On systems and the human experience
A system consists of a group of two or more interrelated elements that fulfill a function or objective. Every system is governed and organized by a set of principles; if these principles are ignored, distorted, or violated, conflicts arise. The effectiveness of a system in achieving a specific end depends on its structure; that is, how its elements interrelate with each other, and how the system, as an element, interacts with other systems.
Every living being is a system and part of one or more systems (i.e., circulatory, digestive, ecological, social, etc.). The human mind can be seen as a system. Based on paintings and artifacts, archeologists and other scientists have determined that around 100,000 years ago our early ancestors evolved the capacity for abstract thought; the ability to conceive and give meaning to immaterial or intangible things and events. In human history, this period is known as the cognitive revolution. The incipient abstraction capacity gave rise to the establishment of shared beliefs and the development of an increasingly complex language to communicate these emerging concepts and beliefs. The emergence of both (beliefs and complex language) fostered a broader social cohesion, much broader than those observed in any other group of primates. However, even though the capacity for abstraction of human beings continues to evolve, conceptualizing and manifesting the technological advances we enjoy today, the core element driving our system is the survival of the individual living being.
As human beings, our life experiences are defined, or at least vastly influenced, by our instinct to survive, an instinct that is intrinsically associated to the interconnection, meaning and values we assigned, individually and/or collectively, to tangible and intangible elements in our environments. These interconnections, meanings, and values can be described as beliefs that are manifest as unspoken alliances, loyalties, and unwritten rules that, because of their intrinsic survival value, remain veiled and mostly out of our conscious awareness.
Our individual experiences shape the collective belief systems, including cultural and family systems, which in turn influence and perpetuate the belief system, the veils, and life experiences of the individuals forming the collective. Outside of our conscious awareness, the beliefs held by individuals and the collective can be contradictory and, as history has shown, can result in significant and unfortunate consequences. Among other ways, the collective and individual belief systems manifest as the presence and/or absence connections, possibilities, and resources.
Identifying the elements and dynamics that make up a human system allows us to reveal its structure; that is, the elements forming the system and how these elements interrelate with each other and other systems; and uncovering the structure can also help us to unveil the system’s original intention. Regarding the life experience of human beings, exploring the relationships between emotions and the specific words used to describe them offers a window to uncover the elements of the system and how these are interrelating, including external and internal (thoughts) behavioral patterns.
Enhancing our conscious awareness of how the elements of a system are interconnected gives us the opportunity to review and evaluate if any updates are deemed appropriate. This includes unveiling the structure of the intention and its present-day validity, as well as how the system’s elements interrelate in achieving the established intention(s). On some occasions, this review exposes the presence of contradictory beliefs. Having a greater level of conscious awareness opens the opportunity to reach new perspectives from which we can define our actual intentions, the forms to achieve them, and our values; so that, if deemed appropriate, these can be revised and updated to present day circumstances and conditions.
At times, acquiring enhanced awareness may involve a process that may be hard to swallow, and that may be the reason why our system has kept it veiled for so long. Yet, acquiring enhanced conscious awareness of how we operate, both collectively and individually, offers us the opportunity to update the structure of the systems we operate under, so that we can exercising our free will more consciously when pursuing our goals and the experiences we want to create now.
