Adapted from Edwin Abbot's book, Flatland: A romance of many dimensions (1884). Provides insights into dimensions of development as told through a geometrical analogy.

1. A romance of many dimensions
The Adventures of
“A. Square”

2. HI!
I’m
A. Square.

3. I live in
Flatland.

4. Flatland has 2
dimensions.

5. Flatland actually looks
something more like this…

6. When A. Square looks around
Flatland, this is what he sees…
line of sight
A. Square.

7. Circle
I have
many
friends.
Triangle
Line

8. But to A. Square, his friends
look like this…
A. Square. Circle
Triangle
(with his point facing towards us)
Line
(from the side)
Line
(from the front)
line of sight

9. So now that you’ve learned
about A. Square and Flatland,
Let’s learn about his
adventures.

10. I’m Bored!
One day,
A. Square got bored…
and decided to go on an
Adventure.

11. Lineland

12. What’s
this?
Meet the inhabitants
of Lineland

13. Lineland, unlike Flatland,
only has one dimension.
They only have two eyes.
Line Line Line Line Line Line
Each line has only ever known
its immediate neighbor.

14. What’s
up?
A. Square’s visit
to Lineland
caused quite
a disruption. Woah!
Where’d you come from?

15. The residents of Lineland
were very disturbed.
Here I am!
He just
Where’s that
disappeared!
voice coming from?

16. Have you ever met
someone from
Lineland?

17. They view
things in two
dimensions.

18. Yes/No
Right/Wrong

19. They follow
authority?

20. Have you ever met
someone from
Lineland?

21. Pointland

22. What’s
this?
After Lineland,
A. Square
visited Pointland.

23. Hello.
Hello?
But the point
didn’t hear
him.
Hello!
HELLO!
A. Square tried
to introduce
Himself…

24. Blah, blah, blah.
Blah, blah, blah.
Blah, blah, blah.
Blah, blah, blah.
Blah, blah, blah.
The point was in
its own world.

25. Have you ever met
someone from
Pointland?

26. They don’t
recognize
needs beyond
their own?

27. They are the
center of
everything?

28. They’re
oblivious to
others.

29. Have you ever met
someone from
Pointland?

30. A. Square
receives a visitor…

31. A. Square returned to
Flatland and tried to
explain his adventures.
So they actually live
in 2 dimensions!
Dude! You’re crazy.
But no one believed him.

32. A. Square left
disillusioned.

33. Dejected, A. Square
encountered his friend, Circle.
But it wasn’t Circle.
This is seriously
messed up!
This Circle could grow
shrink and disappear

35. You see, this circle…
was a SPHERE!
Where’d that
circle go?

36. This is really what
A. Square saw…
line of sight
A. Square.

37. Perhaps there are
more dimensions?
How could my
thinking be so “two
dimensional?”
This made
A. Square think…

38. What would you do if
you were A. Square?

39. Can you “see” the
next dimension?

40. A 4th? A 5th? A 6th?

41. Can you think of a time that you
“thought outside” of your
dimension?

42. And that’s the
story of A.
Square.

43. What we can learn from
A. Square…
Pointland
● Expand your world
● Expose yourself to new
perspectives
● Remember to think of how your
actions impact others

44. What we can learn from
A. Square…
Lineland
● Decisions are complex…
● It’s more than black or white
● Can you find a third way?

45. What we can learn from
A. Square…
Encounter with the Sphere
● Look for the next dimension
● Add a new perspective
● Change can be scary

46. Thank you.
Good Luck!