How Atlas Got the Power to Shrug

Posted on August 15, 2003 in Class Prose Arcana

In the beginning was a “me” and this me persuaded other people to make shovels and, starting at the river, dig canals and ditches. The result was good: more of the hot land could be cultivated and the people were so happy that they showered gifts on the man who’d had the idea. The man became rich and the others said “He’s has enough.” The gifts dwindled and the idea man became angry. “If it wasn’t for me,” he said, “you wouldn’t have this good life you have.” A few people immediately remembered their debt and began giving again. This man deserved the gifts: he’d shown people a way to cooperate and have more food. Maybe he expected too much, however.

An idea came into the mind of another “me”. “Why if I controlled the canals,” this me said to himself, “I would be the one receiving gifts!” Perhaps this man had a large family. He got the strongest sons and nephews together and they began going from farmer to farmer. “You need our protection,” they said. “There are people who are jealous of what you have.” They pointed to the unwatered plains where the herdsmen lived. The herdsmen were a real threat, who came to steal the vegetables and the livestock from the farmers’ gardens. The farmers had organized to protect themselves from the herdsmen, but the sons and the nephews of the man said that this wasn’t enough. Some farmers paid the tax they demanded immediately. Others said “I can take care of myself.” In the morning, they found their fields sacked, their irrigation works destroyed. The extortionists came back. “Without me, this is what happens.”

So did civilization arise: first from innovation that benefited all, then from greed. It shifted between the two poles because people wanted a better life and they wanted security. They forgot that they could get along with each other. They forgot self-reliance and they forgot about the power of cooperation. They forgot that administrators are not the same thing as despots. They let leader after leader take their power of self away, until the only “me” that mattered was that of the Great Leader.

This “me” told them that he held up the sky and they believed him because he was surrounded by many, many gifts.

Thus it became possible for Atlas to create chaos simply by withholding himself. But never for long enough that the people could figure out that they didn’t need him to hold up the sky.

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Inspired by Joseph Duemer’s recent remarks about anarchy.