The One Ring and split personalities

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by CaptainFaramir13

I am sorry if this has been discussed before but I could not seem to find anything, also I think this is in the right place, sorry if it is not.

I was thinking about Gollum today, and I thought of something that I had never thought of before. It seems that the whole Gollum persona of Sméagol’s personality is there because of the Ring. Does the Ring create a new personality in people? Perhaps this is a part of its corruption process, that it takes the darkness within you and strengthens it until it develops into a personality of its own, a personality completely dependent on the Ring. So could anyone who has the Ring long enough develop the secondary personality like Gollum/Sméagol? Are there any signs of a secondary personality developing, due to the Ring, in other characters?

If so, would the Ring-generated personality be the same as the Gollum personality, or would it be different depending on the person? I would think it would be different as the Ring tempts different people with different things. It would seem that if you had the Ring long enough the personality it develops remains even in the Ring’s absence, as the Gollum persona is still there even though he no longer has the Ring. I thought this would make an interesting first topic, so what do you guys think? Does the Ring create a new personality in others, or is Gollum unique is this regard? Did the Ring create the Gollum personality or is it simply exploiting it?

My reading of The Ring's influence was that there was a metaphysical component to that, on one dimension of influence. As I understand what 'evil' meant in this context, some kind of dimension or vulnerability in the mortal mind is amplified. I read somewhere that during the transformation phase for The Nine, the Ringbearer's mind became prone to hearing/experiencing phantoms of thought, from Sauron's mind, and that the bearer lost the capacity to discern that the phantoms were not his own thoughts. Over time, the new, growing personality subsumed or subverted or obliterated the original more empathic personality.

On a more ordinary level, and in reflecting upon Sméagol/Gollum, Gollum's psychology was that of the predator/sociopath, to borrow modern language. So, yes, I suspect that The Ring amplifies the already mortal tendency to behave in deviant ways, or in callous disregard of others. That is the amorality of the self-serving being, driven by lust, greed and who has a mind where others are experienced as objects. That's another way of saying he had no empathy. If we think about Sauron for a moment, he was the archetypal sadistic psychopath, whose primary reinforcers were greed, lust and power. He tortured wantonly to get information, took pleasure in scaring people, got off on his Orc 'super race' taking over the world, and didn't give a rat's backside about betraying Elves and mortals. I read somewhere that when Sauron got his Nine servants that his lust and greed grew. I also remember reading about Sauron that at the end of the First Age, when Eonwe came with the Host of the Valar, that "Sauron lied even to himself" promising reform and acting contrite. And that without "supervision" or without the beating arm of the Valar containing him, he "fell back into evil ways". Did Sauron have any capacity for Empathy? Did he grieve, or feel fear or suffer just before the end? Is he worth compassion from others?

We also speak of "Sauron ensnaring" people, by seducing them with appeals to power. Tolkien had a bit of a perverted head, if you ask me, in what must have been some fear of himself on some level, I suspect. I do think though, that he tapped into something about human nature, and as we might say 'power corrupts' and 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'. So, I believe that Sauron was 'propagating' and extending his influence, by enslaving others to their vices, and that was how the appearance of Gollum's new personality was effected.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

I do think though, that he tapped into something about human nature, and as we might say 'power corrupts' and 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'.

Yes, but I think there is also a 'Tolkien corollary' to Acton: "power attracts the corruptible." Smeagol was already dishonest and mean before the Ring ever came out of the Anduin mud; Saruman was already arrogant and brooked no rivals when he stepped off the boat.

As for a 'ring-persona'- Hmmm. Good question. It does appear that Boromir was 'not himself' when he tried to take it from Frodo. It might well be said that the Ring amplifies and grows the "Morgoth-element" already present in every person in Arda Marred.