Scrips N' Scraps

by KillerSteel

Running In Circles (Philosophical)

"Is it better to run in circles," the man asked himself, slouched over on an aging bench, "Or to stand still and never see where you go?"

The man sitting next to him pondered the question, furrowing his brow slightly. "Well, in the physical sense, you see everything sitting still that you would see while running in circles. It's not that difficult a question."

"But mentally. What does it mean to run in a circle?"

"Would that not be the very definition of insanity? To do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome?" The man's friend turned his eyes back to the concrete below his shoes, thinking on it.

"Yes, that's true... but would you expect a different outcome in that situation? Wouldn't you be running in circles for a reason?" He responded, looking back to the other.

"What could that do beyond being a distraction? Wouldn't that be simply locking yourself in your own little world?"

"Perhaps, but wouldn't it be better than sitting down, looking out onto the path," the man's eyes turned outward to the park in front of the pair, watching all the kids run about and have their fun, parents watching over them as they enjoyed the sun, "And never seeing where that path went? What its walk would bring you? Where it even ended?"

"That's to imply that running in circles would not have its own end, my friend. All paths come to an end."

"So, would it be better to simply sit still, or run in circles?"

"That, I can only assume, depends on how you wish to see the world. As something that repeats, or something that waits." He gestured outward to the field in front of him, "Had you simply sat in your house, you would not have seen this wonderful day."

"Had I sat in my house, I would not be at threat of being stung by the numerous wasps buzzing around. But, following that logic, I present myself with the same sight and the same risks every day."

"And in that brings familiarity, does it not? It brings a pattern. Something you can fall into and let that be your path." He cupped his hands, looking out to the park with his friend. "As we speak, these people could be running in their very own mobius strips... their own circular patterns, running on into an infinity. Simply counting the days as they think they walk branches... but simply stalk the tree trunk forward and back."

"Repetition at its finest, yes. But human life is as such... as if to support the very concept of running in circles. It's all we do, after all. Wake up, eat, go to work, have lunch, go home... rinse and repeat until we're buried."

"It's like we aren't even in control of our own lives, since we all fall into our own patterns."

"But we push ourselves into those patterns... so could it be that we take away our own control? Toss it aside for the sake of familiarity, safety in patterns?"

"But then, what of your question? It sounds as if you support the running in circles theory."

"Could we not say that sitting still is its own circle? Simply looking out to the path, but never taking it?"

"But then, that would imply that not running would be running. And that that single space you occupy is, in itself, a circle. This just doesn't work."

"True... but it's yet another pattern we drop ourselves into."

"So, my friend, the question becomes... do you sacrifice control for safety, or safety for control? And with that, just what path takes you where you want to go?"

"I suppose that's simply up to Fate, isn't it? We aren't seers, Steven. We're simply bodies out in the rapids of life, struggling to stay attached to the shore..." Steven's friend chuckles, shaking his head as his eyes fell to the ground, "I suppose that river as well is an infinite circle..."

"But in that circle comes flexibility, yes? Could we not expand the circle?" Steven raised his eyebrow, leaning back on the bench and placing his leg over the other.

"I... suppose so, yes. A circle is not of fixed size, and neither is the pattern of life. We simply add more things to our circles..."
"And through that, we perceive a path that seems to stretch into the darkness, Travis. We've always been on circles... but we control just how big that circle is."

"Interesting concept, Steven. Interesting concept indeed..."

The two friends sat on their bench, looking out onto the park. Children ran in circles all day, their parents watching them on their own circular routes... even the world itself moved in a circle to the Sun's design, and most likely, the Sun itself moved through the galaxy on a circle. Perhaps, even, the galaxy moved in a circle around some impermeable object.

Everything, from the smallest electron to the largest star, moved in a circle. Should we say that Life itself is merely a massive circle, or is it a line? A direct path onward to the end that can never repeat? Is everyday truly unique, or merely an alteration of prior variables? Can we even say that we control our own orbits through the cosmos, say that we can combat the Gods and their grand designs?

No one can say for sure... and many will believe that they can. But there is one certainty when asked of the human race. One absolute constant that we spit in the face of the Gods at every turn.

We are stubborn, and we will try.