Circles and shapes

Do you know of the land of shapes? It is a curious place, quite unlike our own world. Every sentient works industriously to make shapes - Squares, triangles, rhombi - all sorts of shapes. These made up the very world they existed in, ethereal yet beautiful in their complexity as they intermingled.

Of course, such expertise is not innate, it is meticulously cultivated among their denizens, much like those of our own cultivate themselves. And so it is that the younglings of this plane are taught all kinds of shapes by different denizens, each youthful pane eager to find their role. One such group of younglings was group 35279119991889998110. That is a bit inconvenient to remember but it hardly matters, the only two of any importance are a couple of very promising younglings: Nul and Nan.

The two were not the best of friends, the fiercest of rivals, or anything to each other at all: they merely shared the fate of belonging to the same space, and having a special skill towards shapes with a lot of vertices. In the land of shapes where each shape could only be connected to another by a vertex, this was an invaluable skill. It wasn't as though anyone could make a vertex alone, that was simply impossible! And so these two were nurtured with fervor, having their limits pushed constantly by the overseers

An outsider might look upon this and surmise that this was unfair; certainly a punishment to have young minds, regardless of how bright they were to strain as they did! However, those more observant would realize that it was the overseers who were experiencing unfairness: Any challenge they could come up with, all the trials and tests they could design for the two were solved with a disconcerting ease. It wasn't long before they moved onto creating near circles even! It was truer to say the two were wallowing in boredom at the supposed tests from their overseers, so like most younglings they dreamed about tales of the illusory point and the amazing stories of the core of shapes.

It wasn't long before Nul claimed disinterest in their assigned field. Yes, regular shapes were... necessary but there was much more beauty in the irregular! In sharp angles and concave polygons! The overseers tried opposed fiercely, punishing and chastising the gifted youngling, all while the other of the two watched in silent admiration and disgust.

Nan wondered why Nul was choosing something so... pedestrian. Yes, angles were far more beautiful than any regular shape could be, that was something everyone knew. But was that worth throwing away talent and greatness for? Nul of all denizens should know that those skilled in regular polygons like they would struggle with close angled lines.

And so, in the end only one of the two made it to the core. And as soon as the young genius made it to the core, work began in earnest.

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The surface was a horrible place. The structures were beautiful as the lines glanced off each other in beautiful angles but the denizens were cruel. Nul who had finally managed to create sharp angles by stacking triangles carefully was met with sneers and disgust. Such shoddy work was even poorer than those of newly formed younglings, it was an embarrassment to watch. Those working alongside Nul were far more understanding, willing to share advice, aid or assets to help the former prodigy scrape by.

Over time, Nul worked harder and harder with little success to show for it. Looking to the ground below, it was impossible to not realize how right Nan had been to choose practicality over pointless passion.

The core was a wonderful place, not in the least like the surface. Yes, there were shapes in both places, but the core was no mere set of shapes: the angles and lines within interlocked and played off each other in such complexity and beauty that they quite literally popped out. Even the most clever would struggle to wrap their heads around how these medley of shapes glided and grew, shifted and shrunk. It may not have the asymmetric beauty of the scalene or the concave, but perhaps that was something that one would have gotten used to in time. After all, what use was passion without wealth?

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The core was a horrible place. It was no mere set of shapes: the angles and lines within interlocked and played off each other in such complexity and beauty that they quite literally popped out. Even the most clever would struggle to wrap their heads around how these medley of shapes glided and grew, shifted and shrunk. Even more so for Nan who had no deep interest in regular shapes at all.

However, work was work and work had to be done. Reviewing shape placements, adjusting chord trajectories, assessing space constraints: it was all tiring and thankless work. Even as time crept forward, Nan could not help but feel as though everyone else learned faster, worked faster. Perhaps it was so, the core had no shortage of genius, only the best of the best could enter. There were several who were truly passionate about what they did, and when work is passion, the workers cultivate themselves. A lack of passion brings about apathy, and so it was that those that worked alongside Nan began to grow disinterested in the former prodigy.

Over time, Nan went from bright prospect to mediocre colleague to barely noticeable fixture. Looking to the sky above, it was impossible not to realize how right Nul had been to choose passion over pressured practicality.

The surface was a wonderful place, not in the least like the core. Yes, there were shapes in both places, but the surface was no mere set of shapes: the sharp angles had a simple sort of beauty that blended into a beautiful, non-obtrusive existence. The static interplay of lines and vertices was something everyone could enjoy. It may not have the symmetric wealth of the concentric or the regular, but perhaps that was something that one could have overcome in time. After all, what use was wealth without passion?

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Thus we end our observation of the land of shapes. One denizen living with pity and poverty. The other steeped in apathy and affluence. One with friends, the other alone.

I ask this of you, whose life would you pick? Is there anything one or the other can do?