Maybe my response on the Archive will make some of you want to read it. [quote]The idea of the Precursors not wanting to hold the mantle and breaking the Omega Point is incredible. Our understanding of Halo seems to indicate that the overarching story is humanity gaining their place in the universe; inheriting the Mantle. But if the Precursors understand everything, and as a result don't want to wield the Mantle out of already knowing everything, does that not mean the cycle will continue? If humanity does attain the Mantle, what's to say that they won't make the same decisions as the Precursors. If humanity is the the species to wield the Mantle, it seems that Living Time needs them to exist based on the Omega Point. So one would logically assume humanity will reach the same level of understanding the Precursors had. But what then? Humanity will simply attempt to relinquish control of the Mantle. Living Time will again uphold the Omega Point and the "third stage" of evolution will exist again. Not as the Flood, but as something that holds the same position. Then what? Another species will be chosen and the cycle begins again. It is the "unbreakable" God Loop. Perhaps we've been interpreting Halo's story wrongly. A trope often used, one that I personally love, is to choose the option not presented. Break the established code. A lot of Halo media (Legends, Spartan Ops) seems to be pushing for the galaxy uniting together to face the Flood threat. Some of us have interpreted this as what the Precursors wanted. But if it was what they wanted, wouldn't they have hinted at it or outright stated it? So maybe Halo's story is building up to choose the option not presented. Right now, here are the two options being presented: 1. Humanity inherits the Mantle 2. Humanity doesn't inherit the Mantle While it is arguably true the Precursors have the true understanding of the Mantle, and the Forerunners had a biased interpretation, maybe the point of Halo's story is of switching from a nihilistic POV to an existential one. It would certainly seem so given the galaxy uniting together seems to be what the Librarian wants, and follows her understanding of the Mantle. If the purpose of life is conflict, and obtaining the Precursors understanding of the Mantle removes the wielder from the equation of life itself, then certainly a conglomerate group of united aliens all sharing the Mantle together would create a scenario where the Mantle can be upheld, but does not remove the wielder from the equation of life, effectively negating the need to try and break the Omega point. Life is selfish for a good reason. A group of species upholding the Mantle would effectively create perpetual conflict, ensuring the struggle of life never ends. The known sentient species in Halo are perfectionists. We effectively try to attain the unobtainable, or what the Precursors have achieved. If a group of species all wield the Mantle, conflict is inevitable out of the sheer selfish need for perfectionism. Then it would mean one of the thematic messages of Halo is that the struggle of life should be cherished, something that the Librarian and Didact both do on separate levels. Finally, the saying of "The devil plays with idle hands" is also true here. If you understand and know everything, there is nothing left to do. As a result the Precursors attempted to do what shouldn't have ever been attempted: Break the omega point.[/quote]