Beginning

In everyday thinking, a beginning is often imagined as a precise starting point—the first moment when something clearly exists. ISITism invites a more careful look. One of the 10 Immutable Laws of Objects states that every object has a beginning. Yet this law is paired with a crucial corollary: the exact beginning of any object is impossible to identify. What we call a beginning is never a sharp line in reality; it is a moment when awareness recognizes that something has emerged. This immediately reveals beginning as an experiential phenomenon rather than a measurable one.

This is why Beginning is an ISish concept. Beginnings are characterized by uncertainty, ambiguity, and gradual emergence—all qualities associated with IS. A beginning is not stable, fixed, or fully defined; it is something coming into being. By contrast, Endings are ITistic. An ending is typically clear only after the fact, when form has stabilized enough for closure to be identified. We can often say when something ended with confidence, but we struggle to say exactly when it began. This asymmetry is not accidental—it reflects the deeper structure of reality itself.

When viewed through this lens, a beginning is best understood not as an instant, but as a span of emergence. Ideas begin before they are articulated. Relationships begin before they are named. Even physical objects, when examined closely, dissolve into processes, precursors, and transitions. The Immutable Law holds—every object has a beginning—but that beginning lives in the ISish domain of becoming, not the ITistic domain of definition. The fuzziness of beginnings is not a flaw in perception; it is a signature of IS at work.

This also explains why beginnings often feel uncomfortable. ITistic orientation seeks certainty, clarity, and structure—qualities that beginnings do not yet possess. ISish orientation, on the other hand, is comfortable with motion, openness, and partial visibility. When beginnings are approached ITistically, they generate anxiety and hesitation. When approached ISishly, they invite curiosity, creativity, and participation. The difference lies not in the situation, but in the mode of engagement.

By understanding beginning in this way, ISITism uses a familiar human experience to quietly illuminate the distinction between IS and IT. Beginning teaches us what IS feels like from the inside: emergent, indeterminate, and alive. Rather than waiting for perfect clarity before acting, ISITism invites us to recognize that clarity is an ITistic achievement that comes later. Beginnings are always already underway—and awareness is often the last thing to arrive.