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Unnamed comments on [FINAL CHAPTER] Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, March 2015, chapter 122 - Less Wrong Discussion

6 Post author: Gondolinian 14 March 2015 04:00PM

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Tags: fiction hpmor harry_potter fanfiction

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Comment author: Unnamed 15 March 2015 12:45:18AM 4 points [-]

It seems that the problem with Tom "Voldemort" Riddle is that, although he was ambitious, he had no ambition. He was Sorted into Slytherin, and was driven by fear and cleverness to grasp at any opportunity for advancement which he could imagine. But there was no great ambition that he was driven to accomplish - at best he could grasp his way upward into the role of a hero, or a Dark Lord, or into personal immortality, or some other position of merely personal success, never breaking the bounds of his own lonely existence.

True ambition was the power that he knew not, and his downfall.

Comment author: Velorien 15 March 2015 10:09:56AM 5 points [-]

Let's not forget this:

But I knew the Muggles would eventually destroy the world or make war on wizardkind or both, and something had to be done if I was not to wander a dead or dull world through my eternity. Having attained immortality I needed a new ambition to occupy my decades, and to prevent the Muggles from ruining everything seemed a goal of acceptable scope and difficulty.

Comment author: Kindly 15 March 2015 03:48:43PM 7 points [-]

I think a good way of describing Voldemort's ambition or lack thereof is that he has no preferences about worlds that do not contain him, whereas Harry Potter does.

Comment author: shminux 15 March 2015 12:49:30AM 2 points [-]

Not sure what definition of ambition you are using but

a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.

seems to fit pretty well.

Comment author: LawrenceC 15 March 2015 03:07:01AM 3 points [-]

I think he's referring to the definition of ambition Quirrel uses in Chapter 70:

The Defense Professor's fingers idly spun the button, turning it over and over. "Then again, only a very few folk ever do anything interesting with their lives. What does it matter to you if they are mostly witches or mostly wizards, so long as you are not among them? And I suspect you will not be among them, Miss Davis; for although you are ambitious, you have no ambition."

Comment author: shminux 15 March 2015 07:13:56AM 1 point [-]

I guess it depends on what one finds interesting. Clearly QQ/LV found taking over Magical Britain interesting enough.

Comment author: Manfred 15 March 2015 05:01:27PM 2 points [-]

The claim is that he found being Lord Voldemort interesting, but he didn't find taking over Magical Britain interesting.

Comment author: linkhyrule5 15 March 2015 06:01:04AM 1 point [-]

Yes - but achieve what?

He just... wants immortality. And then... that's it. No real idea of what he wants to do with it.

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