makes me wonder what would happen if I tried showing off what I consider to be an actual shot at Applied Fun Theory. My suspicion is that people would turn around and criticize it
I can’t tell if dath ilan (as portrayed in Project Lawful and elsewhere) is supposed to be “an actual shot at Applied Fun Theory”, and I’m somewhat leaning towards thinking it isn’t, but if it is, then your prediction is correct for at least one person. (Though I would probably still move there because it still sounds better than what I’ve got now. Honestly, I’d move there just for the Quiet Cities.)
that what we’re really seeing here is contrarianism
That would not be the only explanation for people calling your “Failed Utopia” not that bad and your “Successful Utopia” terrible.
I wonder how bad I would actually have to make a Utopia before people stopped trying to defend it.
If people are defending it, maybe that means it actually just isn’t that bad. I know I don’t need to tell you that “badness” isn’t a thing that exists in the aether, it’s a function of how people feel about things. (Edit: Of course, I know “it actually just isn’t that bad” isn’t the only explanation for people defending it. Just thought it was an explanation worth considering.)
I can’t tell if dath ilan (as portrayed in Project Lawful and elsewhere) is supposed to be “an actual shot at Applied Fun Theory”, and I’m somewhat leaning towards thinking it isn’t, but if it is, then your prediction is correct for at least one person. (Though I would probably still move there because it still sounds better than what I’ve got now. Honestly, I’d move there just for the Quiet Cities.)
That would not be the only explanation for people calling your “Failed Utopia” not that bad and your “Successful Utopia” terrible.
If people are defending it, maybe that means it actually just isn’t that bad. I know I don’t need to tell you that “badness” isn’t a thing that exists in the aether, it’s a function of how people feel about things. (Edit: Of course, I know “it actually just isn’t that bad” isn’t the only explanation for people defending it. Just thought it was an explanation worth considering.)