Language and self organizing systems

[Harrison Owen]

Wonderful Pat! (does that mean Wonderful Pat or Wonderful, Pat??? -- I guess
either way works) Anyhow, language as self organization? Yes! It is totally
obvious, but I don't know anybody who quite said it before. Most of the
literature I know (which is not much) fusses around with the origins of
language, and all that seems to take place in our deep subconscious, along
with DNA and Jungian archetypes. Or something. But language itself is a
living, open system -- and of course it would be self-organizing. To be
sure, there are all those folks who think they write the rules -- but truth
be known all that is with the wisdom of hindsight. And despite what they
say/think -- language continues to live and evolve. Unless of course the
Language Police come out to play -- and then we get into marvelous
distinctions about "correct usage." However, they are always working after
the fact, and correct usage is simply what we have always done. Until we
decide to do something different. Thanks for the insight! As one who has
always loved to play with words, and usually found themselves on the wrong
side of the "correctness fence," I really have enjoyed thinking along with
you.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Pat Black
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 12:42 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Language and self organizing systems

I find this discussion about self organizing systems fascinating and
thrilled now that it is connected to language's role.  I think language is a
manifestation of self organizing and contributes to the increasing
complexity of self organizing.  I have had the luck of growing up with a
severe speech impediment.  I understood language but was not understood when
I used it.  Speech is not an issue for me now but I have a unique
relationaship with language because of that experience.  I also was raised
in a home where illiteracy was present so the next level of language
abstraction was also an issue.  Both issues limited orientation with the
environment.  Because of these expereinces I have always thought of language
as a way to orient myself with my environment and myself.

When we talk we make ourselves visible and known to ourselves.  There is
something self referential that happens when we speak.  We tell ourselves
what we think and we learn how we are in relation to the environment. The
realtionships are reflected back to us. We make choices to belong or not
based on what is reflected back.  We sometimes assume another's language and
identity if in this orientation process we feel disconnected to the
environment which for young children would be defined by family
relationships.  Relationships grow and are structured through language.
There would be no culture if there was no language.

So would language be impossible if there are no divisions?  That question is
backwards for me.In self organizing systems no divisions are impossible.
Organization at least identifies categories if not creates them. If creation
is innately self organizing there must be this dividing and the dividing
must serve creation.  Seems to me that in the ideal state, this dividing
increases the surface area of each entitiy, increasing the possibility for
new relationships.  New relationships facilitate transforamtions which are
the active manifestation of creation. Creation is creating.

This leads me to the magic thread that has also been floating.  I am
attracted to OS because in the opening of space language can be used to
orient us with the environment in a way that does not seem life threatening
and so our surface area expands allowing for more realtionships which lead
to transformation and creation.  Creation is the magic.

Just some thoughts
Pat Black


>Date:    Wed, 16 Feb 2005 18:30:04 +1000
>From:    Bob Dick <bdick at scu.edu.au>
>Subject: Re: On self-organizing

>It seems to me that language obliges us to carve up an indivisible
>world into pieces.  Language works by categorising, even though the
>world doesn't come in the categories that language provides.

>When all divisions vanish, though, doesn't that make language
>impossible?  And then what?

>Cheers    --  Bob

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