Three Dimensions of World

The world I experience is three-dimensional, despite mathematical assertions to the contrary. As I study more, however, I see that this three-dimensionality occurs in wisdom writings. In Aristotle's work titled On Rhetoric, he divides the world of communications into three dimensions: ethos (speaker), logos (idea) and pathos (listener). In Pirkei Avos, the famous Jewish text of wisdom, verse 1:2, states that the world is sustained by three dimensions: Torah study, avodah (service of the heart) and gemilut chassidum (bestowing kindnesses).

I see a relationship. In the construction of our "world," there is one axis of us relating with ourselves. This is a spiritual axis, as in ethos, or avodah. Then, there is a second axis of us relating with our fellow man. This is a physical axis of action, like pathos, or gemilut chassidum. Finally, there is a mental axis of ideas, like logos, or Torah study. For our world, individually or collectively, to sustain itself, study, external relations and interior health are all critical.

This does raise another issue. Where does "emotional" fit in? Some individuals, such as Bill W. of AA fame, seem to put the emotional on the mental axis. Aristotle seems to imply that the emotional is on the pathos axis, while the Pirkei Avos seems to imply that the emotional is a on the spiritual axis. My sense is that the emotional is the dot connecting to the intersection of the other three vectors, possibly explaining its volatility.