WE CAN’T MANAGE THE COMPLEX challenges we face until we understand that they are qualitatively different from everything else. Here’s how: Complex systems are dynamic and ever changing. They operate outside the boundaries of rules or algorithms, function on different levels simultaneously, and are composed of myriad parts which continually interact.
Because everything in a complex system is continually changing, its essence lies in the interrelationships among its parts. It’s more about what the system is doing (its activity) than what it is (its identity). Take a storm. Its identity today may be “tropical storm.” Its identity two days from now may be “level 5 hurricane.” To understand it, you need to watch how the storm’s wind velocity changes in relation to the surfaces it is traveling over, among other things, such as temperature. A storm is a complex system.
Let’s take a snapshot of a typical family in today’s world. In the early 2020’s we’re in the middle of a viral pandemic, Covid-19. A pandemic is complex. The problems it creates are also complex, like insufficient medical resources, the need for a vaccine, and the economic catastrophe that’s emerging. Job losses. Business closures. The government (another complex system) is not coping well. Schools at all levels are in chaos. Should they open physically? Or online? Or use a hybrid model? Educational systems are complex. We don’t understand the virus well enough to decide.
We are confronting complexity at every turn, and we need to use a new way of thinking to deal with it—new thinking most of us have never been taught.
What’s happening in families when they have to shelter in place? Problems that can be ignored when life is more normal, with parents working and children in school, rise to the surface. These are complex problems at the personal level. And what else is happening? Racism is being exposed across the country. Technology brings the incidents into our homes and we watch Derek Chauvin’s knee on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, squeezing the life out of him. Both racism and policing are complex systems. People march and protest, and police try to manage that without really understanding what to do.
We are confronting complexity at every turn, and we need to use a new way of thinking to deal with it—new thinking most of us have never been taught.
But we can all learn. The Chaos Institute offers assistance to those struggling with complex situations in their personal, workplace or social experiences. Our mission is to help people learn how to manage the complex situations they face and to offer educational resources about chaos and complexity as it manifests in personal lives. This website provides articles, tools and resources for those who want to learn more on their own.
If you would like a consultation, send us a message outlining your situation and we can take it from there.
