A Temporary Civilization
Where we learn that the instability of a relationship can be mathematically proven.
This essay is in the form of an erasure prose. An erasure is when words are erased (or crossed-out, or blacked-out, or cut out, etc) from a preexisting text so that the words that remain on the page now tell a new story. The preexisting source for this erasure is an academic math paper. (Richardson, 2026)*
My preference when creating erasures is to not only erase the words I do not want to use, but to also jazz up the visual of (what may now be) a rather barren page with other types of preexisting materials; primarily washi tape and/or origami paper.
If you'd like to see, in comparison, what the original un-erasure'd page looks like -- tap on the asterisk that appears at the end of the sentence under the associated image.
You can read the entire story sans visuals if you scroll down past the last erasure'd page.
Title
A Temporary Civilization *
pg 1
A period of no trust is untenable between Lexi and Al. This manifests as a structural alteration, a discourse to be managed, a rising loss of resilience. *
pg 2
Macroscopic physical contours (re)present a transformation in her behavior as his pre-transformation state becomes imperfect but remains illuminating. *
pg 3
Hysteresis is fragmenting the energy within. A precedented human characteristic to address any problem begins with the assumption that stability meters stress. *
pg 4
That assumption is demonstrably transgressed, without constraints, by “growth for growth itself.” *
pg 5
But, qualitatively, that attitude loops discourse. Coordination depends on shared reality. If social systems do not exist, conflicts become dramatically harder to solve. *
pg 6
And so, this cultural whiplash, occurring in parallel with the way their own perturbations manifest as crises, shocks Al. He exhibits a dependence on mass consensus to determine the way he supports Lexi. *
pg 7
With her losing a core reason to accommodate -or confront- Al, Lexi has a problem. Trust is rebuilt through transparency, and his way is to respond only after pain thresholds are crossed. *
pg 8
From an archipelago of coercion, his failures accumulate. This civilization offers piecemeal responses, warning signals that become the fundamental challenge to our diversity. The future is unknown. *
pg 9
No promises. No clarity or confidence in Al learning why trust matters. The breaking of democracy.*
pg 10
A manifesto for us: search and push beyond boundaries. Press on. Look to our ability for a universal time to develop.*
A Temporary Civilization
A period of no trust is untenable between Lexi and Al. This manifests as a structural alteration, a discourse to be managed, a rising loss of resilience. /
Macroscopic physical contours (re)present a transformation in her behavior as his pre-transition state becomes imperfect but remains illuminating. /
Hysteresis is fragmenting the energy within. A precedented human characteristic to address any problem begins with the assumption that stability meters stress. /
That assumption is demonstrably transgressed, without constraint, by “growth for growth itself.” /
But, qualitatively, that attitude loops discourse. Coordination depends on shared reality. If social systems do not exist, conflicts become dramatically harder to solve. /
And so, this cultural whiplash, occurring in parallel with the way their own perturbations manifest as crises, shocks Al. He exhibits a dependence on mass consensus to determine the way he supports Lexi. /
With her losing a core reason to accommodate -or confront- Al, Lexi has a problem. Trust is rebuilt through transparency, and his way is to respond only after pain thresholds are crossed. /
From an archipelago of coercion, his failures accumulate. This civilization offers piecemeal responses, warning signals that become the fundamental challenge to our diversity. The future is unknown. /
No promises. No clarity or confidence in Al learning why trust matters. The breaking of democracy. /
A manifesto for us: Search and push beyond boundaries. Press on. Look to our ability for a universal time to develop. //
Share this essay
