I never thought I would say that equality is detrimental to our society but after reading Kurt Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron," it makes me fear the consequences of complete equality. In theory, complete equality sounds marvelous: all citizens are equal and there isn't gender or social inequality but when there is extreme complete equality like in Vonnegut's story, individuals are no longer able to properly express their free thoughts and opinions. They lose the essential drive for creativity.
In this day and age, there is an "everyone wins" attitude which is appears to be a good idea in theory. Everyone should be rewarded for their effort, right? For example, what if someone studies really hard for a test and receives a well-deserved perfect score and someone else does not study but also receives a perfect score. Is this fair? Should one have to justify their success by saying, "Oh well everyone got a perfect score on this test?" When this justification is made, the true winner does not feel validated. He or she may feel that all the studying put in was not worth it.
We all strive towards a common goal: success. But when success is achieved and there is not validation, what was the point in trying in the first place? Unfortunately, inequality must exist in order for creativity to blossom. Inequality must exist for true validation.
Hi Meghan!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. I really like the way that you weave uncertainty throughout it. Much like the narrator of "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas", the fact that you are unsure of whether true equality can exist adds a level of realness to the blog. Equality's relationship with individual merit is a complex topic, and one that is not easily discussed, let alone solved. I share your opinion that inequality must exist in order for creativity to. I would love to hear more on your views on the "everybody wins" attitude that many parts of our society have today!
-Jake
Great post! Like you, I always struggle with "Harrison Bergeron" because I'm someone who always champions "equality" and yet certainly value individuality at the same time. Hopefully there is a healthy balance between the two.
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