the systemic nature of things

Years ago, my partner, my dog, and I were traveling in our van towards a wonderful project called Park Istra in Slovenia. We spent some time volunteering there before hitting the road again, heading further east. One afternoon, one of the members played a video course by Fritjof Capra. I was so deeply moved by the course that I could do nothing but cry.

I know, being emotionally moved by a scientific talk is quite unusual. But for me, it felt like the kind of mental nutrition I had long been deprived of. It was as if the course addressed terminology and concepts that were already part of my way of thinking to some degree.

The course is based on Fritjof's book, The Systems View of Life, which presents a new conception of life requiring a new kind of thinking. It involves thinking in terms of patterns, relationships, the whole, context, emergence, ... —also known as systems or systemic thinking.

Since that day, the concept of graphs, systems, and relationships has become more prominent in my life. It has influenced me deeply on how I look at things and navigate life. To that degree that I tried to direct an intentional community by introducing new methods that were more web- and process-inclined, instead of the conventional, non-systemic, and linear approaches.

The systems view, the web-like nature of things, has become a recurring theme in my life, increasingly coming to the forefront in everyday situations—from spiritual concepts to AI's neural networks.