“Humankind cannot gain something without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. This is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange." ― Hiromu Arakawa

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[–]Tom_Bombadil 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

Sounds like zero-sum gain logic.

Is this true?

[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

It's an interesting question and paradigm. One that would tie in with the eastern philosophies' understanding of karma.

If this is one way to look at what they call "karma" then it would mean that there is no escaping this paradigm of "a gain for a loss" or of "balance of energies" as others might want to be tempted to call it.

No way, without escaping the entire paradigm that has ruled human life for uncountable millenia, for it IS that paradigm.

Interestingly, the exact science of the mind has demonstrated that there is a way to escape that paradigm, and how. It's not easy, but that should be a given: on the one hand, nothing worthwhile is easy and on the other, if it were easy, it would happen all the time.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

Very few social exchanges are zero-sum.

We all have only one life, so there are sunk cost, opportunity costs, associated with finite time, etc.

However, most social activities involve mutual benefit.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Oh, I wasn't talking about zero-sum per event between people. The statement above refers to "humankind" which, if I am not in error, means the aggregate of all mankind. As such, this cannot be an aggregate of all mankind at any given moment, but through time as well.

As such, it may well be that to gain something, humankind might have to give up something else. I am not opining one way or another on that whole-mankind statement.

However, the karma-based paradigm remains true. Some people see it, some don't, but all live within it. For now.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I buy that.