Minimalists live around the edge of the chessboard not on it per se.
Social order is represented by the "blob" to me. The blob is where most live. They live and play by the rules set by those who control the blob. Sure there is colour and movement in the blob just as there are millions upon millions of moves in a game of chess. But just as a game of chess is played on a prescribed board with two sets of pieces that players use to move into positions of advantage so there are restrictions within the blob.
If a piece falls off the chessboard then it finds there is no social order for it to follow. Queen, castle, rook, knight, bishop, and pawn are all of equal value once they are removed from the chessboard. And so it is when a person is removed from the constraints of the blob. In this new arena, "the twirl", there is no restrictions on a human or a chess piece. Within this sphere the individual is granted free will over all that he or she can make sense of, harness for productive purposes, or render harmless in some meaningful way.
As a minimalist I have chosen to live on the edge of both the "blob" and "the twirl". Here I have the freedom I seek and glean all I require to meet my individual needs. I call this zone the DMZ. From this vantage point I can trade with those in the "blob" and still freely associate with those in "the twirl".
I have learnt to recognise the simple fact that it is social order that entraps individuals in a life governed by collective wants. And it is the lack of social order that ensures that "the twirl" becomes a vortex of uncertainty, ambiguity, and randomness. Walking the thin line between those two states of being in the world is my constant challenge as I learn to live, survive, and thrive on the edge of social order.
Richard.
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