The Emperor’s New Clothes, A Story About Majority Power
The Emperor’s New Clothes is a tale by Hans Christian Andersen that has been handed down from generation to generation without losing its charm. It is a story about the power of the majority that is applicable to countless situations.
The story goes that this was an emperor who loved dresses. He had his closets full of beautiful clothes, but he always wanted a better one. He just wanted to dress with the utmost elegance and nothing else mattered to him. Sometimes he even neglected the business of the empire to enjoy his clothes.
This story tells that, on one occasion, some rogues arrived in the kingdom. They knew of the emperor’s weakness for clothing and so planned a coup. They began to spread the story that they were capable of making extraordinary fabrics with unique properties.
the coup
The rumors these men had spread reached the Emperor, who immediately ordered that they be called to his presence. He wanted to know what they were offering. The men said that the fabric they made was so soft and wonderful that the body could barely feel it.
They added that this fabric had a unique quality: it could not be seen by the stupid or the incompetent. The emperor was fascinated. It seemed fabulous that he wasn’t just offering him the fabric to make another dress, but that, through it, he could assess his servants.
Without thinking twice, the emperor ordered a dress made for him from the magical fabric. The men asked for a large advance and installed a loom. They pretended they were working day and night on the fabric, generating very high expectations.
The Emperor’s New Clothes
Curious, the emperor sent his prime minister to bring him news of his long-awaited attire. When the officer arrived at the loom, the scammers asked him if he liked the emperor’s new clothes. The man was taken aback. He didn’t know what to say.
He thought that if he said he hadn’t seen anything, he would be considered an idiot. Or worse, they would say he was unsuitable for their position. So he decided to play the game and say the outfit was beautiful. This was communicated to the emperor, who was pleased with the step.
The rogues asked for more money to enhance the beauty of the dress. The emperor gave them the sum without question. However, time passed and the costume was not ready. So he decided to send a new employee to check on the progress. Once again, the officer didn’t see anything, but when he came back he said: “ It’s the most beautiful outfit I’ve ever seen .”
A story about the power of the majority
The emperor named the two bandits as imperial weavers. Then, he announced that they would have a big party soon, and that he needed them to finish their new costume to wear it that day. The men gladly accepted.
The day of the big celebration finally arrived and the scammers arrived in costume to the royal room. Doing the corresponding imitation, he was told, “Here are the pants.” Then “Here’s the coat” and so on. The emperor, of course, saw nothing, but he, like the others, would not allow himself to be mistaken for a fool or incompetent.
All courtiers praised the emperor’s beautiful attire. They were commenting on how well he had a good fit. Also about the excellent quality of the fabric and the perfection of the finishes. According to the story, the emperor was pleased with the reaction of the others, so much so that he wanted to go out for a walk so that his subjects could admire him.
He started walking the streets and people, who knew about the matter, continued to flatter his attire. Suddenly, a child raised the voice of the crowd: “ But he is naked! “, the boy said. Other children beside him repeated the same thing. Everyone, including the emperor, pretended not to have heard.
