Is there such a thing as an absolute timeless enemy?

On November 17, 2004, Konami released the highly anticipated "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater," a brainchild of Hideo Kojima's creativity and mastery of directing. This cinematic masterpiece of a game has been highly praised by its fans ever since. It offers a interesting portrayal of the Cold War, mixing facts with fiction and featuring well-written characters that result in great storytelling. Players often feel like viewers of an actual movie, given the number of cutscenes throughout the playthrough.

A particular part of the story that really caught my attention was a decisive fight between the protagonist "Naked Snake" and one of the main antagonists "The Boss". This important event completely shifts the story of every subsequent part in the series.

"One must die and one must live. No victory, no defeat. The survivor will carry on the fight. It is our destiny... The one who survives will inherit the title. And the one who inherits the title will face an existence of endless battle."

-The Boss to Naked Snake

This quote resonates well with modern times. We often take on heavy responsibilities just to gain empty titles. But these burdens aren't pointless - they give us the opportunity to grow and become someone we couldn't have been without them. The core idea is that while we may pursue responsibilities for superficial reasons, those challenges can ultimately lead to meaningful personal growth and transformation.

After that, the dialogue shifts to questioning who really is an ally and who is the opposition: "What then is an enemy? Is there such a thing as an absolute timeless enemy?"

Enemies are a human construct, arising from conflicts of interests, ideologies, resources, or other factors between groups. What one side views as an "enemy" is very much shaped by the circumstances and context of that period in history.

Throughout history, groups that were once sworn enemies have later become allies, and vice versa. The alliances and feuds between nations and peoples have been in constant flux as political, economic, and social conditions evolve over decades and centuries.

At the core, "enemies" are still human beings like us, with their own motivations, experiences, and perspectives that shape their worldview, just as our own contexts shape how we view them.

From an existential metaphysical viewpoint, one could argue that the true "enemy" is the inherent meaninglessness, absurdity, and indifference of the universe to human existence. In this framing, humanity is engaged in a perpetual struggle against the void - to create purpose, find significance, and exert our will in defiance of the uncaring cosmos. The enemy is not a physical adversary, but the psychic anguish of grappling with our finite state.

From a moral perspective, the eternal enemy could be framed as the darker capacities of human nature itself - our propensity for cruelty, selfishness, tribalism, and the moral shortcomings that enable immense suffering in the world. The struggle is the continuous battle, both within and without, to realize more enlightened moral ideals and create a more just, compassionate world in the face of our baser instincts and flawed ethical reasoning.

So, coming back to the main question: Is there such a thing as an absolute timeless enemy?

No. There is no such thing and never has been. The reason is that enemies are humans like us, and they can be enemies only in relative terms. In the context of moral and existential aspects, "the enemy" within us dies with us. Therefore, it can't exist without us. If we measure timelessness as a metaphor for our lifespan, then it's arguably in the territory of reasoning. But in the context of the ever-moving fourth dimension that we call time, human life itself can't be measured as being timeless in any rational physical term. Therefore, there can't be such a thing as a timeless absolute enemy, at least for now.