The effect of the Ring
 

I think it is interesting looking at how the Ring effects others, how it tempts them, and such. However some people are able to resist the Ring, what qualities do you think the ones who can resist the Ring have, that the ones who can’t don’t?

I think it is knowledge of what the Ring can do; knowledge that no matter what the Ring tempts you with it is eventually going to hurt you and help Sauron rather then help you. So what do you think makes some people able to resist the ring, and what do you think makes others more susceptible to it?

P.S. sorry if this is already a topic.

Desire for power, together with the egotistical belief that one has the strength to control the thing. Frodo had neither, which was why, together with hobbit-toughness, he was the ideal Bearer. Compare Boromir and Faramir: Boromir was a warrior because he loved it; Faramir hated it, but did it because it was necessary. Boromir was drawn to what he thought was a weapon, whereas Faramir's loyalty was to the idea of Gondor free and at peace.

I wonder how the One Ring would affect a Dwarf; the Dwarves seemed pretty resistant to the power of the rings they were given, and to evil and corruption in general. But they do have a lust for gold and jewels that might have made a Dwarf decide to keep the Ring rather then destroy it.

But Bilbo never fully understood what the ring was and yet had it for a long while, essentially resisting it's temptations. But then it could be stated that not knowing what the ring was capable of was one of the reasons it never fully took hold of Bilbo. There wasn't such a temptation because he never fully knew the power of it. To him, it simply made him invisible and nothing more.

Great point about Bilbo mormegil! It seems that knowledge plays some part in resisting the ring; rather it is lack of knowledge or knowledge of just what the ring could do, though as we saw with Saruman certain knowledge of the rings could also give one a lust for them.

I noticed that too mormegil, I do think that knowledge of power creates a lust for, if you didn't know what chocolate was and you had only seen the wrapping would you want it was bad as you would after someone like me started listing all it's virtues? I think not.

Knowledge, I agree, plays a part, but what I believe was the most important factor is the heart of the individual. Take the cases of Smeagol and Bilbo: Smeagol already had an evil heart, and he saw the ring and used it as an opportunity to murder his friend, Deagol. Frodo found the ring, discovered that it held some power for it made him invisible, and yet of his own free will he discarded the option of killing Smeagol, a creature who at that moment was his enemy, and bent on killing him, and yet Frodo chose to spare his life.

Merry

But constrasting Frodo and Bilbo. I would say they are of similar character and have about the same 'heart'. How much more was Frodo tempted than Bilbo being that Frodo, unlike Bilbo, understood, at least in some part, the rings potential.

Agreed that with Smeagol he started off roten and he was a weak willed creature that quickly answered the rings call. Yet with Bilbo and Frodo there is the element of knowledge. I would posit, also, that Saruman indeed had a decent if not great heart at the start and began his study with the intent to do good. The more in depth he got the more he couldn't resist the urge until he truly fell and failed in his mission.