Critical Law Theory

A slightly more punk-rock, less academic cousin of Critical Legal Theory. It’s the practice of viewing every rule, ordinance, and statute with deep, existential suspicion. It posits that most laws were written either to protect someone’s privilege, to make someone else's life difficult, or as a rushed, panicked reaction to a problem that has long since ceased to exist. Adherents believe that behind every "thou shalt not" is a rich guy who didn't want to share his stuff. It’s the theory that the entire legal code is just a very long, very boring, and very expensive list of "Do as I say, not as I do."

Example: "My landlord tried to evict me for having a small garden on the balcony, citing a vague line in the lease about 'structural integrity.' I applied some critical law theory and realized the only thing being threatened was his profit margin."

by Dumu The Void February 14, 2026

The Inverse Value Law

Definition:
(Coined by Nickle) An economic observation stating that in a modern Performocracy, the financial reward for a job is inversely proportional to its necessity for human survival.

Essentially, the more vital a profession is to the actual functioning of society (e.g., nurses, teachers, sanitation workers, farmers), the lower the pay. Conversely, the more trivial, performative, and non-essential the role is (e.g., influencers, streamers, reaction vloggers), the higher the potential earnings. It is the realization that we have built an economy where pretending to do things pays significantly better than actually doing them.

Person 1: "I can't believe my sister is working double shifts in the ER saving lives and can barely make rent, while that guy on TikTok just bought a Lamborghini for opening Pokemon cards."

Person 2: "That's the Inverse Value Law, man. If it saves the world, it pays minimum wage. If it entertains the bored, it pays millions."

by nicklenova February 15, 2026

Law of the Included Middle

The radical principle that for any proposition, it can be both true and false at the same time, directly challenging Aristotle's law of excluded middle (which says a proposition must be either true or false). The law of the included middle acknowledges that reality is often contradictory, that systems can be both functional and broken, that people can love you and hurt you, and that a statement can be accurate in some contexts and false in others. This principle is essential for understanding complex systems, human relationships, and your feelings about your ex—simultaneously the best and worst person you've ever met. The law of the included middle doesn't reject logic; it expands it to handle the beautiful messiness of existence.

Example: "She applied the law of the included middle to her relationship status. 'I'm both happy and miserable,' she said. 'My partner is both wonderful and infuriating. Our relationship is both working and failing.' Her friend said that was impossible. She said that was life. The contradiction didn't need resolution; it needed acceptance. The relationship continued, contradictory and real."

by Dumu The Void February 15, 2026

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

Law of the Possible Middle

The principle that between any two opposing propositions, there exists not just a middle ground but an infinite spectrum of possibilities, challenging the law of excluded middle which insists on binary choice. The law of the possible middle recognizes that true/false, good/bad, right/wrong are rarely adequate categories for a complex world. Between "you always listen" and "you never listen" lies "you listen sometimes, in certain contexts, about certain topics, when you're not distracted." Between capitalism and communism lie approximately 47 varieties of mixed economy. The law of the possible middle is the enemy of polarization, the friend of nuance, and the reason why "both sides" arguments are usually oversimplifications.

Example: "In the debate, he tried to force a binary: either you support free speech absolutely, or you're a censor. She invoked the law of the possible middle: 'There's a spectrum between absolute protection and absolute restriction—time, place, and manner regulations, harassment exceptions, corporate platforms versus public forums. The middle isn't one point; it's infinite possibilities.' He said she was avoiding the question. She said she was answering it accurately, which required more than two options."

by Dumu The Void February 15, 2026