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Musings Report 2022-19 5-7-22 My 2022 Focus: Two Sets of Solutions, One for the World and One For Us
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For those who are new to the Musings reports: they're a glimpse into my notebook, the unfiltered swamp where I organize future themes, sort through the dozens of stories and links submitted by readers, refine my own research and start connecting dots which appear later in the blog or in my books. As always, I hope the Musings spark new appraisals and insights. Thank you for supporting the site and for inviting me into your circle of correspondents.
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My 2022 Focus: Two Sets of Solutions, One for the World and One For Us
The central theme of my blog from its inception in 2005 is there are two sets of solutions, one for individuals / households and one for the systems we inhabit.
Systems have a dual nature: they are abstractions at a high level (feedback loops, second order effects, etc.) and day-to-day realities in our normal lives: long dependency chains stock our shelves and systems of taxation, education, justice, etc. order society and the economy.
Our ability to change sprawling, complex systems by ourselves is essentially zero, but we can change how we interact with systems and modify our level of dependence on those most at risk of disruption.
In other words, it's vital to think through potential solutions at the system level, as solutions become possible once the ideas spread through the populace.
In terms of our own agency--the power to change our own lives--we need a set of solutions that are within reach in the here and now, functional in the existing system and adaptable should some systems unravel.
One thread that runs through all my work is that each of our own lives is also a system, and understanding them on a systemic level clarifies the constraints and options we have to work with.
In system terms, three important ideas apply to both large-scale systems and our own lives: constraints, power relations and ease of flow.
Any system is defined by its constraints: what's possible, what's do-able and what's not possible.
A system is also defined by its power relations: what permissions are needed to modify something and who has the power to grant those permissions.
Dependency chains are also a type of power relations: power flows in mostly one direction. Information can feed back but the control / decisions flow in one direction.
Power relations can take the form of hierarchies, hub-and-spoke networks, dynamic consensus, elections, etc.
Ease of flow describes the way Nature takes the path of least resistance. Some things are easy to do, some are hard, depending on the system and our individual circumstances.
Here are examples of these concepts.
If we want to move to a new community, whose permission do we need? Our spouse, our family, our parents, our employer, our business partner?
If the gas station is out of gas, the dependency chain goes all the way to the oil field, pipelines, refinery, trucking/shipping, wholesaler and then finally the retailer. Our power to modify the system so it refills our local gas station is nil. That power runs only one way, and our only role is the tiny bit of information we provide as a consumer of gasoline.
If I want to cook a vegetable that's growing in my own yard, the flow to do so is easy: walk out, harvest what I need, wash it, prep and cook.
If the vegetable is a specialty item that comes from far away and is only available at one retailer across town, the flow is much less easy.
If I want to start a online business where I'm selling my own content, the set-up is fairly easy: get a tax ID number, a business license (if needed) and you're in business.
If I want to start a building contractor business, I need many more costly, difficult things: I need to pass a license exam, get multiple forms of insurance, buy a surety bond and secure a place of business in a commercial district.
If I don't have the necessary capital and expertise, then starting a complex, costly business isn't possible unless I take on a partner with the necessary capital and skills. My limitations are constraints on my options.
In the context of "my life is a system, too," I want to focus on these topics in the rest of 2022: self-reliance, Degrowth, burnout and how work has changed and is changing.
These are all threads running through my books, as they are all key dynamics in any set of solutions.
It's easy to confuse self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency is needing less from global/local supply chains, self-reliance is being able to take care of oneself in virtually any circumstance.
Here's another description of the difference: "Self-reliance is control over decision making, whereas self-sufficiency is the fulfillment of physical needs."
In other words, self-sufficiency requires physical capital: land to grow food, solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles, tools, wood lots, etc.
(One measure of self-sufficiency I've heard is "how many trips to Costco you need per year." In other words, self-sufficiency is relative. Even off-grid homesteads need tools, propane, etc.)
Self-reliance requires both tangible and intangible capital: skills, experience, moxie and social capital (networks of colleagues, family and friends) are just as vital as financial/physical capital.
Self-reliance requires all forms of capital. (Some people count eight forms, some fewer, but they all include intellectual, emotional, experiential, cultural, social, financial and physical capital).
Degrowth is part of self-sufficiency and self-reliance because the less you consume and the less you need, the easier it is to get by and the greater the spectrum of your options.
Needing less money, goods, services, etc. reduces dependence on supply chains, reduces permissions and increases our agency / power.
My next book is on burnout. Though I focus on the individual's experience of burnout, I think systems, societies and economies also burn out. They exhaust their resources and adaptability and collapse, just like individuals who burn out collapse.
I've written a lot about work, jobs and enterprises. The nature of work has changed over the past 50 years, and it's changing dramatically in the present.
Many of these changes have increased the pressure on workers and managers--hence the mostly silent epidemic of burnout--but some are increasing our options and empowering us.
These are some of the topics I'm excited to explore in the context of solutions for both large-scale systems and our own lives.
Thank you for supporting my work. I couldn't go on without you.
Highlights of the Blog
What Happens When Complexity Unravels? 6/6/22
The Contrarian Curse 5/4/22
Is Housing a Bubble That's About to Crash? 5/2/22
Best Thing That Happened To Me This Week
Harvested an impressive quantity of green beans from our few Northeaster pole beans--our first experience with this variety. The beans are flat like Romano and remain tender even when full-size.
Here's a photo of the julienned and stir-fried green beans with homemade "Ants Climbing A Tree" (Ma Yi Shang Shu) (glass noodles with ground turkey / carrots)..
From Left Field
NOTE TO NEW READERS: This list is not comprised of articles I agree with or that I judge to be correct or of the highest quality. It is representative of the content I find interesting as reflections of the current zeitgeist. The list is intended to be perused with an open, critical, occasionally amused mind.
Chinampas of Mexico: Most Productive Agriculture EVER? (via Chad D.) (17:23)
Energy: A Different Kind of Transition
The hidden long-term risks of surgery: ‘It gives people’s brains a hard time’
The Coming Removal of the Mandate of Heaven, Part 3: Political Infighting -- interesting overview of politics in China....
NASA Sees ‘Otherworldly’ Wreckage on Mars With Ingenuity Helicopter
Dawn of Everything - Introduction
The China cushion has deflated — Q&A with Stephen Roach
The Shanghai Lockdown: a Memetic Analysis
Drive Easy -- easiest way to save huge amounts of fuel--drive slower....
The Fragility Of Complex Systems
China's Leadership Is Prisoner of Its Own Narrative
Scorsese on Antonioni -- L'Eclisse (7 minutes)
"Strangeness is a necessary ingredient in beauty." Charles Baudelaire
Thanks for reading--
charles |
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