1+1 = 1 has both a sense of logic and of the profound.
The equation 1 + 1 = 1 does not make intuitive sense, though it communicates a crucial tenet of The Common Vein. The component numbers in the left side of the equation, could represent the letters of the alphabet, a musical note, a brushstroke of a painting, the components of an equation, or the atom of the universe. It is the equation that is used most commonly in The Common Vein, and is applicable in many situations of life. The end result (right side of the equation) provides an illogical, unexpected, surprising and sometimes even magical result. It implies that whole is a unified bigger than the sum of its parts.
A few examples at a simple level
Letters and Words
When letters get together to form new words, the magic of language emerges.
Let us take the letters a, e, and w for example. When the letters “w” and “e” are placed together, a new word “we” emerges that gives us a little surprise and a new perspective of the letters.
The three letters bonded together in a different combination together result in the word “awe”, a completely different word with a completely different meaning.
As the words build, they result in messages, emails, intimate letters, prose, poetry, reference books, or novels, each unfolding their message through the combination of the letters, and all very different. The same magic happens to the notes of music in the hands of the composer, the brushstrokes in the hands of the artist, and of course in the world of biology to the atoms, and molecules as they build bigger units.
The new properties that result are often unexpected, and sometimes even miraculous.