Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Spring. These animals are symbols of freedom. They walk into our lives and remind us our
boundaries don't exist.
The story of man versus nature makes no sense. The relationship is hierarchical. Man is part of
nature, and so is all that we build. No system is closed. Externalities are delusions. There is no
free lunch. These truths resonate on all levels for individuals, organizations, and societies. If we
hope to get better, we must respect the nature of information in systems and nurture the health
of the whole. This is not only a technical challenge. We must shift culture too. It won't be easy.
The system always kicks back. But it's not impossible.
Figure 5-16. Nature is the root directory.
By exposing our categories and connections to the light of day, we become responsible for the
consequences of our actions. As a wise woman once said, it can happen in the blink of an eye.
It can happen in a millisecond. All it takes is a click in the mind, a falling of scales from eyes, a new way
of seeing.
To get better at getting better, we must see there are no limits. Our models are all we know. We
draw edges that don't exist. This isn't bad but dangerous, and it makes us uncomfortable. That's
okay. We must learn to sit with our discomfort. Instead of burying guilt and fear in little boxes,
we must admit black swans and externalities into our model of the system, because information
changes everything. If we allow ourselves to be aware of connectedness, to see everything is in-
tertwingled, and to act on the reality of interbeing, then we will hopefully change what we want,
and that is the path we must travel.
