:
You are lucky I'm not trying to type with my genitals. Yet.
onion wrote:
Yup, round here we call this 'fishing for whores'...