Conscious Living and the Limits of Paradigms¶

In 1997, systems scientist Donella Meadows wrote an influential essay called Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System. It describes 12 ways to effect change in complex systems, ordered by amount of power.

The weakest leverage point is the tweaking of constants, parameters, and numbers. In daily life, we might adjust how many calories we eat or how many minutes we spend meditating and so on.

The strongest intervention is in transcending paradigms. Even beyond changing paradigms, we can free ourselves from strictly adhering to or believing any particular structures or labels.

Transcending paradigms does not mean cynically rejecting or denying anything. It means accepting that our concepts do not capture the full complexity of our experiences (let alone the rest of existence beyond what we can conscious access). A view beyond paradigms is one that is more open and undefined, where we do not impose frames and limits.

We can still use paradigms practically. That's what these Conscious Living (CL) resources are — a set of concepts and patterns, a paradigm that we can use (and change) to support healthy and meaningful lives. In transcending the paradigm, we can keep in mind the limitations of the model and the presentation. We can understand that such teachings are inherently fuzzy, rough, and generalized.

CL will inevitably mean somewhat different things to different people. Our experiences vary as do our understandings of them as well as the ways we communicate our understandings. Still, we can find common features and language that facilitate better understanding and communication.

The limits of language¶

The structure of CL presented here is constrained by the practical limitations of text and static images (though we might eventually include audio/video resources as well, and CL discussion/support groups can provide real nuanced interaction between people).

Language can never fully describe every aspect of life. And even when we have language, we do not all interpret it the same way. Implications and meanings in language change over time and between people. So, we can never fully avoid the risk of misunderstandings.

Acknowledging the context and its inherent issues, we still aspire to present CL as clearly and accessibly as we can.

CL structure as mnemonic¶

The structure of these CL resources is meant to aid learning and memory. Other structures could work, and each of us can explore, test, and adapt the ideas in whatever ways we find useful.

Issues with file structure¶

Putting items into files, hierarchies, and lists necessarily constrains relationships. Such constraints bring up issues. When choosing where to put certain concepts, we can:

choose one place or the other
split the concept into aspects that go in each place
link or make reference to ideas in different places
repeat ideas in multiple places

We can transcend the structure by recognizing how it could be different and that no particular structure is right (though some structures do work better than others).

Traits over types¶

In CL, we prefer structures and concepts that bring flexibility. Discussing ideas, people, and situations in terms of traits provides more flexibility than categorizing everything and everyone into types.

Throughout CL, we can consider whether something has elements or aspects that fit notable patterns. CL avoids hardline definitions about whether something is or isn't a particular category. We can instead ask how much of various traits something has.

For practical simplicity, we may use structures and labels that seem to imply types. However, when we investigate any type of thing, we can still see it in terms of traits. We can even consider the traits of traits…

CL is non-essentialist¶

We see no reason to believe the essentialist idea that types of things have some core, foundational basis for their identity. When we investigate and observe and ponder aspects of life at all sorts of scales, we do not seem to find ultimate end points to anything. Of course, we can notice distinctions and patterns, and we can use labels. We can still see the labels and concepts as mere pragmatic traits in how human thinking happens to work.

CL is adequately agnostic¶

By simply experiencing consciousness, we can know with utter certainty that it is real. Can we know anything else with that level of confidence? Perhaps mathematical ideas?

Mostly, we accept various ideas when they help us make falsifiable predictions that we see validated repeatedly. We feel more doubtful of ideas that offer no predictive insights or which lead to predictions that turn out false. More broadly, we feel intuitive comfort with explanations and stories that seem to fit our experiences. We can accept these patterns without holding any beliefs in a rigid, fixed style.

In CL, we avoid making claims that ask for deferential acceptance. Practical wisdom and knowledge does not require faith. We can all test and review the CL concepts through our direct experience applying the ideas in our lives.

CL leverage points¶

Though Meadows' original Leverage Points essay focuses on ecosystems and environmental sustainability, the ideas apply to all sorts of systems. The best understanding comes from reading the full essay thoroughly rather than skimming the headings. See https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system. That said, the Wikipedia article has a decent summary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_leverage_points.

We could misunderstand these points as a simple list from worst to best ways to engage with a system. To better understand, really consider the leverage-points metaphor. As with a physical lever, the points that require the least effort only have much effect if the amount of change (the distance the lever is moved) is great. Other points require much more effort, but then small moves translate to much greater effects.

The choice of where to focus depends on the particular details and our practical capacities in each situation. Any point can make a difference, but if we only make small changes to the easiest leverage points, very little will change.

We can consider how CL itself fits the leverage points framework. This way, we can consider where to put efforts when presenting, developing, and using CL itself. In order from least to most powerful (easiest to most difficult):

(12) constants, parameters, and numbers: We can consciously adjust our specific agreements such as how much time we spend on particular activities or how much of what food to eat at each meal.
(11) buffers: we can set up our habits and agreements to maintain buffers in our time availability and energy levels, leaving room to adapt to changing circumstances.
(10) flow structure: CL considers our shifting energy patterns, especially in terms of constriction and expansion, arousal and relaxation; we can intentionally set up our life to adjust the structures that influence our energy flow.
(9) delay time, relative to rate of change: CL highlights an efficient process of attune-resolve-review that works at all scales. This pattern makes CL adaptive and able to respond quickly to emergencies while avoiding rushing other decisions. We can iterate more rapidly as we master this process.
(8) adjusting negative feedback loops: CL emphasizes listening to and accepting our constrictive energy which impedes and inhibits us. We can appreciate when our constrictions reduce harmful patterns and keep us safe, and we can learn to reduce overreactive constriction when it gets in the way of healthy patterns.
(7) adjusting positive feedback loops: CL highlights leading by example, preaching only what we practice, and continually reviewing. CL also brings awareness to expansive energy which motivates various actions. We can adjust our patterns to help reinforce healthy feedback loops and relax unhealthy ones.
(6) structure of information flows: CL supports the use of measurement tools as well as coaching, collaboration, and community practice; CL includes methods for how to live with integrity, including appropriate candor, considering when and how to reveal ourselves to others. Most importantly, CL is about improving our ability to consciously notice whatever we experience.
(5) rules of the system (including incentives and constraints): CL includes many practice tools to guide us in adding or removing friction and setting up overall life to support our commitments.
(4) the power to change and evolve: CL embraces FLO (Free/Libre/Open) dynamics and processes to support continual improvement of our life patterns and of the CL resources themselves.
(3) changing goals: CL reframes our goals to align with healthy and ethical ways of living. We can directly work on adjusting, updating, and reinforcing our understandings and commitments.
(2) paradigm-shift: CL itself offers a transformative contrast to many common worldviews and mindsets. One of the main points in CL is exploring perspectives by actively trying different stories, styles, metaphors, and other viewpoints.
(1) transcending paradigms: as highlighted above, we can acknowledge that no evolution of CL structure, language, and presentation can ever make it perfect and complete. And the same applies to any potential substitute or alternative paradigm. We can let go of analyzing and structuring everything, bringing awareness to how everything consciousness flows as an ineffable process.