One approach towards thinking about phenomena that can be profoundly powerful is that provided by Systems Theory. What qualifies as a “system” is relatively simple: a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole. Once understood, systems thinking can provide a powerful tool for understanding physical, chemical, biological, and social phenomena and give insights into what changes can influence the entire system. This is particularly relevant to those systems which you are a part of.
There are various ways to look at systems, some with fine detail and distinctions, others very broad. What follows is a fairly broad approach focusing on usefulness concerning the kinds of systems Initiates are likely to find themselves interacting with.
In The Ghost Machine, writer Arthur Koestler provided a valuable coinage: holon. A holon is a whole in and of itself, which can also be part of a greater whole. A holon, in turn, is comprised of parts which are also holons. Holons can operate independently or enter larger holonic systems where some of their features will be constrained, and others will be given greater reign. A simple example of a holon in nature can be an atom made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, which, in turn, can become part of multi-atomic systems or molecules. Much like molecules, the mutual interactions of the parts of a holonic system define it rather than one part being the pure defining feature. Also, like a molecule, if a holonic system is stripped of its parts, it will not display the same features or capacities. Some function of the system is lost when its parts are lost.
A system, in this sense, has five primary conditions:
1. The whole has one or more defining functions.
2. Every part of a system is necessary, and removing a part will cause the system to cease functioning. Each part in the set can affect the behavior or properties of the whole.
3. A subset of the parts of the system is capable of carrying out, to a greater or lesser capacity, the defining function of the whole. These are the critical parts.
4. No single part of the system directly affects the outcomes of the system. Each part has an indirect or additive effect through its relations with the other parts.
5. Removal of the parts of the system, or their complete dismantling, will cause the defining function of a system to be lost. The defining function only arises as a result of the interactions of the system.
For Initiates, the most critical holonic systems they participate in are human relations systems. These include but are not limited to family systems, employment systems, systems of investment, political systems, social systems, and the like. Within such systems, additive or synergistic functions arise, increasing the available variety of behavior. The greater the variety, the more adaptive the system becomes. New options are available if one behavior does not work.
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