Cracks in the Matrix
Mind Map Nation’s weekly Office Hours are a wealth of thoughtful conversation. Below are some highlights from one of our meetups:
I was asked how we should approach complex and impactful events like the Russia-Ukraine conflict (which I made a video on) and form our own opinions without being overwhelmed by the news.
I reflected on my deep dives into the US Afghanistan withdrawal and pandemic economics (where whole national economies were put on ice) to better understand the context and nature of the underlying system that’s creating these turbulent events.
We can see “the Matrix” cracking during these chaotic events. But they’re also opportunities to better understand what drives our world and who is creating the systems and games we “play” in.
A System, in this case it’s our society, typically doesn’t reveal its hidden structural properties except under stress. That’s why psychologists and neuroscientists study abnormal mental states to better understand the structure of our brains.
My conclusion from the Afghanistan deep dive is that we live in parallel worlds: one where the laws of nature and objective scientific truth rule and one where humans create the rules and have competing stories (which exhibits its own evolutionary biology traits in the form of ideas).
The silver lining is that because we created our own societal systems, we (theoretically) also have the power to change them.
I’m drawn to things that don’t make sense. “How can this be?” is the guiding question that’s led me down some enlightening paths.
Using the OODA Loop analogy, we’re often caught in Decision and Action and don’t spend much time on Observation and Orientation. It is the latter that develops our awareness, appreciation, and ability to change the systems that we participate in.
If discussions like this are up your alley, then give our community a shot.
Make the most of your mind maps
Thanks for reading this article. If you found it useful, you can get a new mind map in your inbox every week. Epiphany is your dose of structured thinking and ordered chaos.
