And all it took was just enough advanced mathematics courses to make sense of it.
Abstract Algebra, at least.
You start with some examples, and you look at how they interact with each other. Not just the social interactions, but the ecological, the developmental, and even economical.
You could say they cancel out. If we want to simplify it like it's only a two-way interaction.
Like an additive inverse.
So when we were sat down with yet another duopoly outsider group (what they were is not important, beyond being outside of the usual mess), and were talking about balancing acts, they brought up something that should have seemed obvious.
All our internal struggles, our wars, our vicious arguments and escalations that periodically threaten our existence.
We're our own counterpart. At least, in this reality.
Like the additive identity.
Then, like a couple of assholes, the outsiders left. Continuing their journey through the different realities.
We are only balanced out, negated, by ourselves.
Of course, this is likely oversimplifying things. I mentioned this idea to a microbiologist friend of mine, and her conclusion was that we're more like an autoimmune disorder. That it's only in the absence of an external regulator, like an existential threat, that we cancel ourselves out.
An elf that overheard us muttered something about ensuring no such threat ever arises as they left the café. I don't think they meant for anyone to hear it, but oh well.
I should get another cookie. They're tasty with today's coffee.
germansingergirl
areudirty
theartofmadeline
jacobvanloon
turnnoffyourmind
