the OST-Healing Metaphor...

Chris Corrigan chris at chriscorrigan.com
Sat May 31 15:17:48 PDT 2003


Oooo...this is cool.

Chris' musings on a vaccine as "a big dose of not what ails us but what
might ail us in the future" says "strategic plan" to me.  One of the
reasons I say this is that vaccines load up the immune system to fight
diseases if they come along.  You're ready if you happen to be exposed
to mumps for example.

One problem with vaccines though is that they hedge bets a little, so
that parts of the immune system are permanently devoted to attacking one
kind of illness.  When the body's immune system is created, it generally
is ready for anything.  "Teaching it" to attack mumps means that parts
of the system are therefore specialized and can only fight mumps.  This
leaves less than 100% of the system exhibiting the flexibility to fight
anything else that comes along.

The problem then is that the immune system suffers from a diminished
capacity to self-organize, because there are many more prior connections
than there would be otherwise.  Kauffman tells us that "sparse prior
connections" enable systems to self-organize because they can evolve
according to the opportunities presented by the rich nutrient
environment and so on.

Forgive me if my science is a little rusty, but I think that's basically
the way it works

I have felt for a long time that strategic planning, especially the
"Vision, Mission, Goals" type of planning inhibits organizations in
exactly the same way.  That is, the plan becomes the thing that the
organization structures itself around rather than a changing
environment.  Fluidity is lost to rigidity and the organization prepares
for a future which may or may not come to pass.  It seems to me that a
greater way to be prepared for the future is to nurture an organization
where everyone is attuned to the changing environment and is able to
organize themselves to meet threats and opportunities.  I love the way
the University of Kentucky Center for Rural Health does this for
example:

"There are only five constraints on this model of personal empowerment:
1. When a problem or opportunity is to be discussed, there must be wide
notification of the meeting time and place so that anyone who is
interested can attend. 2. Proposed solutions/ideas must be broadcast
widely so that they can be acknowledged as Center policies, programs or
procedures, or, if they are contradictory to University of Kentucky
rules, another solution can be sought. 3. Proposed solutions cannot be
hurtful to anyone else. 4. Proposed solutions should channel our limited
resources so that they have maximum impact on achieving our goal. 5.
Accomplishing the work for which we were hired takes precedence over our
group work. However, if the right people (those who really care) are
involved in any topic, they will find a way to make sure their work is
completed and the work of the group is brought to a successful
conclusion.

There are no constraints on the following: 1.Who can call a meeting.
2.The type of problem or opportunity that is being addressed. 3.The
availability of time to have a meeting. 4.Who may attend a meeting.
5.The availability of information necessary for a group to work."

Fitting that it should come from a places interested in health.  That's
from Tales From Open Space (http://www.mindspring.com/~owenhh/Tales.htm)
by the way.

Homeopathy does not treat "what might be."  It treats "what is now" and
that's what I love about it.  Vaccinations and strategic planning are
all about what COULD happen, which takes the attention away from what is
NOW.  And now is what is.  And it's really all that is.  Isn't it?

Chris


---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com

(604) 947-9236






-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of chris
weaver
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2003 5:51 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: the OST-Healing Metaphor...

two more thoughts along these lines:

the language of a homeopathic intervention, or a "dose" of what ails us,
is
problematic.  it seems that the system reveals what ails it from within
- it
is in no way an outside intervention - and calibrates the internal dose
with
great care (as the person hesitates to give language to the dead moose
and
then finally does, digging deeper than ever to find words that are both
honest and responsible...)

and...what is a vaccine?  a big dose of not what ails us but what might
ail
us in the future?  a very tricky undertaking, seems to me...

just meandering...

chris

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