Interests

• Global issues
• Justice
• Democracy
• Innovation

Perceiving systems

"The whole" here – as illustrated in the above ideogram – is the socio-technical systems we are part of.

A century ago the human creativity, or innovation, was focused on constructing machines. We now expand our vision, and focus our actin, on those much larger 'machines' – the socio-technical systems. We see the tools ... And to the possibility to innovate on that scale. The effects (radical improvements in effectiveness and efficiency of human work) are likely to be comparable or larger.

Think of them as super-mechanisms, which take our daily work as input, and produce ... output. If the effect is problems not solutions – should we not...

We considered calling this insight "The systems, stupid!", which is a paraphrase of Bill Clinton's 1992 successful presidential campaign slogan, "The economy, stupid!". It's not the economy. It's the systems! Once this is understood, the old political agendas fade into oblivion – and completely new ones emerge and come to the forefront. This insight suggests why the holotopia is "the new red"...

Imagine a bus without steering and braking controls, and with candle headlights. That's our democracy...

We cannot solve our problems by working within the systems that created them.

Perceiving relationships

The second insight, rendered by the power structure keyword and ideogram is that the power structure should best be considered as combining power interests with our ideas and with our own condition of wholeness. The point is that the power interests can modify both.

Our society is lacking headlights, and steering and braking controls. Democracy is not possible!

Perceiving evolution

The third insight is about the evolution of our institutions or socio-technical systems, or power structures: When guided by egocenteredness, or the "free competition", the power structures tend to evolve pathologically, as socio-cultural cancer...

The enemy is the system – which is us! There is nobody to blame. Re-evolution is the way.

Instead of trusting "the invisible hand" – we consider ourselves liable for systemic wholeness. We use our creative powers NOT as the market demands – but to ensure systemic wholeness.

Consequences

• Global issues
• Justice: xxx TBA...
• Democracy
• Innovation

The bottom line

And if this may seem all too complex, here is a way to make it simple. Very simple!

Vibeke didn't like this (private joke of mine), yet she may...

 
But seek ye first the systemic wholeness,
in all matters and on all levels detail; and all these
things shall be added unto you.

Resolution

Wholeness as value; and systemic innovation.

In a bit more detail: Look at the two synergistic relationships with the two bottom-line insights. The point is to see knowledge as a systemic component – not as a DESCRIPTION of "reality". The natural next step is to create a system which federates knowledge by turning insights into systemic change. The practical method is to create a prototype and a transdiscipline around it.

The connection with the Narrow Frame insight: We learn to see things in new ways – and see what they may lack to be whole.

Formulation

Text

Story

The story here is about Erich Jantsch, in the context of the Club of Rome's quest for the solutionatique. Norbert Wiener comes in first, to put the ball in play. Yes, our system lacks feedback, and steering. "The headlights are dim, and the steering and braking controls are dysfunctional", observed Engelbart. Jantsch then organized a team in Bellagio...

Keywords

systemic innovation

bootstrapping

Prototypes

The GcG and The CoZ