LotR -- Book 6 - Chapter 2 - The Land of Shadow

[drigel]

Picking up a "vibe" is definitely not the same thing as hearing - and understanding - the contents of words that are spoken in one's presence! Methinks the Ring is being given more credit than behoves its actual abilities. Intuitive, yes; influential, yes; but not nearly as much an active participant in events as some have assumed.

I tend to agree, although we may be in the minority here. I think more towards the use of personification as a literary device, rather than taken literally, although the writing style leaves a lot to the imagination (Balrogs "flying", "wings" of shadow etc).
I may be alone here, but I am thinking the ring picked a vibe on a bearer as much as my power saw picked up a vibe from the electrical current as I plugged it in.