Matched
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If you lived in a society where everything was decided for you, what would you do? Would you be happy there?
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Karlie
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Nov 01, 2011 02:53PM
My opinion on this question is that I probably wouldn't be happy. I would feel confined and I would get bored very quickly. I mean, I have more songs on my iPod than they do in their whole society! I also think it is very unfair that people have to die at just 80 years old.
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It's funny because when I was younger I would have thought that a society which restricts everything would be horrible and that I would hate it. Now though, I think it would be kind of nice for someone to assign me a job, tell me what shows are good, tell me what to eat and when. I think it would relieve a lot of my day to day stress. I am a first year law student though, so I may just be being cynical right now, maybe my answer will be different in a few years lol
But if it was the only thing they had ever known, then they wouldn't know what else is out there in the world -
I would absolutely loath it. I don't follow directions very well, so this society would definitely have an issue with me.
Ah no way!! I would hate it if my future was already planned for me when I wasn't even born. There's a word out there and it's called freedom. I wonder if the people in the matched society have ever given a thought to it. U know cause I would just love it to marry a complete stranger and eat poisonous food so I die at 80 years old ( being sarcastic here) .
NO! I would always be searching. Searching for freedom, for choice. To be able to do whatever I wanted. Marry whoever I wish. I could never have the job I wanted...And you're kept so far away from everything, you wonder what real life is. What it's like to do something whenever you like, run far far away...Never being able to have a say in what I want, having every bit of freedom taken away. What would it be like to be constantly restricted? To never have the option of being free, away from a controlling society. .I would be miserable.
I never think of myself as an anarchist - but I value my freedom of personal choice. I want to read the books I want to read, where what I want to wear, and schedule my own personal time. I don't expect to control the world around me, but I want and indeed NEED to control my own private world. The society in Matched would never work for me. I'd become and Aberation in two second flat. :)
Well, it wouldn't work for me, but that's me already knowing what freedom of choice feels like. Growing up in a society that restricts that, people wouldn't know any differently, and wouldn't necessarily desire choice, because they wouldn't know what it was. You can't know what you're missing out on unless you've had a taste of it first.
I think you're missing the point. If you were living in a world where everything was perfect, you would know no better. You would have to learn to live with the perfection and think that all that is normal. The only reason why Cassia was unhappy was because another guy came into her life, she was still getting food, water, everything she wanted.
Hina wrote: "I think you're missing the point. If you were living in a world where everything was perfect, you would know no better.I disagree - at least in part. As a child, we tend to accept everything that happens to us as "normal" and assume everyone has the same experiences, but as we grow up it is natural to start questioning and wondering. It is part of the developmental cycle to challenge the rules and work to establish your own sense of identity (generally in your teen and college years). I think those raised in a "perfect" society would go through the same developmental cycle, and ask the same questions - some would choose to accept the status quo but others would notice the tiny cracks and faults in the ideal existence. They would examine them, and in looking more closely their world view would start to shift. Which is exactly what happened to Cassia.
Mithrendiel wrote: "Hina wrote: "I think you're missing the point. If you were living in a world where everything was perfect, you would know no better.I disagree - at least in part. As a child, we tend to accept..."
You can only assume this as it is from your perspective. If we look at it from the book the only people who found anything wrong with the way their world was working was Cassia and that was by sheer chance. So only one person out of many would notice this, because they had been brought up, in a perfect world. They were all content with what they had.
Since I'm against the government controlling any part of life I would either wither away and die in this society, or they'd have to lock me away kicking and screaming... If they could catch me...
i would be mad and annoyed if the govermaent controlled us
Hina wrote: "You can only assume this as it is from your perspective."I think there are plenty of examples of people unhappy with the society in Matched. I'd say Grandpa definitely wasn't happy - he refused the tissue sample and gave Cassia the poetry. Cassia's father certainly knew there was something wrong - thanks to Grandpa, but especially after they reclaimed all the artifacts. He was depressed by his part in that act. The red pills don't work on Xander, so you can bet he was miserable after some of the social purges. Ky was so unhappy, he actually thought fondly of his time in the Outer provinces - comparing it to his current life, and wishing he were back in the provinces despite the war.
In fact, I think every major character in the book demonstrated some unhappiness with the society. They dealt with it, because it was all they knew, but they all seemed to know there was something wrong. This quote from matrix seems appropriate:
“You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.”
I would hate it. I can't be controlled like that, i would go crazy. I know i would hate it because, I hate everything controlling and love adventures and I'm somewhat of a daredevil, so could never live such a boring life. I could never follow rules, and (view spoiler)
I would think it would be just like our lives. If it was all we ever knew, then it would seem normal.
Maybe, but if I was born into the society the matrix quote would definitely be how I feel. I would be uncomfortable; anything that somebody tells me to do (especially if they treat me as condescendingly as the officials treat the citizens) I just want to do the opposite, or at least put them through heck trying to figure out why I have to do something.
Being the person who I am today, I would hate the society and try to make everyone realize what was going on was wrong if ever introduced to a society like that. But if I grew up in that society, I am sure I would be perfectly happy not knowing what freedom was like; allowing people to choose everything for me wouldn't be abnormal to me at all.
Mithrendiel wrote: "Hina wrote: "You can only assume this as it is from your perspective."I think there are plenty of examples of people unhappy with the society in Matched. I'd say Grandpa definitely wasn't happ..."
Cassia's grandad wasn't exactly unhappy. He still lived a happy life with everything he wanted, just because he wanted things doesn't mean he was sad.
As for Ky and Xander, they didn't really do anything about this unhappiness, no one by the end of Matched did anything about it. So even if you did feel unhappy which just three people felt in the book, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it. And Xander was only unhappy because Cassia loved another person.
Hina wrote: As for Ky and Xander, they didn't really do anything about this unhappiness, no one by the end of Matched did anything about it. So even if you did feel unhappy which just three people felt in the book, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it. And Xander was only unhappy because Cassia loved another person.Xander witnessed two neighborhood “cleanses.” One that was so violent and/or horrible, he refused to talk about it (mentioned at about 98% in the book before he gives Cassia supplies for her trip). He then saw everyone he knew brain washed to forget it. I can guarantee you Xander has a lot more reason to be unhappy then just his feeling of rejection from Cassia.
I definitely agree it’s unlikely most people would take action in that society - or any oppressive culture. We as a people are far too comfortable with our status quo - too afraid to rock the boat. Precisely for the reason you listed - because they feel too small and that they "wouldn't be able to do anything about it." This feeling of powerlessness encourages people to keep their heads down, and try to blend in even, it prevents them from taking action even in the face of great injustice. Sadly I feel this level of mindless conformity borders on cowardice. Because people CAN make a difference. As stated by V in V for Vendetta: “People should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people.” All it takes is a few impassioned people to start a revolution. To take that seed of wrongness everyone feels in their mind and cause it grow into an all-out rebellion.
I’d certainly like to hope I’d be someone brave enough to stand up and take action on what they feel is wrong, even if it cost me life or freedom. I think I have that kind of conviction. But of course, there’s no way I can say for sure. We’re just speaking in hypotheticals here. And I’m sure I’m far more bad-ass-rebellion-soldier in my mind than reality. :D
Mithrendiel wrote: "Hina wrote: As for Ky and Xander, they didn't really do anything about this unhappiness, no one by the end of Matched did anything about it. So even if you did feel unhappy which just three people ..."Yep, okay that I agree with. It has been quite some time since I've read the book.
No, I wouldn't like it very much.But, you wouldn't have to worry your going to grow up and be a crazy cat lady or something. xD
But, I wouldn't like being told what to eat, and I would want to cook it myself, or have my mom cook it.
:) So no, wouldn't want to live there.
I wouldnt be happy at all!
I'd probably go mad within a day or two. So many rules!!!!
I'd be the world's biggest rebel! Thank goodness arranged marriages are mostly abolished...
I would be the crazed rebel! No way I'm letting these people boss me around!
Paula wrote: "I would be the crazed rebel! No way I'm letting these people boss me around!"Yeah!!:) Me too!!:):)
No ! Rules make me Sick ! :D
No I would hate it. I want to work where I like too, read what I want, eat what I want (without poison in it lol) and I would like to die whenever it was my time. Not have it laid out from birth to death for me. And also I would want to love who I loved and not be forced to be with someone just bcuz of their genes or status....
I would have to run away. I do not think I could live such a controlled society. I would definitely be a rebel.
I would think we would all mostly be happy-as in that world we would not know anything different. That would be how you were raised.If you went into that situation NOW-most of us would be unhappy. Since we are all used to independence.
Lisa wrote: "I would think we would all mostly be happy-as in that world we would not know anything different. That would be how you were raised.If you went into that situation NOW-most of us would be unhapp..."
Agreed.
Hina wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I would think we would all mostly be happy-as in that world we would not know anything different. That would be how you were raised.If you went into that situation NOW-most of us wo..."
that is very true....but I would have prolly rebeled like Cassia if I found out later what they were doing as well.
i would hate it.It wouldn't technically be my life
This is a question that no one can answer honestly. If I lived in a world where everything was decided for me from birth then I wouldn't know any difference. No one would. It wouldn't be until I met someone else or the society messed up something somehow, like they did in with the matching ceremony, for me to see there were other choices in how to live. We only know what we have been taught. Clearly you may think some things could be done better or faster perhaps, but overall, you would be happy because that's the only life you know. Because we know a different life, we're convinced we would rebel and hate it, but would you if you never knew it was wrong?
ummmm i would proboly go crazy by brakfast! who the hell wants to eat oatmeal all the time for brackfast and limited to a 100 poems i have about 115 poems on my wall and i want more ? comments who might not get crazy by brakfast?
I agree that it's difficult to say, given that we weren't raised as Cassia. But I think I would have that sense that something was wrong, and at some point I would seriously resent the fact that my entire life was controlled.
it all depends, on how u were raised. Because everything u see influences u. so if i was sent to the society, after living in my world for soo long, i would say 'Absolutely Not! I won't b bossed around!' but if I was someone like Lena, and i was born and raised in that society, the only thing that would seem right to me would be that society. But I'm me, so no I would run away or something ^-^
I feel like we wouldn't know any better and it would be normal to us. But if, like Cassia, I found something to make me question or that told me of free will I'd be all over it. I agree with "it all depends on how you were raised."
It really depends on what kind of person you are. Some people would feel safe in the knowledge that their life was taken care of until the day that they die. As for me, I don't know. I don't think i would enjoy being told what i could eat every day. Where i could go for only a certain amount of time. I don't live that life, so I can't really know for sure.
Christina wrote: "It really depends on what kind of person you are. Some people would feel safe in the knowledge that their life was taken care of until the day that they die. As for me, I don't know. I don't think ..."
exactly (=
exactly (=
I would probably run away.I would hate to live in a society were they control everything and you can't make your own choices... that sucks.
I think so because it is hard to make all of these decisions, and now, a lot of people and making the wrong decision. It would be good to avoid that.
Casey wrote: "If I was born into it, knowing how I've been all my life up til now I would probably be fine with it.
If someone threw me in there as I am now, I would hate it."
I agree with that completely. If you never knew about being free and stuff, it wouldn't seem bad. But if you knew, it would be horrible.
If someone threw me in there as I am now, I would hate it."
I agree with that completely. If you never knew about being free and stuff, it wouldn't seem bad. But if you knew, it would be horrible.
Aa'ishah wrote: "I agree that it's difficult to say, given that we weren't raised as Cassia. But I think I would have that sense that something was wrong, and at some point I would seriously resent the fact that m..."totaly my point!..lol
R U KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANT EVEN FOLLOW THE RULES IN MY HOUSEEE LOL
I wouldn't mind having someone specially chosen for me to be honest. I would draw the line when I can't listen to my own music, or choose my own clothes. That would really bug me. But no disease? Now THAT would be amazing. I would be able to see my mom and dad all the time, without that worry. Knowing maybe someday we'll all see each other again. Yeah, that would be pretty great.
NOOOO WAY would I be able to do what they say. Its hard enough as it is for me. lol
dito!! cant live a life thats dicided for me!!!!can u???
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