Is time a flat circle?

Those familiar with the show True Detective don’t need any introduction to the title. But for those who might still be unaware of the genius that Nic Pizzolato is, this Youtube clip might help.

It's more than just a philosophical question, though. Are we really doing everything over and over again? Are we stuck in a 3-D version of a 4-D, and even perhaps a 5-D, world? And why should that matter to us?

I was in 9th grade when I read this story in my Hindi literature class. I don’t quite remember the exact story but I remember the gist of it. The Lion King in the jungle one day decided to call in all the animals in the jungle and announce that he was willing to eat fruits and some meat once in a while as long as he didn’t have to hunt and if the rest of the jungle can provide him that, he will allow for a Democratic society — a society where all animals could vote and elect their representatives that would make the laws of the jungle.

Unsurprisingly, all animals saw the benefit of bringing their ideal world to reality. After all, what could possibly prevent a government elected on promises they bought into and voted for from realizing their dreams?

So, two factions came to thrive — the herbivores and the carnivores. (Surprised much?) From detailing their perfect worlds to identifying the animals who will be best suited to realize those worlds, the two factions set to work. However, the Wolves didn’t participate. At first. They allowed for the factions to get formed. The divisions to further. And then they separated into to factions themselves — let’s say Faction A and Faction B.

Faction A approached the Herbivores to, politely, remind them that carnivore teeth are mightier than herbivore teeth. That they can protect the grass eaters. That the Herbivores don’t really have a choice. That if the carnivores form the government, the Wolves will have no choice but to join them. And that would mean total annihilation of the Herbivores and the “values” they stand for.

Faction B approached the Carnivores to, again, politely, remind them that only their pack of wolves had the solidarity to stay together and form a government that can truly represent the Carnivores. That the infighting among the Carnivores will result in an easy Herbivore win. That if the Herbivores form the government, the Wolves will have no choice but to join them. And that would mean total annihilation of the Carnivores and the “values” they stand for.

Fear and motivation. Who knew they made for such a great combination.

Thanks to that cocktail, one of the factions won. It doesn’t matter which. Because on the day of the results, there was one big party. And the winning faction invited the losing one. Alcohol flowed. Herbivores and Carnivores enjoyed their separate feasts. Herbivores had the best of grass. Carnivores had the best of meat. Carnivores thought it was the meat of the grass eaters. Herbivores thought the Carnivores feasted on the meat of other carnivores. The Wolves knew better for they had hunted both. They also knew the fear & motivation cocktail wouldn’t keep the two sides drunk long enough without the illusion they bought into on their own.

If the two factions of wolves remind you of maybe a couple of political parties, you’re getting there. You’ll get there once they remind you of churches, mosques, and temples; of kings and empires; of ideologues and ideologies.

Empires followed by religious monocultures followed by ideological animosities followed by political hatred. And you bought into Steven Pinker when he told you this was the best time to be alive.

We’ve done this before. We’ve done this a hundred times over. Time is a flat circle.