The weakness of man

[Evisse the Blue]

Come to think about it, Tolkien (either consciously or unconsciously) suggests that both the big folk and the small folk (i.e. the mortals) should trust their hearts over their heads as the latter 'are not the best part of them' [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Take the classic scene when Sam learns that Frodo is still alive and thinks:
"You fool, he isn't dead, and your heart knew it".

Or the time when Gollum attracks Frodo on his way to Mt Doom and Sam hesitates whether he should kill him or not:

It would be just to slay this tracehrous, murderous creature (...)and also it seemed the only safe thing to do. But deep in his HEART there was something that restrained him.

And we all know how crucial that 'something that restrained him' proved to be for the success of the quest.

Another example: when the people of Gondor anxiously await Aragorn & co to return victorious or no from their last battle with the forces of Mordor. Although their reason - and even the weather tell them to expect bad news, they

sang for the joy that welled up in their hearts from what source they could not tell.

Faramir expresses that very accurately at the same moment in time, when he sits with Eowyn on the walls of the city:

The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay: and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny.

He was in love, and so he listened to his heart, rather than his reason, and the former proved also the wiser.

I guess this is what I was hinting at with my pathetically ambiguous first post on this topic. What do you think?