Basal Modus
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- Zelenskyy: Ukraine can’t accept a ceasefire that leaves Russia free to strike again
- Ukraine Attacks Record Number of Russian Oil Infrastructure Sites in November
- Pope Leo Warns Trump Not To Launch War Against Venezuela’s Maduro
- Japan’s ban on marriage equality is constitutional, according to a Tokyo court
- Germany: Bundeswehr ammo delivery ransacked by thieves
- Putin says that if Europe wants war, then Russia is ready
- Abortion clinics in Southern Michigan are performing substantially more abortions since the Dobbs Supreme Court ruling. Abortion is legal in Michigan but not in Indiana and Ohio, Michigan’s Southern neighbors.
- US Closes One of the Communication Channels With Germany Regarding Assistance to Ukraine
- IBM CEO says there is ‘no way’ spending trillions on AI data centers will pay off at today’s infrastructure costs
- OpenAI Loses Discovery Battle, Cedes Ground to Authors in AI Lawsuits | The issue has been a major battleground in discovery. OpenAI could be on the hook for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars if it was aware it was infringing on copyrighted material.
- Researchers have just found the presence of sugars, including ribose, lyxose, and glycose, on samples of Asteroid Bennu, which now has all of the ingredients for life as it exists on Earth.
- Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers carry out public execution in sports stadium
- NATO considers ‘more aggressive’ response to Russia’s hybrid threats
- Ukraine’s General Staff outlines situation in Pokrovsk and Vovchansk: Russia’s triumphant claims do not reflect reality
- Third released hostage says he was sexually abused during Gaza captivity
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2024
The simplest and most accurate way to think about systems is as structures designed to persist across time. For both individuals and organizations, persistence is fundamentally about maintaining relevance and continuity within a broader context. This drive can be seen as a form of programming—biological, cultural, or organizational—manifesting through strategies, structures, and adaptations aimed at survival.
Abstractions, such as “freedom” or “democracy,” serve as the conceptual cores of systems. These are not self-sufficient; they require reconciliation through rules and shared participation to transition into operational realities. Systems often overlap and nest, forming complex webs of dependencies, much like interconnected ecosystems. This layering allows for both stability and evolution, where contradictions act as tension points that either strengthen or dismantle the system.
Network effects amplify the power of systems. The more participants align with a system, the stronger its influence and resilience. Systems with tangible anchors—real-world utilities like infrastructure or healthcare—tend to thrive over purely imagined constructs, though the latter can profoundly shape societies when tied to collective aspirations.
Companies are specialized systems, leveraging abstractions like “profit” or “value creation” to direct resources toward specific goals. Their success lies in their ability to integrate into broader networks while ensuring their own survival. Scale is not the ultimate measure; impact within interconnected systems is.
Ultimately, persistence across all systems, from biological to imagined, reflects a singular logic: to endure. Change arises as systems evolve to resolve contradictions or adapt to new realities. The key to progress lies in sustaining efforts toward coherence, adaptability, and collective benefit—ensuring the enduring vitality of the human experience and the structures we create.
For the individual, this framework offers insight into navigating complexity: participation in systems often requires reconciling personal desires with the broader needs of the collective. The challenge lies in balancing immediate contributions with the enduring mechanics of systems—whether biological, cultural, or economic.
Locke