I can feel guilty for days, heck, even weeks and sometimes months. But is it a constant poking that I can never escape from? 'Poking' is what I would definitely describe it as. It bugs me at times, but I am able to have a small feeling of ease or distraction. It is extremely difficult to stay fixated on one particular thing, for large amounts of time. Focus is something that we as humans try to work very hard on, I know I personally do. My mind is a whirlwind, it experiences a majority of different feelings and ideas in a matter of hours, even minutes.
Buddhist monks, guru's and yogi's spend their entire lives trying to reach a state, which is called 'Samadhi'. Samadhi is a state of enlightenment, where you are completely focused on one thing, you are in complete bliss, and your mind is at an absolute stillness. They spend hours, years, and decades trying to reach this point. Once they do, they are in a trance like state, and there is no definite amount of time in which they will stay there.The point that I am trying to make, that is unless you are a monk who has been practicing the art of mediation for decades, you are most likely not able to constantly feel guilty, because are mind's are wonderers. There have been many times where I have made a mistake, and feel horribly guilty, but a friend somehow makes me laugh, or my dog somehow makes me smile. Those few seconds I have forgotten about the guilt.
Although the point I'm making is that you can't always feel constantly guilty do to the fact of the wandering mind, I am not saying that justifies staying in Omelas. You may not constantly feel guilty, but guilt can constantly stay with you. It 'pokes', you'll have moments of ease, but then feel that nagging at the back of your mind once again and again. If I were to stay in Omelas, I know that I would always have that feeling of 'poking' of guilt at my heart for that child. Omelas would not be considered a utopia for me, because of the fact that I would be unable to do anything for that child. It's not the fact that the child exists, but the fact that I would be powerless to the situation. In my utopia, I wouldn't feel belittled in that way. I would not stay in Omelas, because that would be supporting the act of doing nothing for that Child. One person can make a change, and if I had my way I would walk away from Omelas hand in hand with that child from the cellar.
