0
The threshold between existence and non-existence; a special number.
Regardless of what we are measuring, there has to be a point where a deficit becomes surplus and vice versa. There is also a point where neither exists, or that they are at least impossible to measure or notice from our perspective.
The significance of 0 + 1 relative to 1 + 1 cannot be overstated. While it is true that one is being added in both situations, the former represents a transformation from nothing to something, while the latter is a doubling effect. Continuing to add one to subsequent numbers will produce increasingly smaller effects due to the diluting effect of a large pool, but all of these represent growth in a sense. But none of them replicate the existential distinction that occurs when zero is involved. Subtracting one until we reach zero has the opposite effect, except for now what previously existed has disappeared.
Systems where zero is common are environmentally unfriendly to us, because if we do not have options, then we cannot exploit a niche. Having even one niche available compared to zero is the difference between survival and death. The more options we have, the greater our capacity to find a niche that we can occupy in order to flourish. This is why freedom is so important, because the more options we all have, the greater the likelihood of success. Perhaps, it is for this reason that many seek to dictate the number of options we may access, and redistributions of ones and zeroes are frequently sought to balance equality, as though abstractions were commodities and abilities were transferable.
Regardless of how many options we have, none of them are as profound as zero. It represents a complete absence of opportunities, which weighs heavily on the soul, leading to demoralization and hopelessness. It is worth mentioning that simply because we perceive zero does not make it real, and we should be careful that we are not making justifications for our failure to exploit a niche because it is difficult or inconvenient.
Simply adding one changes everything, and this is especially true in competition. A complete absence of opposition or competition is considered a monopoly or tyranny, and both are actively sought by those who enjoy, or at least believe they can justify, dividing and conquering. Dividing by zero is generally not an option, because the armaments necessary to achieve this would produce a whole host of other problems that may compromise any temporary nullified state. Instead, ones are subtracted over time to get as close to zero as possible. This is not the same as being the most competitive business or effective government, as these entities do not actively interfere with the natural emergence of competitors, products, or views; they do not desire zero.
The stakes are extremely high when governance is involved, and lobbyists actively persuade representatives and bureaucrats to shape law and policy in the pursuit of zero. Authoritarians will direct centralized planning models to subtract ones over time, so ordinary citizens cannot embody their rights in a manner that competes with government orthodoxies. Consolidation and coalitions are welcomed by both public and private entities, because acting as a single interest expedites the math. These are not descriptions of competition; they are corruptions camouflaged as strategy.
If a system has reached zero, then ordinary citizens have no recourse. If we cannot freely enter the market, speak freely on any forum, move freely within our country, or make free choices about how we live our lives, then to whom do we file our grievance? The arbiter that hears our concerns shall be none other than the great subtractor. Unsurprisingly, they enjoy making it impossible to relieve them of their calculator until the next election, which they may considering subtracting as well.
We can learn a great deal about the character of elites be simply observing their math.
Addition fuels freedom, subtraction feeds slavery.
See: FREEDOM
Posted: 18 Mar 2023
