Article 2 WHAT’S NOT TOO SIMPLE, NOT TOO COMPLEX, AND RHYMES WITH “DOOR”? We gotta Transform This Planet! Yes. But, are you wise enuf to NOT promote corn ethanol, with its impact on food prices, its contribution to air pollution, and its inefficient conversion costs? Having good intentions, to no one's surprise, is not enuf. So what can help us be more effective, efficient, and resilient? Many answers will be offered to this query in this column. For now let's consider the problem of too much simplicity and a manageable measure of complexity. BEWARE THE REDUCTIONIST IN TRUTH’S CLOTHING Watching our minds, both introspectively, and thru research about the evolution of two leggeds, we learn that the mind evolved to give simple, quick, actionable answers to serious queries, "That is poisonous. Kill it!" The genotypes that did not, didn't live long enuf to reproduce. This reductionist routine worked really well in a simple world. Do I need to mention, this is NOT a simple world anymore. If we are satisfied with simplicity too early, we will not extend our concern to where we can be creative, to where we TRANSFORM our reaction, to an inquiry: "That is poisonous. I wonder if it has any medicinal value?" SIMPLE COMPLEXITY AND MANAGING OUR INNER NATURAL RESOURCES So how can we guide ourselves from a level of simplicity that is too simple, to a level of complexity that is not too complex? How can we go beyond our natural reactions, and yet be reasonably contained? This is really a question of how to manage our inner resources; in the most general sense, how to manage our minds. No discussion of mind and its organization can be complete anymore without paying some degree of respect to Ken Wilber and others contributing to the Integral Studies field. So, let's start out with the 4 perspective approach of Integral Studies, and see how this is useful in both broadening and containing our mentation. The four perspectives: 1. The personal interior perspective. We have endless amounts of research that show us that what is going on inside of us determines a lot of what we can see, and even think of, e.g. fear reduces information, past experience creates propensity, etc. 2. The personal exterior perspective. We have as much research alerting us to the fact that how our bodies are put together, i.e. good eyes - bad eyes, ADHD or not, high blood pressure or low, tall or short, influence how we appreciate the world and how we are able to engage it. 3. The collective exterior perspective. We have research indicating that the presence or absence of social systems, like schools, hospitals, transportation, police, etc. put meaningful limits on what possibilities we can imagine and realize. 4. The collective interior perspective. Finally, we have research indicating the family, ethnic, and faith groups we are part of condition our perceptions, values, and thus action that is possible for us. TETRAEMERGENCE BEATS REDUCTIONISM 4 TO 1 These 4 areas, our personal and collective interiors, and personal and collective exteriors, all seem to contribute significantly to who we are, how we be, what we have, and what action is possible for us. They broaden our perspective in affirming multiple equally credible generative domains. They contain us by focusing inquiry into the same 4 domains. 400% INCREASE IN POWER AVAILABLE, PLUS SYNERGY GAINS So what does having 4 generative perspectives mean about how achievement, by any measure, comes about? Well it points out that clarifying intention is not going to be a cure all. A Realtor in Wisconsin, who feels the suffering of children in Bethlehem, or Falluja, or Peoria, and clearly sets his intention to eliminate this suffering, now knows he is starting a journey on one leg, when he has 4 to use should he so choose. 400% INCREASE IN KNOWLEDGE AVAILABLE, PLUS SYNERGY GAINS Knowing there are 4 essential domains of information, also points out that a well educated, clear intentioned, business person, practicing in the absence of exterior collective systems, of banks, good roads, communication systems, and employee training systems, is going to have a lot of trouble creating success. And what if this business person plans a hamburger delivery service to Hindu temples? The collective interior, or cultural norms, of Hindu priests would not be overlooked if all 4 perspectives were evaluated. 400% INCREASE IN SUCCESS…..MAYBE The 4 perspective approach further points out that a couple who have married against the wishes of their culturally distant families, will have less support for success than if their cultural supports were aligned in their favor. An unreserved surrender to sentiment is argued against by a system with 4 constituting perspectives. Of course no perspective is discounted, sentiment is very important. But this 4 perspective model discourages elevating any one perspective to a position of domination. The causal reservoir for any event has 4 contributing rivers. THE END OF REDUCTIONISMUS MYOPIOSIS From the positive side this 4 perspective approach funnels knowledge from all four of the basic areas of human knowledge, into our evaluation process. We still have to figure out what to do with the information. But now we ensure that we are giving respect to all the general areas that contribute to the emergence of any object of inquiry. BECOMING MORE INCLUSIVE AND EFFECTIVE, I.E. ARTFUL Remember, beware of reductionist answers to queries. If the answer is singular, e.g. “All you need to do is clarify your intention”, then it’s a crippled answer, and will provide only marginal help. Do recognize that any object of inquiry, a marriage, a business proposition, a parenting problem, a health problem, a money problem, all arise as problems thru influences from our own mind, our body, our available social systems, and our culture. Whatever the problem, all 4 areas need to be assessed, and the relevant knowledge from each brought together to give us a better informed view of what is occurring, why, and where the leverage points are to create a shift. BACK TO SIMPLE, THE KNOWER AND THE KNOWN So we began with the subject/object distinction and practice. Then we divided object into 4 domains, each contributing to the emergence of any distinction of interest. In short hand, we have the indefinable witness, and 4 categories of the definable. If we are to be artful in Transforming The Planet then it will further us to move from the simplicity of reductionist answers, to a slightly more complex, 4 perspective, assessment. It’s not only your intention. Its your mind-body-society-culture. Of course! THIS IS REALLY ALL ABOUT EPIGENESIS If we are to be artful in Transforming The Planet then it will further us to move from the simplicity of reductionist answers, to a slightly more complex, 4 perspective, assessment. It’s not only your intention. It’s your mind-body-society-culture. Of course! PRACTICE

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Print out the attached Tetraglyph. (Feel free to copy and distribute the Tetraglyph.) Notice that there are 4 sections, created by the vertical and horizontal lines intersecting: Interior-Individual, Exterior-Individual, Interior-Collective, Exterior-Collective. At the bottom is a line to put the name of anything you want to inquire about. It might be your “job’, “mother”, “health”, “money” etc. This is your Object of Inquiry. Now what factors from each of these sections contributes to making your Object of Inquiry just what it is? Let’s take “mom” for example. The items below in “quotes” are what you might write into each separate section. Usually 4-8 words/descriptors per section are sufficient. 1. Interior-Individual: What is significant about her Interior-Individuality? She is “smart”, has “musical ability”, and is “afraid of snakes”. These aspects are not obvious to an unacquainted observer. Such a person would have to interview your mom to learn these things. 2. Exterior-Individual: What is significant about her Exterior-Individuality? She is “tall”, “gray hair”, “type O” blood type, and “walks with a slight limp”. These aspects are obvious to anyone with the senses, or their extensions, to notice. 3. Interior-Collective: What is significant about her cultural embeddedness? She is “Christian”, “member of Son’s of Norway”, votes “Democratic”, and “makes every meal for her husband” of 60 years. These aspects are not obvious to an unacquainted observer. Such a person would have to interview your mom to learn these things. 4. Exterior-Collective: What is significant about her connections with social systems? She “banks at First National”, “buys her Honda’s” from the local franchise, “gets medical care” at the County Hospital, and is “employed by the school district”. These aspects of her are obvious to anyone with the senses to notice. Now sit back and look at the filled in Tetraglyph. We can now describe mom as a 1) smart, musical, woman, afraid of snakes; 2) tall, gray haired, with a common blood type and a limp; who is 3) an American-Norwegian, Christian, Democrat, in a traditional wife role; who 4) has a bank account, buys high quality autos, has medical services available and is securely employed. Contrast that with the usual response to an inquiry about mom, “She’s great. I love her.” Now, depending on the demands of the moment, you can give that simple answer, or choose a bit more complexity. What we did for “mom” is the kind of full spectrum description you can develop for any object of inquiry. So try it with “money” and see what money turns out to be for you. Try it on “spouse”, or “mate”, or “partner”, and see how they show up when looked at from all four sides. How about putting “Transform The Planet” in the Object of Inquiry hot seat? What does that reveal? Obviously there are no right answers. Any answers you put into the Tetraglyph are useful because they come from your mind, and that is what we are trying to expose and explore here…just what is in your Inner World? Remember, if this is the first time you have encountered this model, be patient and regular with your practice. You are asking your mind to work differently. You are creating new grooves, new sanskaras, and it takes some practice to get them deep enuf to work reliably on their own. As you go thru this practice, if you come up with anything that you think will move this conversation forward, please post your comments/questions here.

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