What will you do in this situation?

[Raverie]

This is my first post/thread, I'm usually more of a lurker than contributor. Not sure if it's an INTP trait or just me, but my mind wander a lot to the point it persistently drove me to depression but that's another story. Recently I got this image in my mind so I'm curious in other people's answer to it.


Imagine yourself in a plane of existence that is unknown to you, empty and dark in its nature, simply a plain concrete floor within an endless shadow. Awakened by an incoherent sound, you’re sitting in the corner of an iron cage. On the other corner, sharing this confinement is an unknown strong figure with its back to you raging and screaming into the unknown, never stops for a second to acknowledge your presence. Never knowing his origin, purpose, desire, cause; all you can do is sit in your corner alone fearfully, cautiously watching it continue endlessly, tirelessly with hopes that it will never turn towards you with its brutal strength and wrath that rattles the cage.

After a period of time so long that the concept of time no longer coherent to you, you woke to find this figure missing. The darkness, stillness and the silence surrounds you and you alone. Was it released? Did its effort paid off? Motivated by curiosity, you find yourself standing in its place, the other corner of the cage in attempt to unearth what motivated it so much that grants it its relentless endeavor and eventually freedom. There, standing alone, staring into the vast black unknown out into a distance seemingly unreachable; you find a single tiny, faint yet unmistakably a single white dot.

What will you do? If possible, does it symbolise anything to you?

 

[ApostateAbe]

Welcome to the forum. My inclination is to walk cautiously toward the single white dot, hoping for freedom, though of course everyone is brave in a hypothetical. No symbolism comes to mind.

 

[Reluctantly]

If possible, does it symbolise anything to you?

Polkadot HELL.

I wouldn't do anything; the darkness is heaven because anything that could happen or will happen would then be an improvement. If I go toward the dot, then I will be consumed by light, taking it for granted; I won't appreciate it anymore.

 

[A22]

Polkadot HELL.

I wouldn't do anything; the darkness is heaven because anything that could happen or will happen would then be an improvement. If I go toward the dot, then I will be consumed by light, taking it for granted; I won't appreciate it anymore.

What if a fat guy sat next to you? How could that be good?

 

[Execution Commentary]

I know exactly what I would do.

I would stand there and think...and think...and think...and then think some more until the opportunity was missed.

As for the symbolism, nothing comes to mind. But I could see it as being the cage in which we are all trapped in life, and the unknown strong figure found a way to escape it after all that seemingly unceasing time. The only question is: how did the unknown figure do it? Very interesting.

 

[Abraxas]

To me it seems as if you didn't exist in that plane of existence, until you woke up to see the other guy missing. It's as if you were prepared to face a purgatory of some sort, by allowing you to observe your future self.

Symbolism here has probably something to do with free will vs. determinism...have thoughts of that nature been puzzling you lately?

 

[BigApplePi]

Imagine yourself in a plane of existence that is unknown to you, empty and dark in its nature, simply a plain concrete floor within an endless shadow.

One interpretation: This is your life, open with unknown possibilities.

Awakened by an incoherent sound, you’re sitting in the corner of an iron cage. On the other corner, sharing this confinement is an unknown strong figure with its back to you raging and screaming into the unknown, never stops for a second to acknowledge your presence. Never knowing his origin, purpose, desire, cause; all you can do is sit in your corner alone fearfully, cautiously watching it continue endlessly, tirelessly with hopes that it will never turn towards you with its brutal strength and wrath that rattles the cage.

Your life is confined. The figure is you, your rage, but the rage has no object, only rage. Unknown and uncontrolled, it is to be feared.

After a period of time so long that the concept of time no longer coherent to you, you woke to find this figure missing. The darkness, stillness and the silence surrounds you and you alone. Was it released? Did its effort paid off? Motivated by curiosity, you find yourself standing in its place, the other corner of the cage in attempt to unearth what motivated it so much that grants it its relentless endeavor and eventually freedom. There, standing alone, staring into the vast black unknown out into a distance seemingly unreachable; you find a single tiny, faint yet unmistakably a single white dot.

The rage is gone, but you know it was there. What was it and where did it go? You acknowledge its existence.

What will you do? If possible, does it symbolise anything to you?

You will wait. See if it returns, perhaps in a milder and more recognizable form. This time you will be more ready.

 

[hitode-kun]

I would just stand there and stare at it.

I guess the white dot would symbolise my ideal world; that unattainable perfection which occasionally seems to just disappear from my mind, but ultimately possesses my thoughts. The raging creature would be my desire to attain it, and the cage my limitations.

 

[Raverie]

Thank you everyone for replying. I'm glad it opens up to some interpretation so it doesn't stays within me as a perpetual mystery on the question of whether I'd choose to follow it's rage or just sits there doing nothing in a hypothetical situation.