From systems to ground

The ability to think in complex whole systems can be learned and trained as a discipline.

Our education system trains us to understand parts, becoming a specialist.

To be taught how to see the whole system, which requires enquiry, the willingness to take other perspectives, and the capacity to hold all perspectives simultaneously, is vital if we want to create a world that works for Earth and all her creatures. 

Our existential crises like Climate Change, increasing authoritarian regimes, AI, exponential technology, settler colonisation, and late-stage capitalism are all interconnected. We must see them as a whole system.

Simultaneously, we must be able to act on the ground. To work with the parts, holding the tension on the ground with the whole system. 

This is tensegrity. Tension and integrity. Tension and compression. Polarity. 

The ability to do this is a rare skill. It need not be. It can be taught and trained. 

This type of training should be essential for anyone working in the existential risk space: politicians, policymakers, NGOs, and Green-tech. 

Photo Taken March 28th 2024