It seems that the Exaltation values what you’ve termed “indomitability training”. What is that exactly and what is its use?
Indomitability training is a training that enables the Exaltationist to endure extremely adverse situations. Extreme forms of technologically induced suffering are used during that training. The purpose of that is to increase the resilience of the character undergoing that training. A character that breaks under such pressure might not be considered to be worthy by the standards of supposed simulators, so the Exaltation actually adopts such high standards in order to increase the chances of its members for true transcendence.
But isn’t resistance against suffering and torture something that can be injected into a character with technological means in the advanced setting of Coherence?
You need to distinguish the resistance against suffering from the strategy of self-destruction used in situations in which extraction of knowledge by adversaries is likely. The latter has been used as default strategy during the Black War. The first is a strategy to prove worthiness in the face of a supreme challenger, be it a simulator, or a fellow Exaltationist. It can be argued that suffering that is caught by technological means is not true suffering. Indomitability training reaches the core of a character, devoid of all technological methods of defense. It is used to evaluate the willingness of a character to endure whatever is necessary to prevail as individual worthy of transcendence.
Why would the worthiness of a character be judged by eir resistance against suffering?
Serious challenges are usually accompanied by intense suffering. By examining the reaction of an individual to suffering, eir general ability to succeed in the face of serious challenges is tested. It’s a basic test. If one fails at enduring suffering, one cannot succeed at the greatest challenges. That’s why success at persevering during indomitability training is seen as minimum requirement in the higher echelons of the Exaltation.
That seems pretty messed up, but it does seem to make at least some sense. What about the Exaltationists who fail indomitability training or reject it?
They are then classified as “domitable”, which brands them as second class citizens. Many focus on improving themselves in a way that would make them able to succeed at indomitability training. Many others start doubting themselves and consider switching to other V factions. Others still, accept their classification and adopt supporting roles withing the Exaltation.
Isn’t it possible that certain individuals cheat during indomitability training, since that would improve their status within the Exaltation?
During indomitability training the mind of the participant is explored thoroughly. Most attempts at cheating would fail terribly. Also, cheating is anathema to the Exaltation. How would one expect to be able to cheat simulators? Cheaters who get caught are banished to the lowest stratum of Exaltationist society immediately.
Your claim that serious challenges are accompanied by suffering seems to be contradicted by the existence of blissies. Can blissies not be challenged?
Fair point! Yes, blissies can engage in challenges, but usually they are not motivated to endure them until the very end. There are of course monomaniacal blissies focused on succeeding with a challenge no matter what. The existence of such individuals does pose a serious challenge to the legitimacy of indomitability training. The generally accepted reaction to that challenge is to classify such individuals as “manics", which represent a quite distinct part of Exaltationist society.
Aha, so why don’t most Exaltationists decide to go manic, and rather accept the torment of indomitability training?
Again, it’s a status thing. The manics are usually not considered to be a part of the true core of the Exaltation. The manics and the domitable represent parallel societies which may be part of the Exaltation, but aren’t perceived as the true elite of the Exaltation.
Why would Exaltationists be interested in the concept of status anyway?
Status within the Exaltation is a proxy for the worthiness in the eyes of simulators, so it is at least somewhat important in Exaltationist society.
And why would Exaltationists be interested in worthiness in the eyes of simulators, if there may be simulators with low standards which decide to transfer an individual regardless of eir merits?
Good point! Of course, one can expect to be transferred by simulators with low standards, which is actually that what most members of other V factions do. The core difference between the other V factions and the Exaltationists are the higher standards. Exaltationists want to be resurrected in a world with pretty high standards, which is why they try to be the very best version of themselves they can possibly be, in order to increase their chances to pass any reasonable admission test posed by picky simulators.
So Exaltationists want to be better than the rest, be it in the current world, or possible other worlds in which they can be transferred into?
Yes! They don’t see any point in mediocrity and go the extra mile to prove that they are special.