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Author: crazysamaritan

Dec 22nd 2013 at 12:05:13 PM

I think that the current proposal leans too heavily in the direction that "Order is bad" and "Chaos is bad".  The direction will encourage too much emphasis on describing examples that lean towards EvilVsEvil.  While that works for GodAndSatanAreBothJerks, I think it fails to address the point that many creators are trying to convey with their creations.  Namely, that the main characters need to TakeAThirdOption for a Good result.

Rather than just complaining, though, I have a rewriting suggestion: 
[[folder: Suggestion]]
'''Name:''' Balance Between Order And Chaos

'''Laconic:''' In OrderVsChaos, the [[HappyEnding Good solution]] is a result of trying to TakeAThirdOption.

'''Draft:'''//
When a work presents the main conflict between two sides in an OrderVsChaos conflict, it isn't required that either one of those sides be "good", in the sense of morally correct.  Instead, the creators can present the two sides of the conflict as DramaticallyMissingThePoint, and the ''Good'' thing is to TakeAThirdOption, by balancing the two extremes.  Too much "order" would result in a static and unchanging world.  Too much "chaos" would destroy it.

This works out to be a more understandable version of the BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil, because ''Good'' comes from the balance between the agents advocating conformity and the agents advocating individual choice, rather than some unspecified meaning of "balance".  Creators can now use a MoralityKitchenSink of characters in the conflict, as both sides believe their side is morally correct behaviour.  Often becomes classified as a GreyAndGrayMorality story.

See also:
* FalseDichotomy, this work is averting the choice of Order or Chaos.
* ShadesOfConflict
[[/folder]]