Law of Non-Identity

The principle that things are not identical to themselves over time, challenging Aristotle's law of identity (A = A). The law of non-identity observes that everything changes constantly—the you of this moment is not the you of a moment ago, a river is never the same water twice, and your favorite coffee mug, after years of use, is physically, chemically, and sentimentally different from the one you bought. Identity is an illusion we impose on flux. The law of non-identity explains why you can't step in the same river twice, why returning to a childhood home feels strange (it's not the same home, and you're not the same you), and why "I'm just not myself today" is literally true every day.

Example: "She invoked the law of non-identity when her partner said 'you've changed.' 'Of course I have,' she said. 'The law of non-identity says I'm not the same person I was yesterday, let alone five years ago. If I were identical to my past self, that would be the problem.' Her partner missed the person she used to be. She was busy becoming the person she was going to be."

by Dumu The Void February 15, 2026

Non-Consistent Logic

The meta-logical framework that doesn't even try to maintain consistency, embracing contradiction as a fundamental feature rather than a bug. Non-consistent logic observes that human reasoning, natural language, and real-world systems are riddled with contradictions that we navigate daily without issue. You can believe in free will and determinism simultaneously, hold political views that don't perfectly align, and love someone while being angry at them. Non-consistent logic doesn't resolve these contradictions; it just notes that they exist and that reasoning continues anyway. It's the logic of "I contain multitudes," of holding two opposing ideas in mind without losing the ability to function, of being okay with not making sense.

Example: "He explained non-consistent logic to his therapist: 'I both want to be in this relationship and want to leave. I'm committed and ambivalent. I love her and resent her. These aren't contradictions to resolve; they're just what I feel.' The therapist said that sounded like being human. He said that was non-consistent logic—the logic of being a person, which is never as tidy as a syllogism."

by Dumu The Void February 15, 2026