The Journey (Away from Omelas)
Nov 6, 2004

Turns out that I have more to say as I've thought about it on and off. I'm actually not sure why I didn't see the connection in the first place. There is no walking away from Omelas. In order for some to be happy and at peace, others have to be oppressed and miserable in our world today. There is a difference though, we can do what we are able to alleviate that misery and try to help as many as possible. Also, it's not as magical as Omelas. It's not as if it is truly the case that comforting the one will ruin the peace of the rest.

It's a bit of a fine, minor point really. Is it truly always the case that for someone else to get what they want and be happy, someone else has to suffer? This is surely true in many cases but in every case? I mean, you could even go somewhere harmless like grades. Say you want a really good grade, and you get it, that's not harming anyone right? But it could be, your good grade, if it's exceptional, can throw off the bell curve and hurt someone else's grade and their gpa who just got an average amount of knowledge from the class (which we see as a bad grade but is actually average, A being exceptional), without our exceptional grade, theirs would have been much better as a part of the rest of the class that hit the grade in the same area. If you win money to help you out, that's money someone else who probably also needed it, didn't get. I still stand by what I said before though, this shouldn't depress us with this knowledge, because that causes nothing but wasted energy. Unlike Omelas, we have a choice, we can help those in misery, even if it's just with our friendship and/or understanding if we cannot afford it financially.

The finer point that I see here is actually something I thought about long ago when I read a translated Chinese proverb. I think it was meant to be optimistic and even though I'm generally an optimistic person, I saw a deeper, not so superficial meaning in it. The proverb is this: "One joy scatters a hundred griefs." I'm not even sure it originally had a double meaning. It is true that one joy in life can get rid of many griefs, the double meaning lies in the chosing the word "scatter" instead of something like "obliterate" or "destroy" This is what I immediately saw in this little piece of wisdom: One joy scatters a hundred griefs, and where is it that those hundred griefs scatter to? The lesson, to want joy is fine, but please, be sure of exactly what happens to your griefs in the process. We should think more on our joys and be sure the griefs 'scattered' aren't so numerous.

This actually didn't last very long...Once I started talking about the connection I saw between Omelas and the real world, the connection didn't seem to apply as much. Besides, there's really no walking away in the real world and it doesn't do anyone any good anyway.

So, I'll change the topic. Yesterday, I was discussing something political and got on the subject of the president's supposed Christian beliefs and his audacity at likening the current war with the crusades (which weren't all that noble either, so maybe, in a different way than he had in mind, they are more similar under the surface of their superficial meanings). At any rate, I got to discussing how the current run back to God and faith worries me. I'd thought of this before, drew the connections. Do you realize how many 'great' civilizations of the past did that very same thing? Decided that they needed to turn back to religion and founding beliefs in the spiritual in order to be saved from destruction (God/the Gods were mad at them for straying, if they turned back to him/her/them they would be spared). Did you also know that this was the path they chose just before they crumbled into history? Last night, I drew a connection to this path and the negative, psychological defense mechanism known as regression and le lumen naturale hit me (the light of nature--i.e. a light bulb went off). Do you see how exactly like regression this is? Things are getting scary, I'll just hide under the covers and want papa (mama, whoever is seen as protective and comforting) again. I'm not saying religion is bad, per say, though it can be. I'm just saying that this regressive approach to it in times of trouble seems to be very detrimental. If you think about it, its detrimental effects make sense. You should find strength, peace, and knowledge in whatever spiritual path you undertake. If you go back in a move of regression to simply save yourself/protect yourself, you're going to act more like a child waiting for Daddy to protect you. When facing the oncoming, rationalizing adults of the 'enemy,' well, it'll be like taking candy from a baby. Too much faith in an outside source can be a very bad thing. Do you want to be more like the divine? Be more resilient--does the divine need someone else to protect them? Someone to regress to? No. There is more to copy from the divine than just compassion and the like. Whatever divinity you believe in, it should be there to back you up morally, emotionally, mentally so that you have the strength to not need it to be there in the first place. Or at least, that's one thing you should aim for. You do the opposite when you regress to religious roots crying to Daddy that the bully in the world won't leave you alone. But it is happening, and it is still happening, so get your butt out from underneathe those blankets and face it. Whatever enemy you have is not some demonic apparition that will just scatter in fear at the name of some divine being. They are real humans, just like you, and they pray to their own divine, and usually not out of regression (the winners anyway), occasionally, they pray to the same divine being. Keep that in mind too. Think on that. Don't approach religion regressively, approach it spiritually, as a way to grow and become better. Every religion's ultimate goal seems to become as much like the divine as possible, remember that self-reliance and resiliance, tempered with an ability to work with others is as much part of the divine as compassion and good morals, whatever they may be.

Ja ne!

--Saronai