Heaven

by PandaSurprise

Published August 11, 2011

"From A to B, I tell you. Yes, from A to B."

"From 1 to 2?"

"Yes, from 1 to 2."

"..."

"Symbols. Lines on a page."

"And if I don't know..."

"And if you don't know it ceases to have value."

"Are you sure it ever really has value?"

"There must be. We give it value."

"Can we really give things value?"

"Well, I'd assume so. How can symbols get value if we don't give them it? It doesn't seem possible that symbols could not have value, since, by definition, a symbol is just a placeholder for value."

"It'd be absurd for them not to have value, dontcha think?"

"I can't imagine it."

"I think I can. Imagine the chaos:

There would be lounders with parbtors

And renquieries with dibsons,

Glasosies and rexans,

With mangors and biscins."

"I don't even think that would be true. Those would just be different values."

"..."

"Ya know?"

"Yea, I guess I see your point. Hmmmm. You said that we give symbols their value, right?"

"Yes, I did say that."

"Shouldn't that mean that there is a time where they don't value?"

"When?"

"Before they exist as symbols. Before we make designations. For example, before we even exist as we are, before they were even looked upon."

"Touche, I see your point."

"What do you think such a place is like?"

"It hurts my head to think about it."

"It must have been one confusing place."

"Such a terrible place."

"Indeed."

"What would you call such a place?"

"Hell."

"Hell is the place where symbols have no value?"

"Yes."

"So, what would you call a place where symbols have value."

"Heaven."

Comments & reviews · 4
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PandaSurprise
Comment
PandaSurprise commented Comment · Aug 11, 2011

Thanks for the comment. Due to the topic, little word changes can change a lot of the meaning. The reason I have has instead of had is because I don't really want to apply the past tense because if they had value, it means they still should, unless for some reason they lost it, which is not the point I am really trying to make. One of the reasons this can get even more complicated, is the fact that the main symbols really being analyzed here is language itself, and the fact that it is a construction that we have created and give value to so that we can understand things better. Another problem comes due to the fact that this involves some philosophical and astrophysical theories. In astrophysics, the perception of time is vastly different than the perception of time that most people have. In the most abstract, some would even go as so far as to say the way we perceive it is completely an illusion, and that the universe/multiverse is actually only ever really in one state which contains all that ever was and ever will be. So, when I go into talking about the philosophy of language and try comparing it to metaphysics, then try to relate it to some spiritual truth, all the while still incorporating the physics, it gets a little fuzzy and complicated.

User avatar
Noelle
Review
Noelle wrote a review Review · Aug 11, 2011

Hi there!

This was a great piece. It caught my interest and kept me reading through the whole thing. The conversation was intriguing and made me think.

"Are you sure it ever really has value?"

This sentence is awkward. I really can't tell whether you should use had or has here. Think about it.

Keep writing! :)

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PandaSurprise
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PandaSurprise commented Comment · Aug 11, 2011

Thanks for the review. It is more of a piece about wisdom and how wisdom is the primary goal. Also, some of the corrections you suggested would change the intended meaning, but I welcome the suggestions!

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Mikko
Review
Mikko wrote a review Review · Aug 11, 2011

Hey Panda! This was nice little piece made of just a conversation between two people, though I must admit that I was a bit confused- especially at the beiginning but curiousity kept me reading; I wanted to know where you were heading to with the idea and as I kept reading, it became more clear to me. If hell is a place where symbols have no value, and heaven is a place where all symbols have value, that must mean that Earth is where not all symbols have value, right?

Ok, as for nit-pricks, there were only a few little erros that I will outline for you.

"From A to B, I tell you. Yes, from A to B."

"From 1 to 2?"

"Yes, from 1 to 2."

"..."

"Symbols. Lines on a page."

"And if I don't know..?"

"And if you don't know it ceases to have value."

"Are you sure it ever really had value?"

"It must have. We'll give it value."

"Can we really give things value?"

"Well, I'd assume so. How can symbols get value if we don't give them it? It doesn't seem possible that symbols could not have value, since, by definition, a symbol is just a placeholder for value."

"It'd be absurd for them not to have value, don't ya' think?"

"I can't imagine it."

"I think I can. Imagine the chaos:



There would be lounders with parbtors

And renquieries with dibsons,

Glasosies and rexans,

With mangors and biscins."

"I don't even think that would be true. Those would just be different values."

"..."

"Ya' know?"

"Yea, I guess I see your point. Hmmmm. You said that we give symbols their value, right?"

"Yes, I did say that."

"Shouldn't that mean that there is a time where they don't value?" I think you should rephrase so it would be: Shouldn't that mean that there was as time where they didn't have value?

"When?"

"Before they exist as symbols. Before we make designations. For example, before we even exist as we are, before they were even looked upon." No, wait, scratch my 'rephrasing' idea. It makes more sense, now that I've read it again.

"Touché, I see your point."

"What do you think such a place would like?"

"It hurts my head to think about it."

"It must be one confusing place."

"Such a terrible place."

"Indeed."

"What would you call such a place?"

"Hell."

"Hell is the place where symbols have no value?"

"Yes."

"So, what would you call a place where symbols have value."

"Heaven."



Alakazam BIOS discography Philadelphia à la disco [...] Nitrogen! I.E. polyester Garfunkle'n Garfield!
— John West (The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson)