It is 1222am and I have decided to write. I have no idea what today's topic would be. Let us start with Arabic, it is a beautiful language. I would love to be able to read, speak and understand Arabic. I went to a random Arabic word generator and got the Arabic word for "opposite" which is ضِدّْ (idd). Now I am wondering if there is an Arabic idiom that uses the word idd and would that be an iddiom? My friend Chatty tells me that the transliteration is actually ḍidd which means "opposite" or "antonym" or even "adversary" depending on the context. The word itself has an appealing symmetry — a sharp, deliberate start and finish, almost like two poles facing each other.
He shared an Arabic proverb that goes like this bi-ḍiddihā tatabayyanu al-ashyā' which means "things are made clear by their opposites." This tells us that we often understand something only when we experience its contrast — we know light because we have seen darkness, joy because we have felt sorrow. I wonder how this is related to saying opposites attract? My friend Chatty tells me that both ideas center on contrast but express it differently: the Arabic proverb "things are made clear by their opposites" speaks to understanding through difference, while "opposites attract" speaks to connection through difference. One reveals truth by contrast; the other finds harmony in contrast — two sides of the same mirror, one reflective, the other relational.
I have heard "two sides of the same coin" before but saying "two sides of the same mirror" is different. Side (s-idd-e). What does it mean? My friend Chatty says that "two sides of the same mirror" suggests a deeper contrast than "two sides of the same coin." One side reveals reflection and clarity, while the other shows emptiness — symbolizing how understanding and mystery, presence and absence, define each other. It captures the idea that opposites do not just coexist but give meaning through their contrast. It is poetic and somewhat confusing but I get it. Not to be taken literally. Replace coin with mirror because a mirror is reflective. I started this blog post with nothing and ended up with something. Nothing and something being two sides of the same mirror.
Now my mind wonders if a mirror actually has three sides? That would be an interesting question to explore in another blog post. What would be the three sides of this blog post? Nothing, something and? Could it be the space between nothing and something. The process of turning nothing into something. The process of writing (writhing). The spark. The inspiration. The light that creates the reflection in the mirror. The language that carries thoughts. In between nothing and something lives everything. The endless possibilities. The potential.
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