When we’re at sea-level and we look around our horizon is tight and constantly interrupted by things in the way. In a sense, the “actual” horizon is one of arbitrary obscurement by myriad objects; the “real” horizon is just an inconsequential idea.

When we climb high enough we reach a point where no object breaks the horizon and we can see the horizon itself. We can survey what is framed within the circularity of the horizon and see their spatial relationships objectively, that is, from a distance, from the outside.

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The view from inside and the view from a distance (can) reciprocally inter-inform.

Imagine a person looking at the view of a labyrinth from above as a maze, attempting to translate the path he is tracing with his fingertip back into the view from from within. Does he also recall the anxiety of being trapped inside the labyrinth? Does he recognize the anxiety to be part of the essential difference between the above-ness of a maze and the within-ness of a labyrinth?

Now imagine a person panicking inside a labyrinth, doing his best to remember a maze view he was shown. He is trying to locate and orient himself on his mental map so he can chart a path out. But also he is trying to overcome his anxiety by distancing himself from his situation.

Now imagine a man trapped in a labyrinth describing his situation to an expert on mazes. The former has no concept of a maze, and the latter has no concept of a labyrinth. Each thinks he understands what the other means by “situation”, and neither comprehends the nature of the discrepancy.

The common words map to a common structure recognizable to each, but the experience does not map. There are no words for the uncommonality gap that separates them and creates discrepancy.

They say what they can to each other, but only what they cannot say can resolve the problem. Nobody talks about nothing, because there’s nothing to say and nothing to say it with.

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People use the metaphor “depth” in two telling ways. Usually they mean either “really incomprehensible” (“he’s a deep thinker”) or “really thorough” (“his report went into great depth”). Both interpretations of the term reveal a shallow point-of-view on depth.

Depth also can become associated with how far into a perspective a mind can go, leaving behind “higher” and more superficial points of view. This is a lot closer to the meaning of depth than the first two examples, because 1) at least the vertical axis of depth has been found, and 2) the fundamental weakness (and inevitable degeneration) of alienated height has been correctly diagnosed. Alienated height (height dissociated from depth) is mere superficiality (super- “above” + -ficial “face” — a looking at faces as mindless appearance), and universal disrespect (dis- “not” + re- “back” + spect “look” — not being aware that others look back at you differently) for otherness. But, as right as it is, it is still not right enough (for the purposes of today).

Depth is not a point on an axis. Depth is better conceived as a span of vertical axis, from the very deepest points-of-view (which border on the animal) to the very highest point-of-view with the broadest perspective and most comprehensive horizon from which the deepest points can still be given justice.

As I said earlier the view from inside and the view from a distance (can) reciprocally inter-inform. Depth is a matter of how much inside-perspective can be meaningfully interrelated with the help of distant-perspective, and how much inside-perspective is present when surveying from a distant-perspective. And I think the highest and lowest points in a span of depth sputter out into nothingness. The highest point is a grasping for mostly-empty potentially-unifying forms and the lowest points border on mute impulse.

Depth put into practice arrests 1) crimes of passion, 2) crimes of dispassion and 3) the unholy marriage of passion and dispassion: the side-by-side cooperation of the two, where the dutiful man “just does his job”, but the job description is written by visionary psychopaths.

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The next time you look at an unbroken horizon and meditate on what lies beyond it, also take a moment to meditate on the ring of semi-somethingness between the world you look at and the world-beyond behind your eyes. Or alternately, spend some time watching your mind fill the blind spots of your eyes with nothingness, which is neither light nor dark.

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At the very top of even the highest skyscrapers you will find sea-level executives.