There’s a Japanese anime entitled Frieren: Past Journey’s Finish. Whereas anime has a justly-deserved popularity for being over-the-top and goofy, this specific sequence bucks the development. The plot follows Frieren, an elven mage. Elves on this universe are extremely long-lived; their typical lifespan reaches 1000’s of years lengthy. Frieren was a part of a celebration of heroes who defeated the Demon King, the chief of a robust nation of predators who hunted people, elves, and the opposite humanoid races. Because of Frieren’s lengthy life, she outlives her companions and, as time strikes on previous their nice victory over the Demon King, so too do the reminiscences of their time collectively start to fade. The present is about Frieren’s grief and her sudden (to her) want to protect the reminiscences of her buddies.
The present additionally has many financial themes and examples. I’ve a sequence of weblog posts deliberate discussing these as I progress by way of my rewatch. This publish is the primary of what I hope will probably be many. I’ll do my finest to maintain posts spoiler free, however when mandatory, I’ll label spoilers.
Within the episode Killing Magic (season 1, episode 3), Frieren and her human apprentice Fern head to a village the place a robust normal within the Demon King’s military has been sealed away for the reason that battle 80 years earlier. In the course of the battle, this normal, Qual, devastated the human armies with a robust spell named Zoltraak. This spell might bypass all obstacles; there was no counter for it. Its very title struck terror into the hearts of the people. This was the stuff of legends. Certainly, Qual itself was so {powerful} that it might solely be sealed away; no magic might contact it.
Quick-forward 80 years (to the current) and the seal round Qual has failed. Frieren and Fern arrive to destroy Qual as soon as and for all. Qual, recognizing Frieren from the battle 80 years earlier, proceeds to threaten her and unleashes his omnipotent spell. Fern blocks the spell. Fern’s shock is palpable: “I don’t perceive, Mistress Frieren. That was simply strange offensive magic.” Frieren goes on to clarify: people, not like demons and elves, should not innately magical. They’ve needed to adapt and overcome the challenges dealing with them. Conversely, demons are innately and powerfully magical; they have no idea tips on how to adapt. They only bludgeon all the things till it submits. When Zoltraak devastated human armies a long time in the past, the people devoted themselves to reverse-engineering it, understanding it, and perfecting it. Extra importantly, the people simplified it and it turned so frequent that this spell, as soon as solely within the palms of only one terribly {powerful} demon, is now commonplace in opposition to even the lowest-skilled human mages.
Right here we see an indication of what Julian Simon calls “the final word useful resource,” particularly the human thoughts. People are insanely inventive when confronted with issues. When costs are allowed to fluctuate (signaling relative shortage/abundance) and correct establishments are in place that permit for and reward creativity, humanity is ready to accomplish superb issues. Consequently, the inconceivable turns into not solely potential, however commonplace. Coupled with the truth that technological change is a combinatorial course of, it turns into mind-boggling what issues free people can overcome.
Thus, we see one other implication: that issues sow the seeds of their very own destruction (or, as Frieren put it: “Zoltraak is simply too {powerful}”). Confronted with challenges, people will overcome. If protected against challenges, stagnation outcomes. To cite the economist Mark Perry: “competitors breeds competence.” Competitors not solely breeds competence, however breeds superiority. Allow us to unleash human creativity.
