For this question, I may answer without hesitation just as when I saw the poll. I would walk away and never come back. Just think about the human nature, and then you will understand why I think so.
Selfish is human nature. All human beings will think about themselves first if something occurs. So it’s not strange for me to think of my own happiness before others’.
Then, you may say if I consider of myself, I should stay there.Well, no doubt that Omelas is a utopia. Everyone lives a happy life there. But as we all know, the little child is suffering from hunger and pains. Can I ignore it, pretend that I have never heard of the poor little child and enjoy every day? Of course I can’t. I’m not a hypocrite, and I may feel compassion to the child. Thus, each time I enjoy myself, I would be guilty since that all my happiness of life is based on others misery. Unless I refuse to accept this kind of happiness or I will be restricted by the guilt and can never find the real happiness.
Even though I’m guilty, I wouldn’t stay there to find the way that can help the child get equality, respect and freedom. I know that is unrealistic and idealistic. Selfish is human nature, and nobody would agree me to break their utopia for only one child. I don’t want to be a sinner that destroys thousands of, even millions of people’s dream. And I also don’t want to be the child’s own saint and hero.What I want is just one thing,and never changes--my happiness.
I’m just an ordinary guy, and honestly, I would think about my own happiness first. Because of that, I would just walk away towards the unknown world to find a better place and no more come back.
Hi Sherry,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this honest response. Your analysis shows real understanding the complexity of this issue. Heroic answers rarely take into consideration the the ways human beings act in real life. I appreciate the frankness of your decision to take care of yourself first. Knowing you couldn't live with the guilt, you would walk away.
That being said, are you sure walking away would lead to more happiness for you? Le Guin's short story makes clear that those who walk away are not guaranteed any quality of life. Furthermore, though we feel that staying in Omelas would lead to interminable guilt, the author states that those who remain in the utopia gradually forget about the suffering child.
I hope that you continue to think about various perspectives on this issue. Your main justification is that human beings are selfish by nature. However, in this type of ethical dilemma, it is often more useful to think about how one SHOULD act - rather than analyzing how we act in the present. If you aren't careful, this line of reasoning could lead you down a dangerous path: should today's instances of racism, for example, be used to justify all future instances of racism?
- Patrick