Post Nine: To stay or remain in Omelas
Website Blog (minimum 350 words) describing your avatar’s decision to either remain in, or walk away from Omelas
I find this paradox to be very relevant to our world today as we live on an earth where there are first world countries and third world countries. We are in a sense living in a far more complex idea of Omelas. In Ireland we live in a place not as Utopian as Omelas but very similar. We live how we live mostly because capitalism enables us to buy cheap goods made by people in sweater shops who suffer in third world countries or similar conditions to the child in the dirty cellar.
So to ask me if I'd stay or walk away from Omelas is rather difficult. I initially felt I would definitely leave but as I reflect on my actions as a human in the real world I wonder if I'm far too weak to actually leave. I buy clothes made from children in sweater shops. I have unknowns to myself actually chosen Omelas. However it is different. Omelas is simply just a city and not a world, so technically it is easier to leave. We are so globalized today that my choice to leave would have to be internal(moral stance) rather than physically dropping everything and leaving. This however isn't what was asked of me but I found it interesting to start this topic off with a comparison to the real world as that is what the short story asks of us; to be true to our moral stance and truly question our true choice.
After reading this however I believe I would leave Omelas. After becoming aware that my happiness stemmed from someones misery I would rather leave and find a world where I would live with both misery and happiness in a more balanced and fair way.
I found it quite interesting the sentence "But they seem to know where they are going" as it suggests that those who leave have found some possible moral higher ground. I believe it is their realization that Omelas is actually a utopia built on a deal with the devil and this could never be just. No matter what they couldn't keep on living with that price to pay, so anywhere is better than Omelas.
Omelas represents a very real moral dilemma we face in our real lives. Do we gain success out of other peoples failures? Do we exploit the earth and others for our own gain? If you are the latter, you will understand an equal society is only fair. To share our highs and lows and not take what is not ours. I think this is the basis of Omelas dilemma and I'd leave because I know any world would be better than living because an innocent child is suffering.
I find this paradox to be very relevant to our world today as we live on an earth where there are first world countries and third world countries. We are in a sense living in a far more complex idea of Omelas. In Ireland we live in a place not as Utopian as Omelas but very similar. We live how we live mostly because capitalism enables us to buy cheap goods made by people in sweater shops who suffer in third world countries or similar conditions to the child in the dirty cellar.
So to ask me if I'd stay or walk away from Omelas is rather difficult. I initially felt I would definitely leave but as I reflect on my actions as a human in the real world I wonder if I'm far too weak to actually leave. I buy clothes made from children in sweater shops. I have unknowns to myself actually chosen Omelas. However it is different. Omelas is simply just a city and not a world, so technically it is easier to leave. We are so globalized today that my choice to leave would have to be internal(moral stance) rather than physically dropping everything and leaving. This however isn't what was asked of me but I found it interesting to start this topic off with a comparison to the real world as that is what the short story asks of us; to be true to our moral stance and truly question our true choice.
After reading this however I believe I would leave Omelas. After becoming aware that my happiness stemmed from someones misery I would rather leave and find a world where I would live with both misery and happiness in a more balanced and fair way.
I found it quite interesting the sentence "But they seem to know where they are going" as it suggests that those who leave have found some possible moral higher ground. I believe it is their realization that Omelas is actually a utopia built on a deal with the devil and this could never be just. No matter what they couldn't keep on living with that price to pay, so anywhere is better than Omelas.
Omelas represents a very real moral dilemma we face in our real lives. Do we gain success out of other peoples failures? Do we exploit the earth and others for our own gain? If you are the latter, you will understand an equal society is only fair. To share our highs and lows and not take what is not ours. I think this is the basis of Omelas dilemma and I'd leave because I know any world would be better than living because an innocent child is suffering.
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