Principle of Equivalent Trade and the Screaming Cynic

Principle of Equivalent Trade

Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. [However] the world isn't perfect, and the law is incomplete. Equivalent Exchange doesn't encompass everything that goes on here. But I still choose to believe in its principle: that all things do come at a price. That there's an ebb, and a flow, a cycle. That the pain we went through did have a reward and that anyone who's determined and perseveres will get something of value in return, even if it's not what they expected.

—Alphonse Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist

My inner cynic has been screaming recently, all I hear is various forms of "Amor fati!!", it's damn near deafening at times. I too choose to believe in concept of Equivalent Exchange - that if I work hard something of value will come of it. However in the chaos of life though I have lost nearly all belief in the altruistic - everyone gets a payoff and karma cannot be denied.

I have also come to the conclusion that I am a compatibilist, there are somethings that will happen no matter what we do, the question is what part will be play in them when they happen. A good example of this might be the atomic bomb - the determinist in me says that discovery was bound to happen, while the libertarianist leaves what we do with the discovery in the hands of freewill.

Shakespeare felt that the world was a stage, I just allow players to exit from time to time without dying. In the end we are the improv character we play in life - to the cheers, jeers, and taunts of the critics we play on until the final curtain call.

The play goes on, and all my contribute a verse, however if one bows out of destiny or fate another will be placed in that location in their stead. Many things will proceed with or without us, they need to happen, with or without an agenda - - it's the agendas though that seem to get us in the most trouble :P

In the end though we all still negotiate our own trade. . .