On May 18, 2010, at 12:58 PM, Arlo Bensinger wrote: > [Marsha] > I agree with Platt's insistence on the importance of the individual > > [Arlo] > Ah, what the hell... its a slow day, I'll bite. > > The problem with "Platt's insistence" is that it is, in effect, tunnel > vision. "Individuals" and "collectives" (if you will) exist at all levels of > focus, there are "individual inorganic patterns" when the lens is adjusted > one way, which suddenly become a collective activity of patterns when the > lens is readjusted. Up and down the MOQ's hierarchy we can go, zooming in and > zooming out, finding "individuals" and then seeing that these patterns are > forever contextualized, and that our "analytic knife", which serves us > discrete individuals, is a tool and nothing more. > > The "individual" is important, sure, and so is its collective activity, and > the patterns formed by this activity, "new" individual patterns at greater > levels of evolution.
Hi Arlo, I don't really see it as an either/or problem. I really believe the best one can do is change as an individual and hope it radiates out into the community. I can occasionally get into the Madame Defarge mode which just radiates bad vibes, but that is useless. > > [Marsha] > I find no independent controlling self, only a flow of patterns. > > [Arlo] > Yes. "Individuals" and "collectives" are simply contextual frames of > reference. On one hand, theoretically compartmentalizing, say, the "human > heart" as a discrete and isolated pattern may help us understand it to some > degree. But so does refocusing and seeing the whole body holistically, as a > "larger" individual pattern built from the collective activity of smaller > patterns. An individual cannot do anything to control the community. I'm all for communities, but think individuals bettering themselves add the most benefit. By bettering themselves, I mean discovering the way things really are. > Que the "commie" drumbeat... Not going to dance to the political drumbeat. Marsha ___ Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
