Failures of Imagination: We and Flatland

Failures of Imagination: We and Flatland

From Literary Nomads by Steve Chisnell

April 3, 2026 · 57 min

About this episode

The episode explores the limitations of imagination in the context of societal structures and the pursuit of happiness.

The “Hideous Bargain” is no longer just about one child’s pain . . . We investigate the “Euclidean Mind” that seeks to flatten our messy humanity into a spreadsheet of “mathematically infallible happiness.” Unsettle the sterile peace of the OneState and the rigid hierarchy of Flatland to ask: Is your imagination a gift, or […]

People in this episode

Host: Steve Chisnell

Topics covered

  • imagination
  • humanity
  • Euclidean Mind
  • Flatland
  • OneState
  • happiness

Keywords

  • imagination
  • Flatland
  • Euclidean Mind
  • humanity
  • happiness
  • OneState
  • Hideous Bargain

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Flatland, Hideous Bargain

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