Fractal Patterns of Behavior

For me writing is first and foremost a process for my own self improvement. It has always been the best therapy for dealing with my own life's twists and turns. Writing things down stretches a moment of time out into something you can study. Over time, it allows us to notice repeating patterns in our own thinking and behavior.

The writing of a book about Life as a system, has forced me to think that way for the better part of a decade. That has been good for me. It has allowed me to see my own behavior as part of a larger pattern of species interaction. It is easier not to take events personally when we realize that they are but a tiny part of a larger fractal pattern. Everything we do is part of a larger pattern.

One of the advantages of being an old fart is that you can spot repeating patterns that are easy to miss the first time around. Just as important is to notice that their are no patterns that DON'T repeat. The world runs on repeated patterns. That's easy to miss when you are young, and everything seems to be new and getting newer. It takes awhile to recognize that you are in the growth phase of your life and that it won't always be that way. We all grow, mature, and eventually die. We are not alone, the whole system cycles through this basic sequence.

One of the patterns that becomes obvious, is the way new concepts, whether they be technological, biological or social, tend to clump, divide and bond during their evolution. The technological cycle has gotten shorter and shorter, making these patterns easier to spot. Take the invention of the automobile as a starting point. At first there were dozens of car makers. That list continued to grow until the more successful operations began to absorb the smaller ones. The numbers shrink until there are but a few manufacturers. They grow into inefficient behemoths, and begin to produce spin offs, that take advantage of their own growth cycle. Then there are newcomers that also benefit from the growth phase.

This same pattern repeats itself with every new invention or technological breakthrough. In biological systems we can see the same patterns repeat in populations, from single cells to human civilizations.

In the current growth phase of the transpersonal revolution, the movement is going through the same growth patterns as any industry. During the early growth phase, anyone can start up a new company, hang out a shingle and start to build an identity. Each new entry will have unique features that attract an audience. Each one is trying to build the best feature set, based on their view of what that entails. Nobody really knows what will be the best in the long run, but everyone that thinks they do, starts up another version.

I see this same pattern repeating in daily conversations, as well as the larger social movements. Specifically, the recent rift between Earth2.0 and The Venus Project, the ongoing discussion at evolver.net about defining that movement, and my own individual discussions. Nobody wants to dilute their vision of what the best feature/belief set will be. And so we have people being divided by minor detail differences, seeming to ignore that they are sharing a larger vision. It is like a competition to see who can be the most cooperative, that has gotten out of hand.

Don't take it all tooo seriously. We are all in the same business. Don't let our minor disagreements get in the way of the big picture. Sometimes it is just better to smile and nod your head, than to quibble over details. Don't let today's disagreements become an obstacle to future cooperation.

cheers,
jim