Chaos Isn't

Here's the beauty of Chaos. It isn't really Chaos. As defined by Dictionary.com, Chaos is:

A condition or place of great disorder or confusion.
A disorderly mass; a jumble.

Neither of these actually define Chaos. Chaos is the ultimate order. Pardon the pun, but Chaos is merely an oderly system that is on an order of magnitude that is not understood by the observer. The butterfly effect. What appears to be randomness is merely the inabilty to see the larger system at work.

If this is true, (and I firmly believe that it is) then we must adopt a systemic approach to life in order to move through it with understanding. Nothing is truly cause and effect, rather it is cause and effect and effect and effect and effect and effect and effect and effect. If we are to be the cause, we must consider the effects we will have in the system. We must take a look at the system at large and see what leverage we have in that system.

The thought of each cause (or action) having possibly exponentially increasing effects can scare even the most jaded of us into inactivity. However, I believe that we must use our powers for good. If we consider that we have the power to effect the lives of others, we should consider using that power to make those lives better. As I stated in my previous log, nothing is truly ours, we merely hold it in trust. Take care with that trust. Don't abuse the power given to you. Whether we speak of our children (I have none and the thought of raising them frightens me to death) or co-workers, or friends, or the person we pass on the street, we inherently want them to think of us as making them somewhat better for the experience. However, we rarely actively act in a way that will help bring about that outcome.

This is partially due to our centrisms. Whether ethno, cultural, clique, or self, when we are centric, our stewardship goes completely out the window. Suddenly we become worried about our own. This creates soccer moms that damn near kill to get into and out of school parking lots before anyone else. (I am beginning to think that elementary school parking lots are more dangerous than oil well repairs.) This is why businessmen start reading the Art of War to get ahead in business. For that matter, this is why everyone on the road drives the way they do. In Southern California, even the car pool lanes are jokes most of the time, because Fastrak allows single drivers to make use of them for a cost. Drivers are so selfcentric that they can't handle the sacrifice it might cause to have to wait for a co-worker to get off work.

So what does all this mean? Basically, in the immortal words of the world renowned Bill and Ted, "Be excellent to each other". You never know what kind of future you might create.