There is a story I have been thinking about a lot recently, pondering on its moral, and what I would do. The story is The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula LeGuin. I read it a while ago, and rediscovered it on YouTube recently, on a video discussing Faith in the US. The video is well worth looking at in it's own right, so here it is if you're interested.
Hopefully, this is a link to the full text of the story, and if you haven't read this beautiful short story, I highly recommend you check it out.
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas
I don't think any of the people in this story are bad people, but some of them are prepared to live with the cost that their perfect society demands. And some of them aren't. And I no longer know what decision I would make. I think it's a perfect example that whatever you try to achieve, there will be a cost. And sometimes the cost is ugly, and horrific. It's about if you are prepared to live with what you sacrifice to get it. Over the last few years, I've been lower than I've ever been, sacrificed a happy live with 3 women I truly loved while treating them all appallingly, pushed away my closest friends, and all my family, lost a job where I would have been comfortable if I'd chosen to stay at it, my credit rating and bank account are now gone as well. And yet, if things had gone a different way, I don't know if I truly would have been happy. I know I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing, and I'm getting to be who I'm meant to be, and I've come to be able to live with the cost of it. But that's just me.
But I digress, so back to the story. I use to think I'd be one of the walkers away from Omelas. That the cost was too high. But now, I'm not so sure. To live in a perfect society where everyone is happy, isn't that worth the sacrifice of one child, esp a child you cannot save and have no choice in its fate? Do the needs of the many out way the needs of the few? But then, what if it takes 10 children, or 100, or a 1000,000. What about 6 million? 20 million sacrificed to gain the happiness of 6 billion? At what point do the numbers become too great? I don't know at the moment. But it's something all of us have to decide. And it's important you don't hide from the consequences, but acknowledge and face them.
Sorry, this blog has kind of rambled on. I'll leave you know. But if you have any opinion on this wonderful story, I'd love to hear them.
Hopefully, this is a link to the full text of the story, and if you haven't read this beautiful short story, I highly recommend you check it out.
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas
I don't think any of the people in this story are bad people, but some of them are prepared to live with the cost that their perfect society demands. And some of them aren't. And I no longer know what decision I would make. I think it's a perfect example that whatever you try to achieve, there will be a cost. And sometimes the cost is ugly, and horrific. It's about if you are prepared to live with what you sacrifice to get it. Over the last few years, I've been lower than I've ever been, sacrificed a happy live with 3 women I truly loved while treating them all appallingly, pushed away my closest friends, and all my family, lost a job where I would have been comfortable if I'd chosen to stay at it, my credit rating and bank account are now gone as well. And yet, if things had gone a different way, I don't know if I truly would have been happy. I know I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing, and I'm getting to be who I'm meant to be, and I've come to be able to live with the cost of it. But that's just me.
But I digress, so back to the story. I use to think I'd be one of the walkers away from Omelas. That the cost was too high. But now, I'm not so sure. To live in a perfect society where everyone is happy, isn't that worth the sacrifice of one child, esp a child you cannot save and have no choice in its fate? Do the needs of the many out way the needs of the few? But then, what if it takes 10 children, or 100, or a 1000,000. What about 6 million? 20 million sacrificed to gain the happiness of 6 billion? At what point do the numbers become too great? I don't know at the moment. But it's something all of us have to decide. And it's important you don't hide from the consequences, but acknowledge and face them.
Sorry, this blog has kind of rambled on. I'll leave you know. But if you have any opinion on this wonderful story, I'd love to hear them.
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Glad to finally have our own place, but a little sad they i've grown up that little bit more, by buying a house! well flat in this case