March 28, 2026
Hello,
As best as I can recall from our day on the ski hill, I am reconstructing Aidan’s analysis of the themes in Loftiest Intelligence. Last week, I looked at power. This week, it’s knowledge.
Ellie hoards forbidden books—not to dominate others, but to understand. In contrast, the Eastern Alliance outlaws magic and restricts learning—as if ignorance will keep people safe.
Aidan and I agree that ignorance is never the answer—it breeds suspicion and fear.
Without thoroughly examining our motives, we made witch‑hunters and secret practitioners. We gave the elves a sense of superiority that developed from their isolationist policies. The dwarves are geniuses of engineering—but short on patience. The short-lived humans are prone to the weakness of refusing to look far enough back to make wise decisions.
It’s only after the writing, through the lens of reflection, that we noticed how we had used fear on one hand and knowledge on the other to shape our world-building and the fight between good and evil.
Like all our stories, Loftiest Intelligence positions education, curiosity, and historical memory as moral goods. Libraries, maps, lost records, and ancient correspondence repeatedly become keys to survival.
Greed, self-importance, bigotry, and ignorance are the building-blocks of evil.
Next time, I’ll continue untangling the themes Aidan pointed out to me. I have been trying to read with more attention to big ideas. It slows me down. But that’s probably a good thing.
Happy reading.
Warm regards,
Paula Baker (and Aidan Davies)
Here are a couple of videos from this week. Follow, like, and comment.
