Self-Organization...More...

Chris Corrigan corcom at interchange.ubc.ca
Fri Nov 16 16:41:00 PST 2001


"Sullivan, Tim J. MCF:EX" wrote:

> Good thought, Chris, however....with 5 Billion plus on the planet now, and
> increasing by leaps and bounds....we can't all be hunter/gatherers.
> It is a metaphor of 'go lightly' that is feasible with much smaller numbers,
> and will not drive the system to the "edge of chaos". The eco-system will be
> stable. We live in different times. Now, its chaos for breakfast, lunch,
> dinner and midnight snack. And the 'edge' is becoming the 'brink'.
>

We can't all be farmers either.  Not so much a case of "either/or" for me, so
much as "both/and."

Also not sure about the idea that farmers are better at handling chaos,
especially "auto mechanic" farmers, as "ho" has just pointed out.  Usually chaos
involves people traveling every which way over a field full of freshly planted
crops.  If you are wedded to that land, you're sunk.  Therefore, farmers
generally have to fence in their stuff, defend against intrusions and lash out
at anyone who wants a piece of it.  Low tolerance for chaos.  Hunter/gatherers
(HGs) are able to move because, while they might be dependent on a few species,
they don't care where those species are.  If an upheaval strikes, they move.

In the same way, businesses and organizations that are "farmers" fence in their
market share or property or copyrights and defend themselves against the threats
to their future.  HG organizations move with the times, exhibit flexibility and
an ability to thrive in widely differing climates. Myers-Briggs is a farm.  Open
Space is a hunting territory.  HGs are better at surfing chaos because they are
a part of it.  Farmers/gardeners take, as their raison d'être, the taming of the
chaos, the assumption of which is always a prelude to a drowning.

Cheers,

Chris
...currently a trapped HG.

--
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

http://www.chriscorrigan.com
corcom at interchange.ubc.ca

RR 1 E-3
1172 Miller Road
Bowen Island, BC
Canada, V0N 1G0

phone (604) 947-9236
fax (604) 947-9238

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