Omelas can also be seen as plausibility through imperfection. People have trouble accepting perfection. Imperfection adds a layer of realism that anchors people to a story. Without imperfection, there’s nothing to talk about.
Reza Aslan cleverly applies the concept to deities, but it works with pretty much everything. Looking gift horses in the mouth is human nature. There’s a direct relationship between an ideal, and the level of effort put into the inquisition the ideal is subjected to in search of the imperfection. There’s also an expectation that the closer something is to utopia, the worse the imperfection will be.
Mark Twain said “What do they say about a man with no vices?” Churchill said he didn’t trust a man without any vices. Both are saying the same thing. The same thing as Le Guin. Omelas isn’t interesting until suffering is introduced. Omelas is a fantasy that’s wholly unremarkable without the imperfection of the girl’s plight. The imperfection makes it relatable.
The error in the analysis seems to be the assumption that the value of the story is in the suffering. I don’t think that has to be the case. Omelas is a valid critique of cynicism. Our innate need to find fault simply to give ourselves something to complain about. Our refusal to accept something unless it’s damaged.
Omelas can also be seen as plausibility through imperfection. People have trouble accepting perfection. Imperfection adds a layer of realism that anchors people to a story. Without imperfection, there’s nothing to talk about.
Reza Aslan cleverly applies the concept to deities, but it works with pretty much everything. Looking gift horses in the mouth is human nature. There’s a direct relationship between an ideal, and the level of effort put into the inquisition the ideal is subjected to in search of the imperfection. There’s also an expectation that the closer something is to utopia, the worse the imperfection will be.
Mark Twain said “What do they say about a man with no vices?” Churchill said he didn’t trust a man without any vices. Both are saying the same thing. The same thing as Le Guin. Omelas isn’t interesting until suffering is introduced. Omelas is a fantasy that’s wholly unremarkable without the imperfection of the girl’s plight. The imperfection makes it relatable.
The error in the analysis seems to be the assumption that the value of the story is in the suffering. I don’t think that has to be the case. Omelas is a valid critique of cynicism. Our innate need to find fault simply to give ourselves something to complain about. Our refusal to accept something unless it’s damaged.