Sauron's . . . mistake? Not? (What?)

[Laurelyn]

Okay.
Sauron created the One Ring so that he would have control over the other Ring-bearers. Right?
Clearly, he wasn't just anybody's weakling.
But I'm baffled as to why he'd want to put so much of himself into the One Ring that his existance would depend on it. True, the Ring was terribly hard to destroy, and true, it corrupted folk so they didn't want to destroy it anyways, but all the same: Isn't trusting everything you are to a Ring a little risky?

[Sween]

The idea of the ring was to be able to dominate all races. He didnt want to kill them where the fun in that he wanted to make them his slaves. Sauron knew that the free people of middle earth would never accept his as there lord esspecially the elves he had seen his master melkor fail therefore he knew force just aint enough.

To make the ring work he had to give it power. Taking over the worlds not a peice of cake and occasionally risks have to be taken. Saurons only mistake was he underestimated the elves and when he put the one ring on they became aware of him and took there rings off

[Laurelyn]

Well, yes, it never works too well to underestimate your enemies.
Perhaps I didn't state what I meant as well as I could have. I'll try again.
Seems to me sauron ended up becoming the Ring. What was left of Sauron was only an echo of the Ring anyways -- an eye, an eye that was only able to use armies of orcs, and then also the corruptive ways of the Ring/it's evil to stop itself from being destroyed(which didn't work too well anyway when all was said and done). I won't deny that risks certainly must be taken, but to trap oneself in a piece of gold, well . . .
The wielder of a Ring of Power might rule the world, but a ring alone cannot.

[Sween]

thatsnot enirly true Sauron was just about to wipe out the army sent to the black gates (and he would of) and he was not in possion of the ring as long as the ring existed Sauron would of won the day. Best way to think of it is the ring is like an anchor holding a ship above a waterfall and if the ancor was to go the ship would be lost.

[Urksnik the Sleek]

Much of Sauron's power was placed into the Ring, but he still existed and was able to take shape, even after he lost it, the Eye, was mainly a device used in the film, to indicate the Will of Sauron rather than his physical shape.

Plus, when you think of the mindset of Sauron, it probably didn't seem like a mistake to him, after all, with his lust for power, he couldn't conceive of anyone actually wanting to DESTROY the Ring, only that whoever had it would try to use it and therefore be ensnared by it. If that happened, eventually, they would become part of the wraith world, and Sauron could regain his ring.

Add to that, the fact that, despite having seen Morgoth destroyed, Sauron's megalomaniac disposition, presumably never allowed him to believe that anyone could defeat him in any serious fashion, and that therefore the risk was minimal and acceptable.

[BeardofPants]

Urksnik has pretty much summed it up. Sauron could not, and did not conceive that the ring could actually be destroyed, or that someone could actually sneak into Mordor to do so. Shortsighted on his part, but it's easy to see why.

Sween also has a good point: about the ring anchoring him to ME.

And his power was not completely put into the ring. After the downfall of Numenor, he was able to take shape again, albeit never again, a fair form. That implies that he was still powerful, and that he didn't put all his eggs in the basket.

[Archbob the Elder]

Wait, if he didn't put all of himself into the Ring, then he shouldn't have died when it was destroyed. And He might have won against the army of the west but gil-galad and Elendil defeated Sauron when he had the ring.

[BeardofPants]

It's not how much power he put into the ring, that is important, it's the fact that the ring acted an an anchor.

[Khamûl]

In response to your question Archbob, this thread is kind of relevant.

http://www.tolkientrail.com/entmoot/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5085

[Laurelyn]

Ah. Thank you.

[RosieCotton]

Interesting points. Maybe Sauron could have made 10 rings and some earrings and evenly distributed his power.
~Rosie~

[Telperion]

I beleive that Sauron put so much of himself in the ring so he couldn't be destroyed unless someone destroyed the ring or used the ring. He then counted on the ability of the ring to influence its bearer and his ability to destroy anyone who would use the ring before they harmed him. his only mistake was believing that no-one would be willing to destroy the ring.:)

[Celebrian]

Sauron obviously didn't think that anyone would want to destroy the ring. Even if he was defeated, he would not die until the ring was destroyed. If he had been in the elves or mens positions and found the ring he would never have even thought of destroying the ring. He was counting on whoever found it to do the same thing. It worked pretty well, Isildur kept it, and many people at the council of Elrond wanted to use it. It was only because Elrond already knew that the ring could only be used for evil that the decision was made to destroy it. I actually think Sauron was quite smart when he made the ring!:D

[Khadrane]

I also think he was smart to make the Ring. If it hadn't been for Gollum, Frodo wouldn't have destroyed the Ring. He would have been ensnared like the rest, and Sauron would have won the battle at the Black Gate.

[entss89]

what are you talking about a little risky more like alot risky you could just get killed if someone took it and went up to the mt. and throw it in! HELLO!:)

[Khadrane]

But no one could throw it in.

[Linarryl]

When he put his power in he didn't lose any, with the ring he could gain more power. (I think):p

[madeyejay]

Confidence often leads to follie. I think he assumed he would be un-defeatable with the ring. He also did not think anyone would destroy the ring. If someone wanted to destroy the ring, they would have to get into the heart of his stronghold, which he again did not think was possible. So yes he made mistake, but he would not know that until it was too late.

[Keith K]

Sauron's plan for domination was a good one. All races could be subdued with little trouble if it was successful. The risks associated with placing the greater portion of his innate power were necessary according to the natue of that power.
According to the power structure created by Illuvatar - Vala, Maia and so on, each being was given an individual measure of power which was finite, not limitless. Witness Morgoth spending so much of his power marring Arda that he lost his ability to change form. Similariy, when Sauron was caught in the destruction of Numenor he also lost his ability to achieve a 'fair' form.
When he put his power into the ring it was because he had to in order to rule the bearers of the other rings. This cost him much, as seen by the fact that he was diminished for thousands of years when it was taken from him. Also, he could no longer take any physical form and was reduced to representing himself as the "eye". I wonder if he had regained the ring would he be able to assume a physical form again? I think possibly yes.
All in all, it comes down to the nature of power in Middle Earth. Call it Middle Earth Physics....

[crickhollow]

mmm...I was also thinking of Morgoth while reading through this thread. In particular his conflict with Ungoliant. He put so much of his power into her that it left him the weaker of the two, which was a terrible strategy. One could see that backstabbing coming while it was still many leagues away.

[Keith K]

Crickhollow is on to something here. It is another example of "Middle Earth Physics" at work.